Pullman National Monument Celebrates Grand Opening This Weekend

PULLMAN —More than two decades after fire gutted the Pullman Administration Building, the railroad company town's iconic clock tower has been revived into a historic tourist destination that makes its debut this weekend.

In 2015, former President Barack Obama designated the Pullman neighborhood a national monument, a move that locals hope will bring a revival to the far South Side community.

On Labor Day weekend, the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center's grand opening will include interactive exhibits that tell the story of railroad mogul George Pullman's factory and company town, where the world-famous "palace car" was built and the modern labor movement was born.

Guided tours of the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center, the Hotel Florence and three Pullman-built passenger rail cars on loan from the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners, Amtrak, and Metra will be offered on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 p.m.

The National Parks Service will present interpretive programs on topics including railroad and labor songs, Rosie the Riveter and Mother Jones: Solidarity and the 1894 Pullman Strike.

New exhibits and self-guided tour maps will be available at the Historic Pullman Foundation Exhibit Hall. There will be food trucks, a car show and performances by the Jesse White Tumblers.

A complete list of events that culminate with the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center ribbon cutting on Monday is available on online.