Wrigley Building

The biggest, brightest jewel in Chicago's architectural crown belongs not to a glass and steel skyscraper, but to a historic office building with wedding cake flair and a clock tower. The Wrigley Building is actually two buildings joined by a 14th floor skywalk and a street-level arcade. Its gleaming white terra cotta tile facade is an icon of the city. The quarter-million terra cotta tiles are often lit at night by banks of floodlights.

The 30-story building, originally built for the Wrigley company, is a symbol of the city's past, constructed at a time (1919-1925) when Chicago was evolving into its modern form. Architectural historians credit the construction of the Wrigley Building with spurring new development along Michigan Avenue north of the Chicago River that made the city what it is today.