Chicago, IL

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
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
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. Photo courtesy of Carol Highsmith
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. Photo courtesy of Carol Highsmith

blank