Remnants of the indulgent bygone era exist throughout the city—if you know where to look

The Gilded Age might seem like a distant memory, but not all of the mansions constructed by the city’s well-heeled social elite between the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the early 20th Century met the indignity of a wrecking ball.

Today, many impressive residences designed by architectural greats like H.H. Richardson, George Maher, Henry Ives Cobb, and Richard E. Schmidt still stand. Some look backward in their designs, evoking the grandeur of an idealized Europe in Chateauesque and Baroque styles. Others embraced newly emerging architectural trends of the time such as the Arts & Crafts and Prairie School movements.

Though a number of these historic mansions have been adapted and reused as hotels, offices, museums, or condos, some still serve their original purpose by sheltering a single family. Here are 19 of the most significant examples of Gilded Age mansions still standing in Chicago today.