Harold Washington Library Center: scouting notes
On-site visit, Oct 29, 2026 · 400 S. State St., Chicago. Raw material for a Dungeon Crawler Carl–style quest and scavenger hunt, organized floor by floor from the bottom up.
Your notesRead from photos / brochurePuzzle ideas · WEB = reference photo from the internet, not taken on-site. Tap any photo for the full-resolution original.
Game concept
Your notes · DCC ideas
- The final battle is against one of the owls on the outside of the building: "The Overdue Owl". It's mad because your book is overdue.
- In DCC you normally go down into the dungeon, but here: "due to Borant budget cuts, the dungeon was installed upside down, the stairwell goes up." Boss battles happen on specific levels, building to the 9th floor Winter Garden against the owl.
- Pick a "class" at the start, which gives you a different weapon or advantage and changes the playthrough.
- Use views or HP in some way as a meter.
Notes
- "Borant" is right: in the books, the Borant Corporation is the alien company that runs the crawl.
- The upside-down dungeon matches the building: escalators run continuously from floor 3 to floor 8, and the Winter Garden on floor 9 has a glass roof and the owl acroteria right above it.
- The same sculptor, Sara Miller, made bronze heads on three floors: Martin Luther King Jr. (6th), Brooks, Bellow and Hemingway (7th), and Carl Sandburg (9th, Special Collections). That could make a ready-made multi-floor collectible hunt.
Clue bank
Every number, code and phrase from the visit in one place, for building ciphers and locks.
| Where | Clue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st · lobby floor | Circle/square pattern; dots make a 5 like a die | See lobby floor pattern |
| 1st · ceiling | 3×3 coffers per bay, light in center → 9 lights | |
| 1st · walls | 6 vent grates per section, 3 sections per side | |
| 1st · fountains | 10 flower grates, 1 different one under the face | 2 fountains, left and right of the escalator |
| 1st · escalator | ASME A17.1 · CSA B44 · TITLE 8 GROUP · "TO BE USED FOR INSPECTIONS AND TESTS" | Plate under the left fountain-side railing |
| 1st · mural | Events in the Life of Harold Washington, 1991 · Jacob Lawrence | The "mountain" is made of books |
| 2nd · railing | Heart · arrow · oval shapes in the metal | Fountains seen from above look like an L and a J |
| Esc 2→3 | Spinner icons: rifle + wings, dog tag + helmet + star, peace sign, books, letter V, star + feathers | "War and Peace" |
| 3rd · plaque | 430 ILCS 66/65 | Illinois concealed-carry law (prohibited areas) |
| 3rd · railing | "CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY" and "400 STATE ST" backwards; 004 / 4 | Nose on the gold railing |
| 3rd · window | MCMXXV = 1925 | Carved on the building across the street |
| 3rd · desk | BUSINESS · SCIENCE · TECHNOLOGY | |
| 6th · window | L·Z·LEITER A·D MDCCCXCI = 1891 | Also visible from the 9th floor |
| 6th · cannons | 3-inch Ordnance Rifle 1862 (72.263) · James Cannon c. 1861 (72.266) | Right and left on the plaque |
| 7th · heads | Sara Miller: Bellow '93, Brooks '94, Hemingway '94, © | The third head is hidden behind a wall |
| 7th · cart | Life/Death Cart, 1991 · "PRESTON JACKSON" stamped on the wheel | |
| 9th · switch | FP-6A/FP-824 DISC. SW. | Back left of the Winter Garden |
| 9th · chandeliers | Globe counts 3 5 3 / 5 / 5 5 / 5 5 5 / 5 5 / 5 | Counted back to front |
| 9th · corners | Design corner pieces: 10 in the garden + 4 on the museum model | |
| 9th · museum | Timeline years 1944, 1974; pool photo 1986; plate KV 7829; Punch 8 / Punch 9 | |
| 9th · books | HW initialed his books "H.W." on page 14 | Goose/duck bookends |
| 9th · quotes | "…alligator in a swamp", "Chicago works together…" (Apr 12, 1984), "Reading was an excursion…" | |
| 9th · window | Backwards sign "…SON …LET" | Back windows, to the right |
Building map
Central Library Directory: a cross-section of the building. The escalators climb the middle from 3 to 8, and the Winter Garden crowns floor 9.
