Chicago Hidden Gem: Palmer House

Countless people hurry down Monroe Street toward the art museum, unaware they’re passing by a living piece of history that will truly awe the senses. 🏛️ Unless you’re staying here, few realize that behind these doors lies an opulent portal straight into the lavish 1920s Gilded Age. If you’re looking to channel “The Shining” eerie aesthetic 🎬 or the immortal aristocratic vibe of “Interview with the Vampire” 🧛🏻‍♀️🩸, this is one of Chicago’s best atmospheric settings. 🏛️ Palmer House is one of the few fully preserved Beaux-Arts buildings in Chicago — grand, symmetrical, and dripping with luxury. 🪜 The Glow of Louis XV’s Era Riding up the ornate brass escalator beside the first-floor Starbucks, you’re instantly transported a century back: 1️⃣ 🎨 The $170 Million Restored Ceiling Painted in 1926 by French artist Louis Pierre Rigal. Features 21 frescoes of Greek mythology. Restored between 1996–2008 at a cost of $170 million by the same team that worked on the Sistine Chapel. That deep golden glow? Real 24K gold leaf ✨. 2️⃣ 🗽 Winged Angel Bronze Lamps Massive bronze winged angel candelabras flanking the columns — originals by Louis Comfort Tiffany, each weighing 1.25 tons. Under the soft glow, they gaze coolly over the hall like century-old guardians of the night 🕯️. 💃 Legendary Celebrities & The Birthplace of a Dessert 🎙️ The Empire Room: The legendary performance space next to the lobby. Hosted legends like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland; visited by presidents, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde. 🍫 Birthplace of the Brownie: During the 1893 World’s Fair, the world’s first brownie was created here — and they still use the original recipe! 😋 🦚 Hidden Treasures Outside — National-Level Craftsmanship 3️⃣ 🦚 The Tiffany Peacock Doors 📍 Located on the State St. east side & the inner north doors. 💎 Designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany himself (1927). Crafted from hand-forged bronze with intricately feathers — a masterpiece of commercial art from the era. 4️⃣ 🕰️ The Great Clock on the Corner 📍 At the intersection of State & Monroe. 📜 Erected in 1927, it has witnessed a century of change — from horse-drawn carriages 🐴 to streetcars 🚃. 📜 The Story of Palmer House 🎁 A Lavish Gift: Built as a wedding present from Potter Palmer to his wife Bertha. 🔥 Reborn from Fire: Destroyed just 13 days after opening in the Great Chicago Fire, then rebuilt. 🏗️ Architectural Era: What you see today is the third iteration, completed in 1925. 📍 Location: Palmer House a Hilton Hotel 17 E Monroe St, Chicago #ChicagoHiddenGems #HistoricArchitecture #GildedAge #PalmerHouse #ChicagoTravel