Hofmann Tower was constructed in 1908 by brewer George Hofmann, Jr. (1855-1942), as the centerpiece of an extensive recreational and entertainment complex developed by his firm on the Des Plaines River. The Tower is reputed as the first building in Lyons to be lighted by electricity. In 1978 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
An eight-story steel-reinforced concrete structure, the Tower design is said to have been adapted from a bridge tower Hofmann saw while visiting in Germany. Prominent features of the castellated building are four corner turrets atop the structure.