- Former Chicago Historical Society Building
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Old Chicago Historical Society BuildingChicago Landmark
Location: Chicago, Illinois Coordinates: 41°53′36.92″N 87°37′47.85″W / 41.8935889°N 87.6299583°WCoordinates: 41°53′36.92″N 87°37′47.85″W / 41.8935889°N 87.6299583°W Built: 1892 Architect: Henry Ives Cobb Architectural style: Other, Romanesque Governing body: Private NRHP Reference#: 78001126 [1] Significant dates Added to NRHP: November 28, 1978 Designated CL: February 26, 1997 The Former Chicago Historical Society Building is the official name of a historic landmark located on the northwest corner of Dearborn and Ontario streets in downtown Chicago. Built in 1892, it is a prime example of Henry Ives Cobb's Romanesque Revival architecture, and the home of the Chicago Historical Society prior to relocating to Lincoln Park. This large granite-clad building is simply known as "Excalibur" or "Vision" by Chicago's populace, because it houses two popular nightclubs with those names. Henceforth, Excalibur will be used as a substitute title to the cumbersome name, "Former Chicago Historical Society Building."
Contents
History and Urban Legends
The Chicago Historical Society ceased to use the building as a museum in 1931. The building was also used as a prestigious design school and a recording studio for rock n' roll and blues performers during the 1950s and 60s. According to rumors,[who?] the building was also used to house corpses from a shipwreck, was a mob-related murder scene, a pornographic theater, and a crack house before it was turned into Limelight Nightclub by Peter Gatien in 1985.
Patrons and employees reported strange occurrences, such as glasses falling and shattering for no explainable reason. People claim that they saw a child, and a woman wearing red dress briefly appear, before vanishing in thin air. Excalibur gained so much notoriety that it was featured on the History Channel's Haunted History program.
Excalibur and Vision Nightclubs
Main article: Excalibur (nightclub)
Excalibur was a popular hangout for Dennis Rodman when he played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls during the late 1990s. Vision is a large multi-level, multi-room nightclub that caters to anyone who likes hip-hop, trance, and or house music. Chicago attracts people from all over the nation to visit Vision, when internationally well-known DJs such as Armin van Buuren or James Holden play live sets at the venue. Also Gabriel & Dresden, Paul Van Dyke, etc...
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2006-03-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
External links
- Chicago Landmarks, Former Chicago Historical Society Building
- Gaper's Block listing haunted places in Chicago
- Vision Nightclub
See also
- Chicago architecture
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other City of Chicago Architecture · Beaches · Climate · Colleges and Universities · Community areas · Culture · Demographics · Economy · Flag · Freeways · Geography · Government · History · Landmarks · Literature · Media · Music · Neighborhoods · Parks · Public schools · Skyscrapers · Sports · Theatre · TransportationChicago Landmark cultural venues National Historic Landmark,
National Register of Historic Places,
Chicago LandmarkNational Historic Landmark,
National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places,
Chicago LandmarkBiograph Theater · Chicago Cultural Center · Chicago Theatre · Fine Arts Building · Former Chicago Historical Society Building · Uptown TheatreChicago Landmark Civic Opera Building · Congress Theater · Field Museum of Natural History · Harris and Selwyn Theaters · Museum of Science and Industry · Navy Pier Headhouse and Auditorium · New Regal Theater · Pui Tak Center · South Side Community Art Center · Sunset Cafe · Thalia Hall · Yondorf Block and HallApartments · Culture · Education · Historic Districts · Houses · Memorials and Monuments · Municipal · Skyscrapers · Transportation · WorshipCategories:- Illinois building and structure stubs
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- Buildings and structures completed in 1892
- Landmarks in Chicago, Illinois
- National Register of Historic Places in Chicago, Illinois
- Buildings and structures in Chicago, Illinois
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