I have been wanting to do one of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalks for a few years now but for some reason I’ve always had something else going on the weekend these take place. This year I finally made it out for a walk only to have it rain, sometimes a sprinkle but for the most part it was an outright downpour!
However, that didn’t stop us from grabbing shots when we could and lucky for our group, and all Chicagoans alike, it was Open House Chicago this past weekend! We took reprieve from the rain inside some of Chicago’s most stunning buildings which are generally not open to the public.
The first few shots were taken before the massive downpour started:)
In all the years I’ve lived here, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the bridges raised.
We took in the the 360 degree view of the city from the Kemper Building, I wasn’t able to get any good shots from here, the windows were pretty dirty but it’s still an amazing view, particularly of the Chicago River. As we left here the rain was really coming down, but that didn’t seem to stop these determined architectural buffs!
We raced over to Tribune Tower and headed up to the 24th floor where I got a few interesting shots from Col. Robert R. McCormick’s office. This is such an interesting building, apparently full of secret passageways. There are also stones and artifacts from around the world within the limestone of the outer walls, be sure to take a look next time you walk by.
The last stop was the Chicago Motor Club building. If you love art deco, and have millions to spare, this may be a perfect investment. This building is in disrepair but has so much potential, you can just envision what it was like at it’s prime. I so hope someone restores and develops this building…it could be so stunning! My photos here are just some detail shots and by no means represent the beauty of the lobby. Should have had my tripod…
There were over 150 buildings open to the public over the weekend. Many have long lines but I’m thinking next year I need to plan a bit better to get inside more of these buildings!  And hopefully I’ll be able to make next year’s Scott Kelby Photowalk …keeping my fingers crossed for better weather!