Places have a story to tell. Our work is about preserving spaces in Illinois that are authentic – where layers of history are seen and felt, if we just help their stories continue.
We are people saving places
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. Each year, we answer thousands of calls and emails from advocates, property owners and local and state agencies.
We are rooted in activism
Landmarks Illinois emerged from the voices of a handful of dedicated preservationists engaged in the struggle to save the Chicago Stock Exchange Building designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. Since our founding in 1971, we have evolved to represent the many thousands of owners, investors and users of historic places across Illinois. We now work on the front lines and behind the scenes to find solutions by leveraging relationships, resources and creativity to make endangered spaces vital places.
We believe leveraging the past is vital to our future
Investing in historic places creates more jobs than new construction per dollar spent, prevents otherwise reusable materials from entering the waste stream, creates more interesting places in which to live and work and sustains the places that express our shared heritage, culture and civic values. Far from barring progress, historic preservation creates healthy, resilient communities that blend the old and the new.
We are proud Illinoisans
With headquarters in Chicago and a field office in Springfield, we believe there is something beautiful in every community. Our state has changed the path of history, and we are using our history to change the path of Illinois.
We receive no government funds
We are a privately funded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit supported by individuals, corporations and foundations that share our belief that Illinois benefits economically, socially and culturally from historic preservation.
We provide mission-driven programs
Landmarks Illinois’ mission is to preserve, protect and promote architectural and historic resources in Illinois through advocacy and education. The following programs help us deliver on that mission each year.
- The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards
- Most Endangered Historic Places List
- Legendary Landmarks Celebration
- Preservation Heritage Fund Grants
- The Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund
- Skyline Council Socials, Trivia Nights and Pub Crawls
- Preservation Snapshots Lecture Series
- Cook County Suburban Recent Past Survey
- Preservation Easement Program
- Illinois Restoration Resources Directory
- Statewide advocacy and technical assistance
- Feasibility and reuse studies
- Preservation partnerships
Join us today!
Whether you own a building, are a homeowner, an industry professional, a preservationist, an architecture fan, a history buff, an environmentalist, a community activist, or someone who loves special places, you live in a community that appeals to you, is steeped in history and full of opportunity. Partner with us to reimagine places of the past and unlock the potential in every corner of Illinois.