St. Michael's Church, Chicago

By tradition, if the chimes of Saint Michael's bells reach your ears, you'll know you're in Old Town. Owing to its thick, redbrick walls, this 19th-century Romanesque monument, founded and maintained by German immigrants, was among the six select buildings that survived the path of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. Although there is a small memorial dedicated to Catholic war veterans on its grounds, it has become a haven for the local Puerto Rican community.

The church is distinguished by a commanding bell tower adorned with a sizable four-faced clock and an ensemble of five bells, each weighing between 2,500 to 6,000 pounds (or 1.1 to 2.7 tons). Visitors have the opportunity to explore the beautiful Bavarian Baroque interior with tall, thin stained-glass windows crafted by the Mayer Window Institute of Munich, along with vivid frescoes and a carving depicting "The Last Supper" (acquired from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition). A functional Kilgen pipe organ adds to the sensory richness of the space; however, the crowning jewel is the magnificent high altar, along with four subsidiary altars, portraying Saint Michael flanked by archangels Raphael and Gabriel, capturing the moment of Lucifer's expulsion from heaven.