Tribune Tower
Recently we received an e-mail from a teacher who was looking for information about all of the cool stones embedded in the facade of the Tribune Tower (435 North Michigan Avenue). We pointed her to the Tribune Tower entry in the Chicago Architecture Info database, which has a complete list. But she wrote back because it wasn’t quite what she was looking for. She was looking for pictures of the individual rocks. All of them. And she’d searched the intarweb high and low with no success. Could we help?
Sure. Why not.
So, here they are — all 149 of them as of May, 2009 — the last time we took a walk around the building and visually cataloged. them. Click on each of the thumbnails below to see a larger picture of the rock in question.
New rocks are added very rarely these days, so if any are missing, it shouldn’t be more than one or two. If you think we missed one, hit the “Contact” link to let us know, and we’ll fix it.
Updated – October 18, 2013
Thanks to Michael McAllister, who provided us with the photograph of the star-shaped vessel containing rocks from the grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born, beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. This artifact is the most important of the dozens on Tribune Tower, which is why it is inside the building. Because of its location, we missed it when we first published this article.
Logically, that means the title of this article should change to “Pictures of All 150 Rocks…”, except that the moon rock has been taken out of its display window facing Michigan Avenue, which brings the number back down to 149. The moon rock display window is now being used for advertising.
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- Tribune Tower Rock – Cave of the Nativity – Bethlehem
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- Tribune Tower rock – Yellowstone Park – Wyoming
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- Tribune Tower rock – Yale University – New Haven – Connecticut
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- World’s Columbian Exposition – A.D. 1893 – [Chicago,] Illinois
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- Tribune Tower rock – World Trade Center – New York
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- Tribune Tower rock – Winter Palace – Beijing – China
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- Tribune Tower rock – William Henry Harrison Mansion – Vincennes – Indiana
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- Tribune Tower rock – WGN Building cornerstone – Chicago
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- Tribune Tower rock – Wahingtons Landing – New Jersey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Walls of Londonderry – Northern Ireland
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- Tribune Tower rock – Wartburg – Eisenach – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Wawel Castle – Krakow – Poland
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- Tribune Tower rock – Westminster Abbey – London – England
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- Tribune Tower rock – Union Stockyards – Chicago
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- Tribune Tower rock – Trondheim Cathedral – Trondheim – Norway
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- Tribune Tower rock – Tower of Tears – Amsterdam – The Netherlands
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- Tribune Tower rock – Tomb of Abraham Lincoln – Spr=ingfield – Illinois
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- Tribune Tower rock – The White House – Washington – DC
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Great Pyramid – Giza – Egypt
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Great Wal of China
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Parthenon – Athend – Greece
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Powder Tower – Riga – Latvia
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Taj Mahal – Agra – India
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Colosseum – Rome – Italy
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Battle of Lake Erie – Put-in-Bay – Ohio
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Badlands – South Dakota
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- Tribune Tower rock – The Alamo – San Antonio – Texas
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- Tribune Tower rock – Temple in the Forbidden City – Beiing – China
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- Tribune Tower rock – Swedish Viking Monument – Malar Lake Valley – Sweden
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- Tribune Tower rock – Sydney Opera House – Sydney – Australia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Ta Prohm Angkor and Banteay Srei Hindu Temple – Cambodia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Taintzkaya Tower – The Kremlin – Moscow – Russia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Tawasa Indian town – Alabama
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- Tribune Tower rock – Suleiman Mosque – Istanbul – Turkey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Stabian Baths – Pompeii – Italy
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- Tribune Tower rock – Site of the Kensington Rune Stone – Kensington – Minnesota
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- Tribune Tower rock – Sibyls Cave – Naples – Italy
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- Tribune Tower rock – Shrine – Tokyo – Japan
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- Tribune Tower rock – Santa Lucia Barracks – Manila – Philippines
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- Tribune Tower rock – Santa Maria Island – The Azores
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- Tribune Tower rock – Santo Domingo Church – Panama City – Panama
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- Tribune Tower rock – Semaire de Quebec – Quebec City – Canada
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- Tribune Tower rock – Shirley House – Vicksburg – Mississippi
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- Tribune Tower rock – Saint Stephens Cathedral – Vienna – Austria
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- Tribune Tower rock – Saint Sophia – Istanbul – Turkey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Saint Peters Cathedral – Vatican City
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- Tribune Tower rock – Saint Lo City Hall – Saint Lo – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Saint Johns Church – Richmond – Virginia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Revolutionary War battlefield – Princeton – New Jersey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Roanoke Island – North Carolina
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- Tribune Tower rock – Roman Ruins – Leptis Magna – Libya
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- Tribune Tower rock – Roof tile – Roman Ruins – Birecik – Turkey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Royal castle – Stockholm – Sweden
