Discover this fascinating private excursion to Pullman! On this tour, you can explore the remarkable and fine examples of the town’s trademark Queen Anne architecture buildings. The utopian-like community of Pullman was the brainchild of George Pullman, a pioneering engineer who set out to build a town that would base itself and encourage the concept of staff retention. George Pullman was a larger-than-life dreamer, a public relations genius, and a progressive thinker on race relations and employment. He founded and owned the Palace Car Company and believed by offering his most talented workers a high standard of living he would have happy, productive workers who were less likely to strike.
You'll firstly head out with your guide and drive 14 miles south of Chicago to the 4,000-acre land purchased by Pullman for the town. As you go, learn about the architect and landscaper who helped bring Pullman’s dream for America’s first master-planned community to life. Together with 531 homes for his employees, it included a new state-of-the-art plant in an orderly, clean layout. Park-like landscaping showcased handsome streets with a hotel, library, theater, school, church, and shops ensuring workers need not travel into the city. An appealing variety of neat red brick homes each had its own yard and Pullman offered residents everything he thought they could need.
Though a controversial figure in life, with his passing, he bequeathed over $1.2M to build a free school in the town. Today, this Queen-Anne-style town has gone through a large gentrification process, with many residents undertaking large-scale renovations to restore the homes to their original splendor. This private guided excursion to Pullman will allow you to step into an American time capsule. Don't miss it!
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