APR 25 – A Night at 1524 – Candlelit Mansion Tour

The International Museum of Surgical Science invites you on its beloved candlelit tour of the historic Countiss Residence. Bathed in warm candlelight, this unique exploration of 1524 will delve into the architecture of the space and the lives of its original occupants, who worked, danced, dreamt and died there. Highlights from the IMSS permanent collection will invite guests to layer their experience of the space as a historic dwelling and modern-day Museum – as much enchanted by its elegant past as it is haunted by the morbid curiosities it houses today.

1524 N. Lake Shore Drive has been the home of the International Museum of Surgical Science since the early 1950s; though in the decades prior, this stately limestone mansion on the shores of Lake Michigan was the private residence of Chicago socialite Eleanor Robinson Countiss. The mansion first opened onto an unspoiled lakefront in the Spring of 1917, and was supervised by its singular Mistress until her untimely death in the Spring of 1931.

The age of the mansion has long drawn speculation that it is haunted. After nearly two decades dwelt within a property fit for royalty, it’s imaginable that Eleanor might have chosen to remain here beyond the grave. Ghost stories aside, it is easy to be “haunted” in these halls, rich as they are with tokens of bygone eras; ornamental molding, original fixtures, oriental rugs, and fragments of fossils in the lush marble floors testify to the stature of the building. Bathed in warm candlelight, this unique exploration of “1524” delves into the architecture of the mansion as well as the lives of its former occupants.

A complimentary reception follows the tour and lite fare will be served.

All guests must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. Doors open at 6:00pm.