The Paul and Jean Harris Home

Welcome to the Paul and Jean Harris Home

Nestled in Chicago’s historic Morgan Park neighborhood, the Paul and Jean Harris Home is the longtime residence of Rotary founder Paul Harris and his wife, Jean Thomson Harris. Between 1912 and 1947, the couple transformed a Chicago home into a place where strangers became friends, hospitality crossed borders, and the ideals of Rotary took root.

More than a house, the Harris Home represents the power of human connection. Here, conversations around a dining table, gatherings by the fireside, and friendships cultivated across cultures demonstrated that meaningful change often begins with relationships. The home invites visitors to experience the values that continue to define Rotary today: Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity, and Leadership.

Today, the home serves as a historic landmark and an emerging heritage museum dedicated to preserving the Harrises’ legacy while envisioning new opportunities for learning, dialogue, leadership, and peacebuilding. We invite you to visit and become part of a story that continues to inspire friendship, cultural understanding, and goodwill around the world.

Our Mission

To preserve and interpret the Paul and Jean Harris Home as a place to explore how friendship, hospitality, and humanitarian-focused fellowship helped influence Rotary’s movement of service and international understanding. Through tours, storytelling, and engaging experiences, the Home inspires visitors to strengthen their communities and foster goodwill across cultures.

Our Vision

To become an internationally recognized destination where Rotary members and other visitors encounter Paul and Jean Harrises’ personal story and Rotary’s founding ideals. Visitors will leave inspired to build peace and international understanding by practicing kindness, tolerance, and humanitarian service in their own lives.

Looking ahead, the Paul and Jean Harris Home will be more than a preserved historic residence. It will become a gathering place for leadership development, community dialogue, cultural exchange, and peace-focused initiatives—inviting visitors to explore how friendship, service, and respect for different perspectives can strengthen communities and improve lives.

About the Historic Home

Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905 so business people and professionals with diverse backgrounds could form meaningful, lifelong friendships.

Learn their Story