Flagship Wicker Park Walgreens inside an old bank is one of Chicago's hidden gems

Golden ceilings, neo-classical architecture, and an old bank vault transformed into a Vitamin Vault. If you haven't seen this Walgreens location, you've got to check it out.

View from the 2nd-floor balcony of WalgreensPhoto byDaniel X. O'Neil/Flickr.com

(CHICAGO) You might not expect a Walgreens pharmacy to make a city's bucket list, but the Wicker Park flagship store makes an exception.

The Walgreens at the corner of N. Milwaukee Avenue and N. Damen Avenue is housed in the building of the historic Noel State Bank Building built in the early 1900s.

Walgreens transformed a bank building into a fancy pharmacy

The bank building was built in 1919 in a neo-classical style. The original bank failed during the bank run of the Great Depression, but the building housed several other banks over the years before Walgreens moved in.

When Walgreens opened in 2012, the company had worked to preserve as much of the iconic architecture as possible while repurposing bank features.

When you step inside the three-story building you'll notice the tall, golden ceilings and ornate chandeliers.

Ceiling detail at WalgreensPhoto byDaniel X. O'Neil/Flickr.com

The interior columns have been restored and topped with pilasters, and the original bank vault is now a Vitamin Vault and houses a large selection of vitamins and wellness products.

Here is former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel checking out the renovated vault on Instagram when the store first opened in 2012.

As TikTok user, bored_in_chicago states, "The environment really improves the Pepto Bismol buying experience."

Walgreens began in Chicago

It's fitting that such a grand Walgreens location is located in Chicago considering that Charles R. Walgreen Sr. opened the first Walgreens in Chicago in 1901.

Rumors the flagship store is closing

This fall, Block Club Chicago reported a possibility the flagship Walgreens in Wicker Park was set to close.

According to Block Club, a Walgreens official told Wicker Park neighbors the location would be closing. However, this wasn't confirmed by company officials, and no announcements regarding closing the location have been made.

According to the article, a Walgreens spokesperson told Block Club in October that the Walgreens at Wicker Park is under a long-term lease, but didn't mention when the lease is up. The spokesperson also stated that no decisions had been made at the time regarding the location.

As for now there are no reports of this hidden gem in Wicker Park closing.

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