About Us

A National Historic Landmark, Glessner House was designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887. It remains an internationally-known architectural treasure in Chicago. A radical departure from traditional Victorian architecture, the structure served as an inspiration to the young Frank Lloyd Wright and helped redefine domestic architecture.

Mission

Glessner House Museum engages diverse audiences in exploring urban life and design through the preservation and interpretation of the architecture of Henry Hobson Richardson and the historic home of John and Frances Glessner.Glessner House Museum works to increase public awareness, understanding and appreciation for the history and architecture of Chicago as represented in the lives and home of the John J. Glessner family and the surrounding Prairie Avenue Historic District.

Collections

As one of the country's premier sites for the study and enjoyment of decorative arts, Glessner House Museum offers both the casual visitor and the serious connoisseur a unique opportunity to partake in the pleasures of the Aesthetic and English Arts and Crafts movements. The museum's conservation of the Glessners' remarkable collection of objects provides today's collector with a living workshop from which to take guidance.

Learn more about the collections here!

Interpretation & Programming

Glessner House Museum offers guided tours, lectures, and other special programs to interpret the themes of art, architecture, and social history which are inherent in Glessner House, the museum's collections, and the stories of its residents and neighbors during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Learn more about our programs here!

Glessner House basement floor plan by archiect Henry H. Richardson, 1886

Image courtesy of the College of Architecture and the Arts slide library at the University of Illinois at Chicago

www.glessnerhouse.org • glessnerhouse@sbcglobal.net

312.326.1480 • fax 312.326.1397 • 1800 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616