Hull House
Hull House in Chicago, IL, is where Ellen Gates Starr and Jane Addams opened their settlement house in 1889 to help newly arrived European immigrants. It became the model for hundreds of similar houses across the country. Today the original mansion and one more building survive as a historic house museum and a National Historic Landmark on the Near West Side, not far from the start of Route 66.
What is Hull House?
The main building is an Italianate mansion on Halsted Street, first owned by Charles J. Hull, whose name the house still carries. Next to it stands a second surviving building, a former dining and meeting hall that was moved about 200 yards from its original spot. The Chicago firm Pond and Pond is credited as architect. Together they now serve as a historic house museum, a small survivor of what was once a much larger complex.
History of Hull House
Addams and Starr started Hull House in 1889 as a settlement house offering social, educational and artistic programs to the immigrant families of the neighborhood. The idea spread quickly, and by 1920 around 500 settlement houses operated nationwide.
Hull House itself kept growing: by 1911 it filled 13 buildings, and in 1912 a summer camp called the Bowen Country Club was added. During the mid-1960s nearly all of the complex was torn down to make room for the new University of Illinois Chicago. The house became a National Historic Landmark on June 23, 1965, and was placed on the National Register on October 15, 1966, the very day the National Historic Preservation Act became law. It is also a Chicago Landmark.
Visiting Hull House: tips
Opening days can vary, so check the museum's website before you go. Plan on about an hour. The National Hellenic Museum is about 0.3 mile away, and Lou Mitchell's diner, a classic Route 66 breakfast spot, is about 0.5 mile away, so the three make an easy morning on the Near West Side.
Practical info
- Address
- 800 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607-7017
- Website
- hullhousemuseum.org
- Hours
- We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
Where to eat near Hull House
All diners on Route 66 →
On the map
Full mapHull House with the 6 closest stops and a place to eat (fork and knife). Tap a marker for details.
Tap a dot to see that stop here.
Stops near Hull House
All of Illinois
0.3 mi from Hull House
0.5 mi from Hull House
1.2 mi from Hull House
1.3 mi from Hull House
.jpg/500px-Pritzker_Military_Museum_%26_Library_161116-A-HD608-038_(31512836172).jpg)
1.3 mi from Hull House
.jpg/500px-Art_Institute_of_Chicago_(51575570710).jpg)
1.3 mi from Hull House
Questions about Hull House
Who founded Hull House?
Ellen Gates Starr and Jane Addams founded it in 1889 to help immigrants who had recently arrived from Europe.
How much of Hull House survives?
The original mansion and one other building, a former dining and meeting hall that was moved about 200 yards. Most of the complex was demolished in the mid-1960s.
Own or run Hull House? Send us a photo or a correction.