Fun Things - Chicago

⛪🌿 Secret Stones & Sacred Art: Private Tour of Wicker Park Lutheran! 🏛️✨

🌿 Wicker Park's Oldest Active Religious & Community Organization — A True Chicago Treasure Since 1879! 🌟

Join us for a special private guided visit to Wicker Park Lutheran Church — one of Chicago's most historically significant and architecturally stunning churches, standing proudly at the corner of Hoyne & LeMoyne in the heart of the Wicker Park Historic District since 1879! 🏛️

The current 1906 building boasts a stunning basilica design, with double colonnades and an apse — a style used in ancient Rome for courts of law and places of public assembly. It is characterized by the use of the round arch and vaulted ceiling, differing from the Gothic style which made use of a pointed arch. The two towers are based on those of the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité in Caen, France, built in the 11th century.

And here's a fun fact you won't forget! When the church was built, the pastor Rev. Austin Crile was asked by a reporter if it was appropriate that the stones be used for a church, since they had come from a house of ill repute. The pastor replied: "They have served the devil long enough; it is time they served the Lord." 😄🙏

This is a private guided church visit — not a walking tour — allowing us to slow down and fully appreciate the church's architecture, artwork, symbolism and rich immigrant history in a peaceful, reflective setting. ✨

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🕰️ SCHEDULE, MEETING INFO & COST
📅 Saturday, March 28, 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 Wicker Park Lutheran Church 1500 N Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
⏱️ Visit length: ~90 minutes
💰 $15 per person 💵 Cash strongly preferred (Zelle / Venmo / PayPal accepted as I submit one group donation)

⚠️ All attendees must check in with me at the start and submit payment directly to me so I can provide one group donation to the church.

📸 Photography is allowed — please be respectful of the sacred space and follow any guidance from our hosts.

🎤 Private guided experience arranged exclusively for our group.

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🌟 WHAT WE'LL EXPERIENCE
⛪ A breathtaking basilica-style sanctuary with soaring round arches, vaulted ceilings & double colonnades
🪟 Four large Munich-style stained glass windows produced in the Royal Bavarian Stained Glass Manufactory in Munich, Germany — painted on large glass panels in a style distinct from medieval leaded glass
🔵 Ten half-circle windows in the vaulted ceiling depicting the life of Christ — ending with a stunning full-circle Ascension window above the altar
🌹 A magnificent rose window over the balcony featuring Martin Luther's seal as its central element — currently being restored to its pristine original condition thanks to a $250,000 City of Chicago Adopt-A-Landmark grant! 🎉
🎵 The famous "Mighty Möller" organ — installed in 1906 by the M.P. Möller Organ Co., activated entirely by compressed air rather than wires & electricity — documents suggest it was the prototype for all pneumatic organs! Two special musical additions over the years: the Zimbelstern (which rings small bells at random as accompaniment) and the Deagan Liberty chimes 🎶
✝️ An extraordinary 8-by-2 foot carving of The Last Supper carved from a single piece of wood by Alois Lang, master woodcarver from Oberammergau, Germany — hanging over the altar
🪽 A stunning white marble baptismal font — a replica of Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's "The Kneeling Angel" (the original is in St. Giles Church in Edinburgh, Scotland!) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
🔔 A bell from the original 1879 building, still calling the community to worship — inscribed: "Buckeye Foundry 1801"
🧱 Exterior mica-flecked stone that glitters in the sunlight — with that unforgettable origin story! 😄
📜 The remarkable story of German & Scandinavian immigrant founders who built this parish from the ground up in 1879
🌍 The church's incredible evolution through Wicker Park's dramatically changing communities over 145 years

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📖 ABOUT WICKER PARK LUTHERAN CHURCH
Wicker Park Lutheran Church was founded on August 25, 1879 as an English-speaking Lutheran church by German and Scandinavian businessmen and professionals who lived in Wicker Park. The founders purchased an unused and unfinished gothic framed church building on the corner of Hoyne Avenue and LeMoyne Street in what was then a rural area. By the turn of the century, the congregation had outgrown the original building and was surrounded by large residences. With great vision, it erected the current structure on the same site in 1906.

The congregation has always been innovative — having had the first Sunday School bus to transport children, and in the 1950s, using a school bus as a mobile chapel along Milwaukee Ave! 🚌
In the 60s and 70s, as the neighborhood rapidly changed from Jewish, Russian and Polish Catholic to Appalachian White to Puerto Rican to African American, the church sponsored after-school tutoring and called a Spanish-speaking pastor to establish a parallel congregation — ultimately helping form the first Spanish-language Lutheran church in the Illinois Synod.

By 2000, the building had deteriorated to the point that it was almost condemned. A newly called pastor, Rev. Ruth VanDemark, oversaw the extensive renovation of the building and the congregation's ministry. Upon her death in 2012, she gave a bequest that helped substantially fund the renovation of the sanctuary and pay off outstanding debt. A memorial in the narthex continues to honor her lasting legacy. 🙏

Today, WPLC is a vibrant, inclusive and welcoming community hub — home to the Wicker Park Choral Singers, six Alcoholics Anonymous groups, karate classes, Marion Consort, a homeschool co-op, First Floor Theater, two multi-ethnic churches, and many local non-profit groups. 🎶🌳

WPLC has been designated a "WPB Green" organization by the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce for its commitment to eco-justice. 🌿

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🍽️ OPTIONAL COFFEE OR LATE LUNCH AFTER Those interested are welcome to join afterward at one of the many fantastic spots in Wicker Park!
📍 Specific location shared closer to the date
💵 Please bring cash — some venues may not split checks

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👟 WHAT TO BRING

• Camera 📷
• Respectful attire suitable for a sacred space
• 💰 $15 tour fee — exact change appreciated
• 💵 Cash strongly preferred (Zelle/Venmo/PayPal also accepted)

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🚗 PARKING

• Free non-zoned street parking available on Hoyne & LeMoyne near the church
• ⚠️ The church has no parking lot and no handicap parking spaces
• Check permit signage carefully on surrounding streets!
• 📱 SpotHero or ParkWhiz recommended for nearby options

🚇 TRANSIT Public transportation highly encouraged!

• 🚌 #72 North Avenue bus — 2 blocks north
• 🚌 #50 Damen Avenue bus — 2 blocks east
• 🚌 #56 Milwaukee Avenue bus — 3 blocks away
• 🚂 Blue Line — Damen stop — 2 blocks away! 👉 transitchicago.com/planatrip

🚲 Bike racks available directly in front of the church — Divvy friendly! 🚲

⚠️ ACCESSIBILITY NOTE: The historic 1906 building is not currently ADA accessible. A major renovation campaign is currently underway to add an elevator and accessible entrance!

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📝 RSVP & COURTESY POLICY
✔️ Please keep your RSVP updated
✔️ Cancel promptly if plans change
❌ Repeated no-shows may affect future participation

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⛪✨ Join us for a fascinating afternoon exploring 145 years of faith, architecture, immigration history & community spirit — all inside one of Wicker Park's most treasured and storied landmarks! 🕯️🏛️