Steel, Stone, and Ego
After the Great Fire, Chicago handed the keys to a bunch of ambitious architects and said — fix this. What followed was a century of skyscrapers, scandals, and egos the size of the buildings themselves. You'll meet the man who invented "form follows function" and died broke, a political dynasty that turned one building into a fifty-times fortune, and an artist who REALLY wishes you'd stop calling his sculpture "the bean."
View in App — $4.99What You'll Experience
Plan your walk
Know the route before you buy
- Starts at
- Water Tower
- Ends at
- Monadnock Building (Bonus)
- Walking plan
- 2h · ~2.8 miles
- Schedule
- Start, pause, and resume anytime
Included in the app
- Professional narration
- GPS-triggered stops
- Downloadable tour audio
- Ask the Historian Q&A
- Optional end-of-tour reveal
- All 10 story stops
A taste of what you'll hear
10 stops, each with its own story. Here's a preview.
"Look at this ridiculous building. It looks like a tiny castle that got lost on its way to medieval England and ended up on Michigan Avenue."
"The Rookery. Completed in 1888. One of the oldest standing high-rises in Chicago, and the site of a tragedy that changed American architecture. This building was designed by two partners — Daniel Burnham and John Root."
"This is a bonus stop for architecture nerds, and if you've made it this far, you probably qualify. The Monadnock Building is one of the most important buildings in architectural history, and it looks like a very large, very serious brick."
Tour itinerary
Every stop on this walk
Explore the route before you go. Each stop has its own story preview, location details, and place in the larger tour.
- 1Water Tower Read this stop
- 2Tribune Tower Read this stop
- 3Wrigley Building Read this stop
- 4Marina City Read this stop
- 5Merchandise Mart Read this stop
- 6The Rookery Read this stop
- 7Sullivan Center Read this stop
- 8Chicago Cultural Center Read this stop
- 9Cloud Gate (The Bean) Read this stop
- 10Monadnock Building (Bonus) Read this stop
Stories first
Every stop is built around people, conflict, ambition, and consequences—not a plaque read aloud.
Most of it is true. The extra mischief is just a wink at the end, but the story is what carries the walk.
Have questions? Just ask.
Curious about something you heard? Want to know more about a place? Ask us anything — we have a lot to say. It's more fun when it's a conversation.
Ready?
Download the app, head to the starting point, and press play. The stories start themselves.
Get the AppBefore you go
Quick answers
How much is this tour?
$4.99 as a one-time purchase in the iOS app. The Chicago city pack is $14.99 and includes every currently available tour in the city.
Can I use it with spotty cell service?
Download the tour audio on Wi-Fi before leaving. Cached narration plays without streaming; map tiles and other online features may still need a connection.
Do I have to start at a specific time?
No. Start when it suits you, pause for a detour or meal, and resume later. Check the opening hours of any venue you personally plan to enter.
Are admission tickets included?
The purchase covers the Bad Historian audio experience. Transportation, food, and admission to third-party attractions are not included.
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