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February 2024 by sincere sincere
Enjoyed the tour and learned so much. Highly recommend visiting--I took away more than what I anticipated. The docent was very knowledgeable and able to respond to my questions.
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June 2023 by Cory S.
The house is great and the tour guides are knowledgeable, and I don't want to take away from them since they are giving freely of their time to be there. However, unlike other gilded age museums in the area, you cannot wander here. In fact, a rather officious tour assistant was following our small group of 5 and shutting doors behind our group very quickly behind the tour; she wouldn't even allow me 30 seconds to get some good photos after everyone had exited. I only paid for the tour to get the history but mainly for the photos. They need to be a little more clued in as to why people are there paying money for a tour. I share my photos on several tour groups and I know I could help them get visitors but half the time this woman was either standing in my shot or hurrying me into the next room and closing the door in my face. I will likely never go back to the Glessner house because of this experience. Run your tours how you please but don't be surprised if people don't make repeat visits.
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April 2023 by Doug Stern
Delighted to be back to the Glessner House, this time with my son, Henry. We had an OUTSTANDING docent for our visit to one of Richardson's masterpieces. What a great experience!
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March 2023 by Tommy Henry
Good golly! This may be one of the most amazing tours one can take in Chicago. A National Historic Landmark on what used to be Millionaire's Row, this 135+ year-old Guilded Age Chicago home is full of original furnishings and a staff that knows so much about the family that once lived there and the era in which so much around the home developed then changed. Top notch!
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March 2023 by Penny P.
Tour was definitely enjoyable. Guides were pleasant & informative. The reservation-counter woman was not a warm people-person. We almost didn't take the tour b/c of her attitude. Tips: do online reservation, arrive only few mins b/4 tour start time, be prepared about using home's narrow staircases (not handicap accessible), & avoid touching most everything here (a few carpets are even off-limits.) Fact: young &/or active children are not good candidates for this tour.
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January 2023 by Lana Liakhovets
I visited this museum during my stay in Chicago in Spring 2022. If you like the unique atmosphere of old houses, you should definitely visit it. The tour guide was amazing, he told us so many interesting things about the house and history of the family. We really enjoyed it! Just check their schedule before going since they are open on specific days only.
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December 2022 by Eva Bates
Wonderful historical experience with a guided tour of the home.
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August 2022 by Cynthia Minta
Beautiful, historic home (now museum) in the famous Prairie Street area.
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July 2022 by Winterlyn Stebner (Winterlyn Photography)
The Glessner House is an amazing location to host a wedding or an event. The courtyard is a great setting for an afternoon or evening reception and guest are just in awe of the space. The staff is easy to work with and the nicest bunch of people I have had the pleasure to work a wedding with. You wont regret hosting your wedding here.
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July 2022 by Andrew N.
Wow, I just took a hour and 15+ min guided tour of the Glessner House. Highly recommend the guided tour (with John our docent), which made the tour very enjoyable and memorial. Tour included seeing and learning about both the inside and outside of the house, and the coach house. I was inspired by learning more about the Museum's: history, the architectural significance of the house, the Glessner family (and their children), and their Chicago connection. Was also great to hear about the Glessner House Museum's recent acquisitions and new and ongoing restoration efforts. After our tour, we walked around the historical neighborhood, which was delightful, on this beautiful - Chicago - summer day.
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June 2022 by mario santiago
Absolutely wonderful tour of beautiful historic homes. Tour guides were very helpful and informed. Great reception afterward with food, drinks and jazz!
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April 2022 by Kaylee W.
Wow! Just had the best time Here! John was a wonderful tour guide, and the fact that the vast majority of the glessner museum is preserved and untouched and the actual artifacts from the 1880's house is mind blowing! I can't wait to take my mom back here during their Christmas season! I loved every moment and would recommend it to anyone as a fun event to take part in!
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August 2021 by Karyn Linn
The Glessner House is a great location to host an event. I've planned two events at the Glessner House Courtyard for 30+ people including meals and bar service. The courtyard is a great setting for an afternoon or evening event - attendees love being here. Staff is responsive and easy to work with. We'll definitely be back.
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August 2021 by Mordechai Gershon
Over the past year, we have hosted multiple events at Glessner House. Every time we are blown away by the staff's dedication, flexibility and service. Not only is the venue gorgeous, the staff goes out of their way to ensure the success of each event. We love working with them!
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June 2021 by Scott C.
Should be a must see for anyone in Chicago for more than a day, and a trip destination for anyone with interests in architecture, design, decorative arts, Chicago History, or urban living. The architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, was pre-eminent American Architect in 1870s and 1880s. A young Frank Lloyd Wright moved to Chicago a few year after house was completed in 1887, and you can see Richardson's influence in many of FLW's Prairie Style designs. The main family spaces of the house are restored and redecorated exactly as the Glessner's themselves did so- there are historic photographs taken by the family's teen aged son in the late 1880s that are on display, along with nearly all of the art objects, most of the furniture and other items saved by the family and returned to the museum after the house was saved from demolition in 1966- sparking the historic preservation movement in Chicago, spreading to the rest of the country. Tours are FREE on Wednesdays, starting up again post-pandemic. The tours are led by passionate and very knowledgeable docent volunteers. The neighborhood, Prairie Avenue, also holds a dozen or so historic mansions and row houses dating to 1868 that have been preserved, many of them restored. Large park adjacent to house, several restaurants and cafe's within 2-3 blocks, easily accessible by public transit or the Lakefront bike/jogging path, and only 2 blocks from McCormick Place make this a hidden gem of a museum, greatly under appreciated. 90 minutes very well spent in a unique, historic, intimate and fascinating setting.
