The Baha'i Temple in Wilmette......An Archtitectural Treasure

A short post tonight. I have had a little writer's block the past couple of days. April is one of my favorite months in Illinois, as Spring seems to finally give Winter the boot.  I belong to a bicycling club that each April has an annual brunch, followed by a ride out to The Chicago Botanic Garden.  Last year I went to the brunch but was unable to ride (my bicycle was making a rubbing sound and no matter what adjustments I made to the brakes, the problem persisted).   The weather was on the cold and windy side, so a few others had decided not to ride, but we did decide to walk down to The Baha'i Temple, which is just down the road from the hosts of our brunch.

Baha'i Temple (c) 2013 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

It turned out that the congregation was celebrating the centennial of the groundbreaking for the Temple, so we had access to their property across the street, a beautiful spot on the shore of Lake Michigan that was formerly the studio of the Temple's architect, Louis Bourgeois.  They had a tent set up with an exhibit about the landscape plan and were even serving tea and cookies, a much appreciated treat on a cold day!

This building, across the street from the Temple,
is normally not open to the public.
(c) 2012  Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

Lake front view from the Baha'i Temple property
(c) 2012 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

The Temple is covered with elegant carvings of symbols from various world religions and is surrounded by beautiful gardens with fountains.  The Illinois Tourism Office calls it one of the 'Seven Wonders of Illinois'.  You can learn more about the temple by clicking here.

Baha'i Temple Detail (c) 2012 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

You can enjoy the rest of my photos of The Baha'i Temple and its grounds, including some rarely seen views of the property across the street, by following this link.