Chicago Water Tower, Illinois

What is Chicago Water Tower?

The tower rises about 182 feet and was designed in the Gothic Revival style by architect William W. Boyington, which makes it look more like a small castle than a piece of city plumbing. Its job was practical: inside stood a standpipe about 138 feet tall that held a large water pump. The pipe helped with firefighting, and the pressure in it could be adjusted to smooth out surges in the local water supply.

The tower no longer serves the water system. It now works as an art gallery run by the city's tourism office and stands at the center of Jane M. Byrne Plaza, a small park on the Magnificent Mile.

History of Chicago Water Tower

In 1871 the Great Chicago Fire swept through much of the city. The water tower was one of the few structures in its area left standing while its neighbors were destroyed, and that survival is what made it famous far beyond the city.

Today the tower holds a National Register of Historic Places listing and counts as a landmark of its own historic district, officially Old Chicago Water Tower District. The large mixed-use development nearby, Water Tower Place, takes its name from the old tower.

Visiting Chicago Water Tower: tips

Seeing the tower from the plaza takes only a few minutes, though it is worth stepping inside if the gallery is open. It is a good family stop. The Loyola University Museum of Art is right next door, and the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Driehaus Museum are each about 0.2 mile away.