Glessner House

A Walk Through Time
Our annual historic walking tour of the Prairie Avenue neighborhood will take place on Sunday, August 30, from 1:00 to 4:00pm. The tour will include the interiors of selected landmark homes in the area, as well as Second Presbyterian Church, the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant, and more. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.glessnerhouse.org/events/a-walk-through-time.

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Second City Jazz

Join us on Wednesday, June 24 for our next courtyard jazz concert featuring Second City Jazz. Doors open at 5:30pm with music starting at 6:00pm. Bring your chairs, blankets, picnic basket, and favorite beverage and enjoy a terrific evening of instrumental jazz under the stars, sponsored by Lakeside Bank. Purchase tickets online at https://www.glessnerhouse.org/events/courtyard-concert/second-city-jazz.
(Photo by Michael Bennett)

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A huge thank you to everyone who attended and supported our successful gala on June 7 at The Fortnightly of Chicago. There is a great article about the event in today's Classic Chicago Magazine:
https://chicagoclassicmag.com/editions/2026-06-21/glessner-house/
The image shows members of the Glessner family who traveled from Montana, New Hampshire, and Maryland!

Photo Friday!

This week’s Photo Friday celebrates Juneteenth with a photograph taken by George Glessner showing a baptism in Lake Michigan, probably on May 12, 1889. In the 19th century, Baptists and Methodists in the Black community held mass baptisms in lakes and rivers that drew thousands and represented community solidarity as much as they did spiritual rebirth. If anyone has more information on the baptism that took place that day in Chicago, including its exact location, please let us know.

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Arts and Crafts program:

Join us on Thursday, June 18, when Darcy Evon presents a program exploring Arts & Crafts metalwork and jewelry from the period 1890 to 1940, with a focus on Hull-House, the Fine Arts Building, and the Kalo Workshop. She will include information on Frances Glessner who fashioned this gold and yellow topaz necklace in the early 1900s (now in the collection of the Chicago History Museum). The in-person program will take place at Second Presbyterian Church, 1936 S. Michigan Avenue. Purchase tickets online at https://www.glessnerhouse.org/events/arts-and-crafts-metalwork-and-jewelry.

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Nature Photography Day
We celebrate Nature Photography Day today with this image showing our baptisia australis, commonly known as blue false indigo. It put on quite a show in our corner parkway garden, which features a variety of flowering plants native to Illinois. June 15 was designated as Nature Photography Day in 2006 by the North American Nature Photography Association.

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Friday, June 12 – Photo Friday
This week’s Photo Friday shows our very first class of docents graduating on the north steps of the Chicago Public Library (now the Chicago Cultural Center) exactly 55 years ago today – June 12, 1971. Since that time, hundreds of individuals have completed docent training and provided tours of the house to hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe.

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Chicago Tribune

Did you know the first edition of the Chicago Tribune was published 179 years ago today – June 10, 1847? On the 75th anniversary of that event – June 10, 1922 – the Tribune announced an international design competition for its new building on North Michigan Avenue. Howells & Hood’s design was selected from among the 260 entries received from 23 countries. The iconic Tribune Tower, although sold in 2016 for conversion to luxury condominiums, remains a beloved part of the Chicago skyline.

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We are very pleased to report that the paddle raise at our June 7 gala successfully raised the remaining funds needed to construct our accessible ramp into the Visitors Center. John Walcher of Toomey & Co. Auctioneers, shown here, created excitement in gathering more than 60 gifts that met and exceeded a $40,000 challenge grant offered by an anonymous donor. We anticipate construction of the ramp to begin after Labor Day and to take about five weeks to complete. Thank you to everyone who made this dream a reality!

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Our online auction ends at 5:00pm Chicago time! Don't miss your chance to bid on a variety of terrific items ranging from a Rome vacation to a high tea at the Charnley-Persky House, plus wine packages, a pamper yourself package, and tickets to a variety of tours and experiences. Click here to place your bids and good luck! https://event.auctria.com/79d7a15d-9840-4f0f-a28e-dc4ca3e64fca/