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- Tribune Tower rock – Reno Courthouse – Nevada
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- Tribune Tower rock – Remagen Bridge – Remagen – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Reims Cathedral – Reims – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Princeton University – New Jersey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Pilgrim House – Leyden – The Nethrelands
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- Tribune Tower rock – Parliament – London – England
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- Tribune Tower rock – Pearl Harbor – Honolulu – Hawaii
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- Tribune Tower rock – Petra – Jordan
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- Tribune Tower rock – Petrified Forest – Arizona
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- Tribune Tower rock – Petrified wood – California
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- Tribune Tower rock – Orote Peninsla – Guam
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- Tribune Tower rock – Omaha Beach- Normandy – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Old Swedes Church – Wilmington – Delaware
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- Tribune Tower rock – Old General Post Office – Dublin – Ireland
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- Tribune Tower rock – Notre Dame Cathedral – Paris – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mount McKinley – Denali – Alaska
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mount Pentelicus Quarry – Attica – Greece
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mount Rainier – Washington
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mountain Taptochau – Saipan – The Marianas Islands
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- Tribune Tower rock – Nelson House – Yorktown – Virginia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mosaic Hall – Reichschancellery – Berlin – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mormon Temple – Salt Lake City – Utah
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- Tribune Tower rock – Moon rock – The moon
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mont Sec Memorial – Saint Mihiel – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Monastery of Saint Michael – Kiev – Ukraine
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- Tribune Tower rock – McCormick House – Chicago
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- Tribune Tower rock – Medieval portal – Aachen – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings – Colorado
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- Tribune Tower rock – Milton quotation
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- Tribune Tower rock – Miraflores Locks – Panama Canal – Panama
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- Tribune Tower rock – Massachusetts Hall – Cambridge – Massachusetts – and Byrons Chillon – Chillon – Switzerland
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- Tribune Tower rock – Marquette and Joliet Landing – Louisa County – Iowa
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- Tribune Tower rock – Mammoth Cave – Kentucky
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- Tribune Tower rock – Lovejoy Home – Albion – Marine
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- Tribune Tower rock – Little Bighorn Battlefield – Garryowen – Montana
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- Tribune Tower rock – International Peace Garden – Dunseith – North Dakota
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- Tribune Tower rock – John Browns Cabin – Osawatomie – Kansas
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- Tribune Tower rock – John Browns Fort – Harpers Ferry – West Virginia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Kwajalein – The Marshall Islands
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- Tribune Tower rock – Lincoln House – Springfield
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- Tribune Tower rock – Injun Joe Cave – Hannibal – Missouri
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- Tribune Tower rock – Independence Hall – Philadelphia – Pennsylvania
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- Tribune Tower rock – House of Commons – London – England
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- Tribune Tower rock – Hans Christian Andersen Home – Odense – Denmark
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- Tribune Tower rock – Hamlets Castle – Elsinore – Denmark
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fortress Walls – Cartagena – Colombia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fur trading post – Prairie du Chien – Wisconsin
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- Tribune Tower rock – Gaspee Point – Rhode Island
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- Tribune Tower rock – Gate – Suwon – South Korea
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- Tribune Tower rock – Golden Castle – Osaka – Japan
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fortress Ehrenbreitstein – Rhineland – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort William and Mary – Portsmouth – New Hampshire
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort Ticonderoga – New York
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort Sumter – Charleston – South Carolina
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort Santiago – Manila – Philippines
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort Brady – Sault Sainte Marie – Michigan
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort Clatsop – Astoria – Oregon
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort Marion – Saint Augustine – Florida
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort McHenry – Baltimore – Maryland
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- Tribune Tower rock – Fort San Antonio Abad – Manila – Philippines
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- Tribune Tower rock – Flodden Field – Scotch-English Battle of 1513 – Northumberland – England
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- Tribune Tower rock – Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh – Scotland
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- Tribune Tower rock – Douglas Hall – Old University of Chicago – Chicago
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- Tribune Tower rock – DeSoto Landing – Desha County – Arkansas
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- Tribune Tower rock – Davids Tower – Jerusalem – Israel
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- Tribune Tower rock – Clementine Hall – Vatican City
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- Tribune Tower rock – Cologne Cathedral – Cologne – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Corregidor – Philippines
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- Tribune Tower rock – Craters of the Moon National Monument – Idaho