Floor guide (from the map)
- Lower: Reception Hall, Multipurpose Rooms A & B, Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Video Theater
- 1: Popular Library, Circulation, YOUmedia
- 2: Thomas Hughes Children's Library
- 3: Computer Commons, Maker Lab, Lost and Found, Exhibits
- 4: Business & Careers, Cookbooks, Finance, Patents & Trademarks, Science
- 5: Government Publications, Newspapers & Periodicals, Microfilm
- 6: Education, Law, Philosophy, Psychology, Social Sciences, History, Travel, World Religions
- 7: World Languages, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Poetry & Plays, Chicago Authors Room
- 8: Music, Music Practice Rooms, Arts & Crafts
- 9: Winter Garden, South Hall, Corporate & Private Events, Special Collections (Exhibit Hall, Reading Room)
- 10: Administration · Restrooms on Lower Level and floors 3–9
Outside the building
The final boss lives up here.
The owls (acroteria)
Roof corners, above the glass Winter Garden roof.
Puzzle ideas
- "The Overdue Owl" is the final boss, fought in the 9th floor Winter Garden directly beneath it.
Lower level
DuSable's Journey (1991)
Floor medallion at the bottom of the round opening in the 1st floor lobby (the gold-railed circle).
From photos / brochure
- Terrazzo and inlaid brass, by Houston Conwill, Joseph DePace and Estella Conwill Majozo.
- A cosmogram/map with labels like "Great Lakes", "Mississippi River" and compass arrows, with text around the rim.
- You can see it from above through the lobby railing.
Puzzle ideas
- A good "Floor 0" start: the map points the way, and the text around the rim can hold the first clue.
1st floor: lobby
Main entry off State St. Wishing fountains flank the escalator up to 2.
Lobby floor & ceiling
Entry hall, around the gold-railed round opening.
Your notes
FloorCircle square circle Square circle (cut out) square Circle square circle
- Ceiling: light in the center of a 3×3 grid; 3×3 of those, so 9 total.
- Walls: grates for 6 vents in each section; 3 sections on each side.
Puzzle ideas
- The dots/circles make a 5 on a die.
From photos
- Ceiling coffers are blue with white starburst patterns. Wall lettering reads "IDA B. WELLS DRIVE", "POPULAR LIBRARY", "CONGRESS PKWY", and "UP TO LEVELS 2 THRU 9".
Mural: Events in the Life of Harold Washington (1991)
Lobby wall, near the escalators.
Your notes
- A metaphorical mountain tile mural. You have to read what it's about; there's no actual mountain in it.
From the plaque
- Ceramic tile mosaic by Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000).
- The stages of his life (student, Civilian Conservation Corps worker, soldier, lawyer, U.S. Congressman, Mayor) appear as pages of books spread across the Mayor's desk, which together form the "metaphoric mountain" ending in his election as Chicago's first African American mayor.
- The faces are left blank, so his figure becomes symbolic.
Puzzle ideas
- Give a clue about "finding the mountain". Players must read the plaque to learn that the mountain is metaphorical and made of books.
- Your open question was what they'd find in the tiles. Option: the clue is in the books (count the books, their colors, or the career stages in order).
Wishing fountains
Two long fountains, one on each side of the escalator. The photos are of the left one as you face them.
Your notes
- 10 flowers around the wishing fountain, with 1 different one by the face.
- 2 fountains: one on the left of the building, one on the right.
- Under the escalator railing on the left fountain side, an elevator sign reads: ASME A17.1 – , CSA B44 – , TITLE 8 GROUP, TO BE USED FOR INSPECTIONS AND TESTS.
From photos
- A bronze lion/face spout sits on the end wall, above a flower-shaped grate. The pool floor is covered in coins.
Kovler Hall & Harold Washington bust
1st floor, Kovler Hall wall.
From photos / brochure
- The Chicago Public Library mission is painted on the wall: "We welcome and support all people in their enjoyment of reading and pursuit of lifelong learning…", "We believe in the freedom to read, to learn, to discover."
- The brochure lists a bronze Harold Washington (1988) by Abelardo Ghoulam on this floor.
2nd floor: looking down at the lobby
Gold balcony railing
2nd floor balcony overlooking the lobby and the fountains.
Your notes
- Metal fence: heart, arrow, oval shapes.
- Looking back down at the wishing fountains on the 1st floor, one makes the shape of an L and the other a J.
Puzzle ideas
- "Wishing WeJJ", spelled with Js, tells you to do something at the J-shaped fountain.
- "Wishing Wel", spelled with only one L, tells you to do something at the L-shaped one.
Escalator from 2nd to 3rd floor
Spinner Forest NVAM
Ceiling above the escalator, reflected in a mirror.
