Pullman

Why we love it

The historic Pullman neighborhood is an intricately preserved time capsule, transporting you all the way back to the 1880s in Chicago. The area is home to the Pullman National Historical Park, the city’s first National Monument, where you’ll find striking brick buildings, fascinating history, and picture-perfect streets (it was a planned utopia, after all).

Explore like a local

• Explore the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, which honors the significant contributions that Black railroad workers made in the U.S. labor movement.
• Stop at the Visitors Center at the Pullman National Historical Park, housed inside the restored clock tower building, with information displays, artifacts, and helpful staff to answer questions.  
• Stop by Lexington Betty Smokehouseto sample Chicago-style barbecue with soulful sides.

Insider tips

Learn the history: Immerse yourself in Pullman’s history by taking one of the self-guided or guided walking tours that embark from the Pullman Exhibit Hall. Here’s a sneak peek: Pullman was built from scratch as the county’s first planned industrial town. Designed by luxury railcar tycoon George Pullman for his employees, the community included more than 1,500 company-owned houses, a church, a school, and a building that housed offices, stores, a library, and a bank. 

Step back in time: While factory production lines are no longer running, many of Pullman’s original buildings remain. You can still see examples of original company houses, from executive mansions to worker cottages. The elegant Hotel Florence, named for Pullman’s daughter, still stands and is undergoing a major restoration.

Learn more about this one-of-a-kind community at the Visitors Center, where you can delve into the site’s history with interesting exhibits and artifacts that showcase life in Pullman. 

If you want an even closer peek at Pullman history, get a look inside the area’s historic residences during annual events like the Candlelight House Walk or Historic Pullman House Tour. And the nearby Roseland neighborhood is home to local spots worth exploring.

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