Originally known as the Lincoln Park Palace, the heavy and rough exterior houses a particularly light and airy interior. Inside the apartment building there are cast-iron stairs and elevator cages, bridge walkways paved with glass blocks, and a massive skylight at the top.

The Elks National Memorial was deemed a landmark in 1926 for its classical Beaux Arts style. The Elks are a social organization that originated in New York and this particular memorial pays tribute to the members who fought in World War I (and now, other American veterans as well). The interior features a Roman-inspired dome, grand ornamentation, ornate sculptures and allegorical murals.

It’s hard to miss the creative terracotta exterior depicting ancient Egyptian imagery and hieroglyphics—its one of the country’s best examples of Egyptian Revival commercial architecture. Originally, it was built by the Reebie Storage and Moving Company but now it houses an antique shop. On the inside you’ll see art glass windows, decorative metalwork, lotus-leaf column capitals, and plaster reliefs depicting ancient Egyptians.

This controversial interior deserves a spot on this list, at the very least, for its postmodern architecture. Despite what you think of the building, it’s wiry atrium with light blue and pale red is one-of-a-kind especially for state government offices. It was designed by Helmut Jahn and opened in 1985.

The Delaware building is one of the Loop structures from the massive rebuilding that followed the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The Italianate-style building isn’t as flashy as the nearby downtown theaters but it’s not to be missed. Step inside to find a dramatic steel-framed, geometric atrium with long strands of hanging plants.

The city’s municipal buildings run the gamut in style from the postmodern Thompson Center to the sleek International Style of the Daley Center. However, City Hall which houses the mayor’s office and other chambers is a bit more classic. There are dramatic archways, lantern chandeliers, and gold elevator banks. It’s a chic backdrop for couples getting hitched, but really the smooth, cavernous halls are a pleasant place to for stroll.

Now a Hilton, the hotel developed by Chicago businessman Potter Palmer has a truly stunning lobby. The Classical Revival style building with French Neoclassical ornamentation was designed by Holabird & Roche—in short, its elaborate. The interior is massive with towering columns, candelabras, marble busts, gold stenciling, and detailed mosaics.

Want to take a peek at Chicago’s Art Deco? This two-story lobby in the Field Building is quite distinctive. The joy is in the details: address numerals, lobby clocks, and the chrome bridge. The high-rise was built by the famous Marshall Field and it was the last major office completed before a two-decade construction hiatus during the Great Depression and World War II.

On the exterior, the brick-red exterior is heavy and chunky. What’s inside? A light-filled, airy lobby with delicate details. John Root was the original architect here, but Frank Lloyd Wright remodeled the Rookery’s skylit lobby in 1905. During this change, Wright brought in elements of his Prairie School designs such as strong horizontal lines and geometric shapes.

The Fine Arts Building was originally made for the assembly and display of carriages and wagons, but soon was converted into studios and theaters for artists in 1898. What’s remarkable is that the public spaces, including the murals on the 10th floor, have essentially remained the same since the remodel. The best time to visit is during Second Fridays when the building full of painters, instrument makers, and dance instructors open up their studios to share with the public.

This theater, designed by Adler and Sullivan, is an immense architectural achievement. The thick, rough-cut stone exterior makes the structure extremely heavy and in 1889 it was the tallest, largest and heaviest building. It features beautiful gold stenciling throughout the lobby, intricate mosaic work, and ornate fireplaces with gilded and bas-relief details. That’s all before you enter the actual theater which features poetic landscape murals, warm exposed bulb lighting, and beautiful arches.

The Blackstone Library is a stately Classical Revival-style building by architect Solon S. Beman, who was also responsible for designing the industrial town of Pullman. What’s especially noteworthy at this library, built in 1904, is that many of the historic elements are still intact throughout the rich gold and granite space. At the dome of the rotunda there are four lunette paintings by Chicago artists Oliver Dennett Grover that represent literature, science, labor, and art.

Sugar white plaster details. Pale pastel pinks, blues, and greens. Intricate mosaics. Crystal chandeliers. The former country club, now owned by the Park District, is one of the city’s most lavish interiors. The decadent building was designed by architecture firm Marshall and Fox who were also responsible for the Blackstone and Drake hotels.

The Regal Theater recently made headlines when Kanye West promised to restore the building. The building’s ornate lobby has been a star on the list of sites for Chicago Open House and for a good reason. It’s Middle Eastern and Moorish structure dazzles with its highly stylized mosaics, paintings, and ornamentation. A Persian incense burner found in antique market inspired the architect, John Eberson, to design the project in 1923, according to the Landmarks Commission.