The Rookery Building — Attraction in Chicago

Every time I walk past the Rookery Building in Chicago, I can’t resist snapping a picture or two! Burnham and Root’s masonry masterpiece was completed in 1888 for their clients Peter and Shepherd Brooks, businessmen and clothiers from Boston. The Romanesque arches at the LaSalle and Adams street entries are constructed of deep pink rusticated granite blocks and are flanked by neo-classical granite columns. The upper ten floors are built with brick and ornate terra cotta of matching color. The exterior masonry walls are loadbearing, and a cast iron frame helps carry the load on the interior. Go inside and you’ll experience a beautiful two-story skylit lobby with a monumental stair, intricately carved white marble wall panels, and prairie style planters designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in a 1905 modernization project. “Rookery” was the nickname affectionately given to Chicago’s temporary City Hall previously constructed on this same site after the Chicago Fire, due to the birds gathering there to roost… not only did the name stick, but Burnham and Root designed laughing crows, or rooks, in carved stone in homage to the birds, the corrupt politicians, or both. If you’ve ever read the book Devil in the White City, you’ll recall that prominent Chicago architects met in the Rookery as they planned the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Today the Rookery is home to retail and office tenants including a few architecture firms, and a Brooks Brothers store on the street level. With its history and magnificence of stature and materials, it’s no wonder I’m in awe every...

We had our wedding at The Rookery, and it was absolutely perfect. Greg gave us a tour early in our planning process and truly sold us on the space. His passion and knowledge made it clear this was the place for us. The Rookery is such a beautiful, historic Chicago landmark, and our guests couldn’t stop talking about the stunning architecture and how unique it was.

Because the building itself is so elegant, we didn’t have to add much decor. The space really speaks for itself. We had 176 guests, and the venue was perfectly sized for that number. It never felt crowded, but it still had an intimate, warm atmosphere that made the night feel special and personal.

The Oriel Staircase photos we took are absolutely stunning. It’s truly one of the most beautiful and iconic spots in Chicago for wedding portraits. The building’s architecture and natural light made for incredible photos throughout the day.

The central location was another huge plus. With so many hotels nearby, it was easy for our out-of-town guests to find accommodations and enjoy everything downtown Chicago has to offer.

Everything came together beautifully, and we couldn’t imagine a more timeless, breathtaking setting for our wedding day.

Just FYI for future couples: The Rookery has exclusive partnerships with Jewell Events Catering (for catering) and Art of Imagination (for drapery). Both are excellent and know the space inside and out, which made planning...

On Thursday 03/23/2023 I had a delivery to this building through their loading dock around noon. A black woman was sitting there and she requested to take my identification card. I gave it to her and went up to the tenth floor and came back in less than a minute. I asked about my ID and she gave me one that belongs to another person. I told her this ID is not mine and she did not find my ID. She insisted wrongly that I gave her that id witch is not mine. What happened here is clear. She gave my ID to another person by mistake and she wanted to push the wrong id on me saying this is the only id she had. I never seen such careless and absent-minded people like those working on the dock. She even said that I did not gave her any ID though they do not let anyone up without an id. Now my ID is lost and they did not even take responsibility or...