Mid Century Modern Scene: Chicago, Illinois

Home to Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan, Chicago is a vibrant Mid Century Modern hotspot. With hundreds of Wright masterpieces (along with the Oak Park neighborhood), tourists can spend days focusing just on Frank Lloyd Wright. Remember, however, that Wright’s “dear master” Louis Sullivan created paradigm-shifting works of his own in the area, as did modern architecture pioneers Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Use this list as your starting point for your very own Chicago Mid Century Modern experience!

Lobby of Frank Lloyd Wright’s The Rookery in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Esther Westerveld and Wikimedia Commons

Prominent Chicago Modern Architects:

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Walter Gropius
Louis Sullivan
Frank Lloyd Wright
Marion Mahoney
William Wesley Peters

Mid Century Modern Chicago Homes and Buildings:

Louis Sullivan

Louis Sullivan
James Charnley House
McVicker’s Theater
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox church

Frank Lloyd Wright

Emil Bach House
Dana Thomas House
B. Harley Bradley House
Walter Gale House
Thomas Gale House
Oak Park neighborhood
Many More

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Farnsworth House
Chicago Federal Complex
Seagram Building

Walter Gropius

MIchael Reese Hospital
Chicago Tribune Tower

Chicago Modern Architecture Societies:

Preservation Chicago
AIA Chicago

Chicago Modern Museums/Exhibitions:

Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond
The Art Institute of Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry Chicago
McCormick House – Elmhorst Art Museum

Chicago Mid Century Modern Tour Companies:

Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Chicago Modern Home Tour