• Mansion tours in Chicago include the home of a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Jane Addams.valentines mansion image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
  
  When mansions can no longer be passed down through a family, or perhaps a new generation decides they'd like to live in a little less splendor, they often become public domains, available to be enjoyed by everyone. Chicago boasts a number of historical mansions that have been preserved because of their architecture or the people who resided there, and tours are available for those who savor the opportunity to drink in a little "home history."
  
  

Glessner House

• The Glessner House is a National Historic Landmark located near the Chicago Women's Park and Gardens. It was built by Henry Jobson Richardson, who studied architecture in France. The Glessner House is the only commission out of 80 designed by Richardson that is still standing today. For 50 years, the Glessner family lived in the home, which was designed during the Gilded Age, representative of rich industrialists' homes. It contains more than 17,000 square feet, with 13 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 11 fireplaces, and 14 staircases. As of December 2010, free days are Wednesdays on a first come, first served basis; tours typically range from $6-15 per person.
  
  

Henry B. Clarke House

• The Henry B. Clarke house, built south of the river in the Greek Revival tradition by a local contractor, was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on May 6, 1971. Clarke suffered financial setbacks in 1837 and started to use the land for farming and hunting. He died in 1849 and since that time, the house has also been known for his wife, Caroline Palmer Clarke, also known as Widow Clarke. She sold all the original land, except three acres, and renovated the home, adding columns and a porch to face Michigan Avenue as well as a cupola. The house was moved in 1872, 12 years after Caroline's death, and later became home to a church. The City of Chicago purchased the home in 1977 and moved it to its current location. Wednesday tours of the mini-mansion are free; as of December 2010, the usual tour price ranges from $5 to $10.
  
  

Frederick C. Robie House

• The Frederick C. Robie House was designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright for a client, businessman Frederick C. Robie. The building is considered a forerunner of modern architecture and was built in Prairie Style, with a horizontal line, a low-pitched roof, and overhanging eaves. As of December 2010, tours of the home are available Thursday through Monday for $12 to $15, with those 3 and under admitted for free.
  
  

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

• The Hull House is a settlement house that was co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Hull House was open to immigrants as they arrived from Europe and was designated as an historic landmark in 1974; it's one of the stops for tours on ghosts in Chicago. Hull House was not only the private home of Ms. Addams, but also a settlement that consisted of 13 buildings, including a dining hall, nursery school, library, and other spaces. The museum is free to visit, but donations are encouraged at a suggested level of $5 per person.