Your notes
- Art on a ceiling mirror, called "Spinner Forest NVAM". It has spinners with:
- Rifle + wings
- Dog tag + helmet + star
- Peace signs
- Books
- Letter V
- Star + feathers
From the sign
- Made in 2024 by the National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM) with Chicago artist Nick Cave. Veterans answered prompts about their service, and their answers became 15 icons (including a dove, a saint's medal, a hummingbird and a sewing needle) at the centers of about 632 iridescent metal spinners.
- The sign shows the full set of icons.
- The May 2024 brochure lists Above and Beyond (1988, steel with hand-stamped dog tags) for this escalator well. The spinners appear to be newer.
Puzzle ideas
- The icons combine into a book title: War and Peace.
3rd floor
The first of the half-floor escalator floors. Computer Commons, Maker Lab, Exhibits.
Tank poster ↔ "no handguns" plaque
They face each other across the floor near the escalators.
Your notes
- A big tank poster on the wall, across from a "no handguns" plaque.
- The plaque has words and numbers: 430 ILCS 66/65.
From photos
- The poster is a photo by László Kondor, courtesy of the National Veterans Art Museum: a Chicago flag flying over a self-propelled gun near Chu Lai, Vietnam, 1970. Per the caption, the actual flag is held at the NVAM.
- The plaque reads "Pursuant to 430 ILCS 66/65", the Illinois concealed-carry law.
Puzzle ideas
- Big gun vs. small gun. It ties to the "War and Peace" theme on the escalator.
Nose on the gold railing
Look back at the escalator. Between the two escalators there's a window down a level that shows State St. outside.
Your notes
- Touch your nose to the gold railing and you can see:
- "CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY" backwards
- "400 STATE ST" backwards
- With your nose on the left side of the railing: 004, or just 4 (backwards)
MCMXXV window
The far window on the right as you come up (turn right with your back to the escalators).
Your notes
- Looking out, a building on the left of the window has MCMXXV carved in it.
Decoded
- MCMXXV = 1925. The date sits between two carved shields.
Reference desk
Your notes
- The desk where you can talk to a librarian has a big sign: BUSINESS · SCIENCE · TECHNOLOGY.
Not photographed (from the brochure)
- Altar for the Unbanned (2023) by Theaster Gates: steel, neon and banned books. It would be a strong puzzle prop.
4th & 5th floors
Your notes
- Not much on these floors: mostly books and tables. There's probably art we missed.
Art listed in the brochure (not photographed)
- 4th: William Dawson's carved figures (Elephant, Snake, Totem with Flowers, Walking Figure…); Burning House (1987); Spinning Head (Mujer Ovarios) (1988); Traders in Standard and Poor's 500 Index Trading Pit (1987); Urban Resort and Singled Minded Slums (1991).
- 5th: Ogun's Rooster (1984); Madagascar V (1977); Introspection I: Evolution; Enrique (1991); The Winner (1988), a painted quilt by Faith Ringgold; Red Sea (1990).
Puzzle ideas
- Worth a return trip if you need "filler" levels. A Dawson elephant or snake could be a mini-boss.
6th floor
Two cannons
Center of the floor, on the outside wall by the windows.
Your notes
- Two-cannon art in the center of the floor, toward the outside.
- Looking out the windows by the cannons, the buildings outside have:
- "L·Z·LEITER A·D MDCCCXCI" carved on them
- 2 iron triangles with swirls on the top of a building
From the plaque
- Right: 3-inch Ordnance Rifle, 1862, Phoenix Iron Co., Phoenixville, Penn. Reproduction carriage, 1996. Grand Army of the Republic Collection, 72.263.
- Left: James Cannon with Carriage, c. 1861, Ames Co., Chicopee, Mass. Collection 72.266.
- MDCCCXCI = 1891 (the Leiter building).
- The brochure also lists Sara Miller's Martin Luther King, Jr. (1999) bronze here, by the same artist as the 7th floor heads.
7th floor
The bronze heads
Two heads face each other right in the center as you step off the escalator. The third is on the far side, in the same center area but on the other side of a wall.
Your notes
- Etched on them: Sara '93, Sara '94, and a © copyright symbol.
- There's a 3rd matching head, for Hemingway, a ways around.
From the labels
- All three are by Sara Miller (1924–2016), bronze, gifts of Seymour H. Persky: Gwendolyn Brooks (1994, 94.1), Saul Bellow (1993, 93.12), Ernest Hemingway (1994, 94.3).
- The wood cases behind them hold illustrated panels (a dragon over a castle, a moonlit city).
Puzzle ideas
- People will see the 2 heads right away. If you say there's a 3rd, they have to search for it. (Sara Miller heads also appear on 6 and 9.)
Life/Death Cart
Right side of the building, in the semicircle window.
Your notes
- A weird tricycle artwork: "Life/Death Cart" by Preston Jackson.
