Pullman Factory, Hotel Florence open for free public tours October 13 - 14

CHICAGO - Visitors can take advantage of a rare opportunity to tour the historic Pullman Factory and Hotel Florence the weekend of October 13 and 14.

The Pullman Factory and Clock Tower site at 11001 S. Cottage Grove will be open for free public tours Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14, from noon to 4 p.m. both days. The factory tour will include a special exhibit from the private collection of former life-long Pullman employee Alfonso Quiroz. This will include many items never publicly displayed before, including original photographs, signed prints and artifacts from the 1890s through 1980s. The historic Hotel Florence at 11111 S. Forrestville will be open for free tours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Public tours of both sites are usually available only on special occasions.

The tours are being held in conjunction with the 34th Annual Historic Pullman House Tour and the 8th Annual Calumet Heritage Conference being held that weekend. The House Tour is sponsored by the Pullman Civic Organization and Historic Pullman Foundation, and tickets may be purchased by calling (773) 785-8901. The conference, "Beyond Artifacts: The Living Element in Industrial Heritage Areas," is set for 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chicago State University's new Academic Library. Sponsored by the Calumet Heritage Partnership and Chicago State University, "Beyond Artifacts" celebrates the Calumet region's foundations, heritage and future. A guided tour of the Pullman Factory by Dr. Jane Eva Baxter, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at DePaul University, will be a part of the conference. To register, contact Mike Siola at (773) 995-2964..

The Pullman Factory and Clock Tower Building (1880) and Hotel Florence (1881) are administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.