🏡🗝️ Open Doors, Hidden History: Edgewater Home Tour! 🌳✨

🏡🗝️ Open Doors, Hidden History: Edgewater Home Tour! 🌳✨

🏡 35th Annual Edgewater Home Tour — Step Inside Historic Homes! 🏛️

Ever wondered what’s hiding behind the doors of some of Edgewater’s beautiful historic homes? Here’s your chance to step inside!

Join me for the 35th Annual Edgewater Home Tour, presented by the Edgewater Historical Society, and explore the Edgewater Glen Historic District from the inside out.

Discover beautiful historic residences, fascinating architectural details, and stories of the families and homeowners who helped shape this wonderful North Side neighborhood. 🏡✨

At each home, volunteer docents will share information about the exterior before groups head inside, where additional docents will highlight the home’s unique interior features, history, architecture, furnishings, and changes over the years.

📅 Sunday, September 20, 2026
⏰ 12:00–5:00 PM
📍 Registration: Immanuel Lutheran Church
1500 W. Elmdale Ave.
🎟️ $25 per person — tickets available at the door!
Cash or credit card accepted.
🌦️ Rain or shine

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📍 QUICK DETAILS
🎟️ No advance reservation required!
Simply come to Immanuel Lutheran Church between Noon and 4:00 PM to register and receive your souvenir Tour Booklet and neighborhood map.
🏠 Featured homes will be open for touring from Noon–5:00 PM.
📍 2026 featured homes: Norwood Avenue and Glenlake Avenue
(The list of homes is subject to change.)
👟 Visiting all the featured homes involves approximately 1 mile of walking from the registration table.

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🏡 WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE
✨ Step inside several historic Edgewater Glen residences
🏛️ Discover architectural details you can't see from the sidewalk
📜 Learn about the history of each home and the people connected to it
🪟 See historic interiors, furnishings, renovations, and unique features
🌳 Explore one of Chicago's beautiful historic residential districts
🎤 Meet volunteer docents who bring each home and its history to life
📸 Plenty of beautiful architecture and photo opportunities along the way!

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📖 YOUR SOUVENIR TOUR BOOKLET
Your $25 admission includes a souvenir Tour Booklet created specifically for this year's tour.
The booklet includes:
🗺️ A map showing the featured homes
🏠 Photos or sketches and descriptions of each home
🏛️ Architectural highlights and interesting details
📜 Information about when each home was built and its architect, when known
🪑 Stories about furnishings and changes made over the years
✔️ A checklist of the homes on the tour
📣 Information from tour sponsors
It's the perfect keepsake for anyone interested in Chicago architecture and neighborhood history!

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🌿 ABOUT EDGEWATER
Edgewater is one of Chicago's most fascinating North Side neighborhoods, stretching along the shores of Lake Michigan just north of Uptown.

Originally home to the Potawatomi, the area was later settled by Europeans and became part of Lake View Township. By the late 19th century, wealthy Chicagoans were building large estates and mansions along the lake.

🚋 Streetcars and the Northwestern Elevated Railroad — today's Red Line — helped transform Edgewater from a lakeside retreat into a thriving residential community.

🏨 The legendary Edgewater Beach Hotel, opened in 1916, became one of Chicago's most fashionable destinations before eventually being demolished in 1971.

As Edgewater developed, many of its original mansions disappeared or were replaced by apartment buildings.

Fortunately, neighborhoods such as Edgewater Glen retain many beautiful examples of historic residential architecture.

Today, Edgewater is known for its diverse communities, lakefront parks, historic homes, and active preservation efforts. 🌳🏡🌊

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🏛️ WHY TAKE A HOME TOUR?
There's something special about seeing Chicago architecture from the inside.

A building's exterior tells only part of its story. Inside, you'll see how these homes were designed, decorated, renovated, and adapted by generations of Chicagoans.

From architectural details to unexpected floor plans, furnishings, craftsmanship, and homeowner changes, the tour offers a glimpse into how people actually lived in these historic houses.

And unlike simply walking past them, you get to open the door and see what’s inside! 🗝️🏠✨

🔗 MORE INFORMATION
Edgewater Historical Society — 2026 Home Tour Preview:
https://www.edgewaterhistory.org/ehs/tours/home-tour-preview

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🎒 WHAT TO BRING
👟 Comfortable walking shoes
💧 Water bottle
🌦️ Weather-appropriate clothing
📸 Camera or phone
💵 $25 admission — cash or credit card accepted
📖 A little extra room in your bag for your souvenir Tour Booklet!

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🚇 GETTING THERE
🚇 CTA Red Line and nearby bus routes provide convenient access to Edgewater.
🌐 CTA Trip Planner: https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
🚗 Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. Please watch carefully for permit restrictions and posted signs.

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🍴 OPTIONAL POST-TOUR PLANS
After exploring the homes, some of us may grab a bite or drink somewhere nearby in Edgewater.
📍 Location TBD on the day of the event.

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📱 LOST OR RUNNING LATE?
Call or text Giovina at 312-835-4259
👋 Please check in with Giovina when you arrive!

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⚠️ RSVP / NO-SHOW REMINDER
✔️ Please keep your RSVP up to date.
✔️ Update your RSVP if your plans change.
✔️ RSVP changes should be made before the event begins.
❌ Three no-shows without updating your RSVP = 3-month RSVP restriction.

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🌳🏠 Come step beyond the sidewalk and inside Edgewater's historic homes! 🗝️✨
Spend a beautiful Sunday exploring Edgewater Glen, discovering hidden architectural details, hearing the stories behind these remarkable residences, and experiencing a side of Chicago history you simply can't see from the street.

🏡 Historic homes. Fascinating stories. Beautiful architecture. One great Chicago neighborhood!
— Giovina