From photos / brochure
- Bronze and steel, 1991. "PRESTON JACKSON" is stamped on the big wheel. The bed is studded with pegs, and the view looks down on a park.
8th floor
Your notes
- More books. Nothing specific jumped out.
Art listed in the brochure (not photographed)
- Cloud Gate maquette (1999) by Anish Kapoor: a small model of "The Bean".
- Harold Washington Library Center Design Build competition submissions (1988): 5 models of the building.
- Wrigley Square and Millennium Monument architectural model.
- Andy Warhol Holding Marilyn Acetate (1964); Windy City (1956); Girl in Red Suit (1963); Untitled (Two Heads) (1991); Knowledge Inspires Potential Action Creates Possibility (1991).
Puzzle ideas
- The 5 competing building models are a natural "which one is the real library?" puzzle. The Bean maquette is a fun Chicago tie-in.
9th floor: Winter Garden
Glass-roofed hall at the top. The final boss arena, right under the owls.
Chandeliers & light switch
Winter Garden main hall.
Your notes
Looking from the back to the front, count the lit globes:
3 5 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
- The light switch at the back left reads: FP-6A/FP-824 DISC. SW.
Harold Washington exhibit: timeline room
The museum on the left side, then turn left again (blue walls).
Your notes
- A timeline on the wall. A date could lead to something.
- A picture of Harold Washington playing pool. It could tie back to the wishing-well pools in the lobby?
- How many design corner pieces are on this floor? Some are in the Winter Garden and some are on the model in the museum: 10 in the garden, 4 on the model.
- A picture in the museum: find the crushed car under the rubble. License plate: KV 7829.
- A few "Punch 8" and "Punch 9" posters to vote him in as mayor.
From photos
- 1974: Letter from Coretta Scott King to Clyde H. Brooks (Jan 7, 1974), praising Washington's bill to make MLK's birthday a state holiday.
- 1944: Letter from Harold Washington to his father Roy (July 3, 1944), written from the Army: "My curiosity has finally gotten the better of me…".
- 1986: "During a tour of a West Side neighborhood Harold Washington stepped inside a pool hall to show the kids he could still shoot pool."
- "Punch 8 Democratic WASHINGTON" banner and a round "PUNCH 9 Harold Washington For Chicago" button.
Harold Washington exhibit: books & quotes room
The museum on the left side, then straight back (green walls).
Your notes
- Goose bookends on a shelf. Puzzles could use:
- The names of the books on the shelf
- Colors, or color words on the spines
- Counting from the left or right?
- 3 states
- "Duck duck goose": meaning the two books before the goose?
From photos
- The books, left to right: Lincoln's Preparation for Greatness · American Caesar · Wealth and Poverty · Electing Black Mayors · Enemies: the clash of races · Jackson · Straight from the Heart · The Best Defense · Black Workers in White Unions · Governing America · The Powers That Be · The Underground Empire · Horner of Illinois.
- The label says he "identified his own copies of books by initializing each book with 'H.W.' on page 14."
- Wall quotes: "'Chicago works together' must mean exactly what it says. [This] city doesn't work unless it works for everyone." (State of the City Address, April 12, 1984); "Reading was an excursion that [took me places] an urban kid would never see…" (partly cut off in the photo).
Back windows
Windows at the back of the floor.
Your notes
- To the right you can see a backwards sign: "Son let".
From photos
- The Leiter building (A·D MDCCCXC…) and its iron roof triangles from the 6th floor are also visible from up here.
Mural hallway: Communidad Si, It Takes a Vision (1991)
Go down the hallway on the right to the mural.
Your notes
- A quote on the mural, on the right side.
- A crate with names, outside the mural hallway atrium.
From photos
- The quote: "Most of our problems can be solved. Some of them will take brains, some of them will take patience, and all of them will have to be wrestled with like an alligator in a swamp." (Harold Washington)
- The painted crate carries the artists' names: Marcus Akinlana, Nina Cain, Hector Duarte, Olivia Gude, Roberto Valadez, John Pitman Weber.
- Acrylic on linen, City of Chicago Art Collection.
Puzzle ideas
- "Wrestle the alligator" could be a pre-boss fight, or the answer to a riddle.
Also on 9 (brochure, not photographed)
- Play: News from Kafka and a Quote (1991), a text installation by Joseph Kosuth.
- Special Collections Reading Room: Civil War busts and portraits (Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan…) and Sara Miller's Carl Sandburg (1995).
Art brochure
"Art at Harold Washington Library Center" (May 2024 edition). Full listing by floor. Tap the images to zoom.
Other reference image
