Have you ever walked past a stunning building and wondered what it looks like inside? Or perhaps you’ve been curious about the history behind some of Chicago’s iconic landmarks? If so, then Open House Chicago, the city’s free annual architecture festival, is a can’t-miss event. Open House Chicago is back this Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, giving you the chance to take a sneak peek behind the closed doors of some of Chicago’s most captivating buildings.
During this weekend’s event, visitors will have behind-the-scenes access to more than 170 architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites across 20 Chicago neighborhoods, some of which are rarely open to the public. Here are a few interesting sites to get you started this year.
Opened to the public in 2018, the Chicago Architecture Center’s downtown location offers exhibitions that focus on Chicago’s architectural history, housing types, modern design, architectural innovation and more. Guests will find on display the largest scale model of the city, with miniature 3D-printed buildings, interactive touchscreens, and a film and light show that highlights key moments in Chicago history.
111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601
Sat, October 14: 10am-5pm
Sun, October 15: 10am-5pm
Known colloquially as the “Pink Palace” for its pastel pink exterior, this lakefront gem began as a cosmopolitan alternative to huge mansions for Chicago’s elite. The Edgewater Beach Apartments, which opened its doors in 1928, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Join during Open House for a partly guided tour around the lobby, arcade, mezzanine, pool terrace and garden.
5555 N Sheridan Rd Suite 3, Chicago, IL 60640
Sat, October 14: 10am-5pm
Sat, October 15: Closed
Built in 1897, The Forum is a cultural institution in the Bronzeville neighborhood that once stood at the center of Black Chicago’s social, political, and cultural life. The space, which has been vacant for decades and was almost demolished in 2011, has hosted leading performers like the Jackson 5, as well as prominent social events, political speeches, union meetings, civil rights events, and more. During Open House, self-guided tours will be available and performances by several local artists will take place in the ballroom.
318-324 E 43rd St, Chicago, IL 60653
Sat, Oct 14: 10am-5pm
Sun, Oct 15: 10am-5pm
Mobile Makers in Humboldt Park is a nonprofit organization that works to make design education accessible to all people, through youth design and skill-building workshops, public installations and pop-ups. Check out their maker space at the Kimball Art Center for hands-on analog and digital design activities, as well as the Emerging Creative's Exhibition and a tour of the Mobile Makers truck.
1757 N Kimball Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Sat, Oct 14: 11am-4pm
Sun, Oct 15: 11am-4pm
Located in what was once Humboldt Park’s stables building, which dates to 1896, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture features the work of modern Puerto Rican artists. Current exhibitions highlight the Puerto Rican fashion history, artist Raul Ortiz Bonilla, and more. Each day will have a freestyle art session for creating art inspired by the museum, and visitors will be treated to printmaking workshops, a Bomba performance and a meet-and-greet with Bonilla.
3015 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622
Sat, Oct 14: 10am-2pm
Sun, Oct 15: 10am-2PM
Check out Avondale Bowl, an eight-lane bowling alley and bar. It first opened its doors in the 1930s as Court Recreation and remained a popular spot until it closed in the early 1990s. In 2018, construction began on Avondale Bowl to restore its bowling equipment and lanes, and today Avondale Bowl offers bowling in its classic form, with manual scoring and wood lanes.
3118 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Sat, Oct 14: 10am-5pm
Sun, Oct 15: 10am-5pm
Step inside one of the oldest homes in Beverly, the Ingseroll-Blackwelder home, which dates to 1874 and was built for real estate magnate John Ingersoll. The next resident, Isaac Blackwelder, commissioned a Queen Anne style expansion. Some of the antiques and built-ins that remain in the home today are items salvaged from old Chicago mansions by long-time owner Jack Simmerling.
10910 S Prospect Ave, Chicago, IL 60643
Sat, Oct 14: 10am-5pm
Sun, Oct 15: 10am-5pm
With a mission to make farm-to-table eating accessible to all communities, Herban Produce partners with local farmers to provide hyper-local food to Chicagoland. Guests can take a guided tour though the 2-acre farm on Chicago’s West Side and watch cooking demos in the newly developed Farm Store, or stop by the “Taste of Herban” in the garden.
2900 W Van Buren St, Chicago, IL 60612
Sat, October 14: 10am-2pm
Sun, October 15: 10am-2pm
Designed by his mother and built by his father in 1891, this home in the Hermosa neighborhood is the birthplace and childhood home of Walter Elias Disney. Today, its current owners are working with the city to restore the home to its 1901 state and protect it against future demolition. Take the rare opportunity to see inside this residence, with tours every 45 minutes.
2156 N Tripp Ave, Chicago, IL 60639
Saturday, Oct. 14: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 15: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
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