Chicago Architecture Quiz: River Cruise Towers and Skyscrapers

This Chicago architecture quiz cruises the river past the towers that made the city a skyscraper pioneer. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on the Great Chicago Fire, the Home Insurance Building, Louis Sullivan's form follows function, the Chicago School, the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower's stones, Marina City's corncobs, the Willis Tower and the reversed river.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Fire
Which disaster led to Chicago's rebuilding boom?
First
Which 1885 building is often called the first skyscraper?
Architect
Who designed the Home Insurance Building?
Motto
Which architect said form follows function?
White
Which riverside building is covered in white terra cotta?
Stones
What is embedded in the Tribune Tower's walls?
Corn
Which twin towers look like corncobs?
Tall
Which Chicago tower was the world's tallest from 1973?
River
What engineers did to the Chicago River in 1900?
Tour
How do many visitors see the city's architecture?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which disaster led to Chicago's rebuilding boom?
Answer: The Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Much of the city burned.
Q2: Which 1885 building is often called the first skyscraper?
Answer: Home Insurance Building
It used a metal frame.
Q3: Who designed the Home Insurance Building?
Answer: William Le Baron Jenney
He was an engineer and architect.
Q4: Which architect said form follows function?
Answer: Louis Sullivan
He mentored Frank Lloyd Wright.
Q5: Which riverside building is covered in white terra cotta?
Answer: Wrigley Building
Its clock tower glows at night.
Q6: What is embedded in the Tribune Tower's walls?
Answer: Fragments from famous sites worldwide
Pieces come from places like the Great Wall.
Q7: Which twin towers look like corncobs?
Answer: Marina City
Bertrand Goldberg designed them.
Q8: Which Chicago tower was the world's tallest from 1973?
Answer: Willis Tower
It was first called the Sears Tower.
Q9: What engineers did to the Chicago River in 1900?
Answer: Reversed its flow
It now flows away from Lake Michigan.
Q10: How do many visitors see the city's architecture?
Answer: On river boat tours
Guides explain each building.

Riverside Towers and the Birth of the Skyscraper

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed much of the city, Chicago rebuilt with bold new ideas. In 1885 the Home Insurance Building, designed by William Le Baron Jenney, used a metal frame to carry its weight and is often called the first skyscraper.

Architects of the Chicago School, including Louis Sullivan, who said form follows function, shaped the modern tall building. Along the river, the white terra cotta Wrigley Building and the Gothic Tribune Tower, studded with fragments from famous sites worldwide, became landmarks, followed by Bertrand Goldberg's corncob-shaped Marina City.

The Willis Tower, opened in 1973 as the Sears Tower, was the tallest building in the world until 1998. Engineers reversed the Chicago River's flow in 1900 to protect Lake Michigan's drinking water. Today architecture river cruises are among the city's most popular tours.

What This Quiz Teaches

Architecture fans will enjoy these questions.

How the fire changed Chicago
Which tower came first
Which architects mattered
Which buildings line the river
How the river changed

Did You Know?

The river is dyed green each St. Patrick's Day.
The Rookery has a light court remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Many bridges over the river can lift.
The Willis Tower's Skydeck has glass ledges.
The Chicago Architecture Center runs many tours.