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- Tribune Tower rock – Cumberlan Gap – Tennessee
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- Tribune Tower rock – City Hall – Stockholm – Sweden
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- Tribune Tower rock – City Hall – Potsdam – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Christ Church – Philadelphia – Pennsylvania
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- Tribune Tower rock – Chimney Rock – Nebraska
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- Tribune Tower rock – Chimey Point – Vermont
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- Tribune Tower rock – Boston Avenue Church in Oklahoma
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- Tribune Tower rock – Bridge in the Forbidden City – Beijing – China
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- Tribune Tower rock – Bunker Hill – Charlestown – Massachusetts
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- Tribune Tower rock – Butter Tower – Notre Dame Cathedral – Rouen – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Cannonball – Pevensy Castle – England
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- Tribune Tower rock – Bloody Nose Ridge – Peleliu – The Caroline Islands
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- Tribune Tower rock – Berlin Wall – Berlin – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Beaumarais Castle – Isle of Anglesey – Wales
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- Tribune Tower rock – Battle of New Orleans – New Orleans – Louisiana
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- Tribune Tower rock – Aztec Ruins – New Mexico
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- Tribune Tower rock – Another Saint Peters Cathedral – Vatican City
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- Tribune Tower rock – Another temple in the Forbidden City – Beijing – China
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- Tribune Tower rock – Antarctica
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- Tribune Tower rock – Anzio Beach – Anzio – Italy
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- Tribune Tower rock – Arc de Triumphe – Paris – France
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- Tribune Tower rock – Another Revolutionary War battlefield – Princeton – New Jersey
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- Tribune Tower rock – Another one from Cologne Cathedral – Cologne – Germany
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- Tribune Tower rock – Andersonville Prison – Andersonville – Georgia
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- Tribune Tower rock – Ancient temple – Honan Province – China
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- Tribune Tower rock – Aachen City Hall – Aachen – Germany
March 12, 2013
I know that the moon rock was removed in 2011 to be replaced at a later date. NASA was supposed to send back a new one encased in acrylic to then be embedded in the building, but I haven’t seen an update since I first read the story. Have you heard anything about it?
March 12, 2013
I’m pretty sure I saw the moon rock the last time I walked by. I’ll make an effort pay closer attention the next time and post a message here.
April 8, 2013
Hi Nick,
Sorry it took so long, but I finally remembered to look for the moon rock when I walked by the Tribune Tower, and you’re right — it’s gone. Replaced by ads. Sad.
April 17, 2015
Does anybody know how Chicago got all these stones??
April 20, 2015
In the past, Chicago was a very important and influential city globally, and the Tribune was its most important and influential newspaper. There were hundreds of Tribune reporters all around the world, and many of them brought the rocks back during their reporting. In addition, for many governments and world leaders it was considered an honor to contribute a rock to the Tribune Tower project.
Things have changed a lot in a hundred years, and back then the concept of preserving landmarks wasn’t as widespread as it is today. These days you could never get a chip of a Pyramid of Giza or some Roman ruins. But back then, nobody really cared. There wasn’t much of a preservation movement as we know it today.
June 24, 2016
They aren’t all “rocks” most are stolen pieces from iconic buildings. How would most Americans feel if a developer building a tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates sent a representative to chip off a bit of the Washington Monument, take a chunk of Mount Rushmore, and a brick out of the Empire State Building?
June 24, 2016
Why do you assume these rocks were stolen? They were all given freely to the Tribune. At the time, the Tribune was a powerful global media company and it was considered an honor to be part of the project. Applying your 2010’s ethos to the world of the 1930’s is simply hubris.
The fact that you assume this was plunder speaks more about you than it does about the Tribune.
December 14, 2017
“The tradition of displaying the stones began in the 1920s with Col. Robert R. MCCormick, renowned publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The colonel had a collection of stones from around the world that he had picked up during his travels. Chicago Tribune correspondents supplemented the collection with stone obtained during their overseas assignments….” (from an information flyer at the Tribune building on a visit there in December 1997). My home island, Roanoke Island, NC has a “rock” there. Since this island is on the eastern coastline of NC and there are -0- native rocks here, I can only assume that representation is a ballast rock from an ancient sailing vessel.
August 5, 2019
Can you tell me who can be contacted regarding the possible addition of a “rock” to the facade of the Tribune building?
My father was in the Navy during WWII and was aboard one of the US destroyers sent into Nagasaki harbor not long after the atomic bomb leveled the city. He walked around Ground Zero and came across a carved piece of stonework that was part of the Urakami Cathedral, within 500 meters of the bomb’s detonation on August 9, 1945. This carved stone piece might be historically significant enough to be added to artifacts currently imbedded in the walls of the Chicago Tribune building.
August 18, 2019
You might try contact in the CIM Group in Los Angeles, as it owns the building now.
April 7, 2020
This is great! Blame OCD or being homebound by coronavirus, but I counted and there’s 49 states plus D.C. — the only state not represented is Maine. I wonder if that was on purpose or if it’s an oversight?
I’ve been researching the building for a project. McCormick volunteered in WWI and commanded an artillery unit in WWI, seeing a fair bit of combat on the Western Front. He picked up pieces of the ruins of Arras city hall and Ypres cathedral (though they’re not on the wall so were either too small or a private collection). He then asked his foreign correspondents to get famous stones. In some cases they came from either rubble or ruins. One photo in a 1924 story shows a correspondent posing with the Parthenon guard helping him find a good piece on the ground.