Exclusive Tour Includes Skyscraper Roof of the Chicago Temple Building

On Thursday, June 21st, 5:30pm, Chicago Detours will offer a rare chance to visit the skyscraper roof patio of the Chicago Temple Building on a special tour of the architecture, history and culture of this iconic building.

For the “Exclusive Tour of the Chicago Temple Building,” guide and Chicago Detours Founder Amanda Scotese will share fascinating stories on the church’s history in downtown Chicago.

The church displays an original “kitsch Jesus” and Scotese will tell how it came to be the most viewed image in all of history. Another unusual story recounts the radical events that led to the integration of the church in the ’60s, as visualized in a sculpture that incorporates an actual KKK cross.

Guests will also visit the church itself and discuss the ornate and colorful stained glass windows from the 1960s. Like all Chicago Detours’ tours, guests will get to share iPads with historic images and video clips while the tour guide gives engaging commentary.

The group, which is limited to 24 guests, will stop by Clarence Darrow‘s former office, the famous lawyer for the Leopold and Loeb murder trial. Then they will head to the top of the building for a visit to the magnificent Chapel in the Sky with its carved walnut beams and stained glass windows. The tour will conclude with a toast on the pastor’s personal balcony with fantastic views.

Tickets are on sale. This is not a free event.  The 2 hour, 15-minute long tour includes an addition to a gift of a historic print of the building, wine, cheese and other light snacks are included, and guests will even get a peak inside the mid-century modern interior of the pastor’s three-story penthouse. Reservations can be made at www.chicagodetours.com. Group size is limited. Last year’s Chicago Temple Tour was a grand success.

Like other tours that Chicago Detours offers to the public, this tour will not solicit tips; instead guides take donations for worthy causes. This tour’s donations will purchase Chicago history books the First United Methodist’s youth tutoring program.

Chicago Detours’ innovative approach got them runner up for Best Tour in the Chicago Reader “Best of 2011” polls, and has top ratings on both Yelp and TripAdvisor. The tours that are like mobile exhibits; guests interact with each other, urban space, and historical media while exploring stories and places that locals don’t even know about.

Contact: Amanda Scotese, 312.350.1131, amanda@chicagodetours.com