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Join us October 14-15 as we offer free public access to more than 200 sites across the city. Open House Chicago, now one of the largest architecture events in the world, is entering its seventh year—and we want you there!

by Eric Rogers, Interim Program Manager, Open House Chicago

Open House Chicago is your passport to explore Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. It can be hard to choose which of the 200+ featured sites to visit, especially since the list changes every year. We are constantly exploring ways to bring you the most exciting and interesting sites and want to share some highlights to help you plan.

What's new in 2017?

Logan Square and Avondale will be making their Open House Chicago debut this year. Tucked among the neighborhoods’ graceful boulevards are surprising cultural venues like Stan Mansion, whose Greystone front conceals an enormous ballroom, and Aloft Circus Arts, a historic church building adapted into a circus arts school. In the area’s industrial pockets, visitors will be able to see the production facilities of some of Chicago’s hottest brands, including Metropolis Coffee and Revolution Brewing.

While Rogers Park takes a rest this year, we’re excited to welcome back two neighborhoods that were on hiatus: Pilsen and Ravenswood. Chicago Scenic Studios, a longtime OHC favorite on Goose Island, just relocated to a brand new facility in Pilsen, where it joins favorite returning sites like Héctor Duarte Studio. In Ravenswood, KOVAL Distillery and Half Acre Beer Company tell the story of the neighborhood’s craft beverage boom.

Even in areas you checked out last year, new sites—like the old Armour Institute building on IIT’s Bronzeville campus and Temple Sholom in Lakeview—provide an excuse to go back. There’s always something to see downtown too, from stunning river views at Capital One’s high-tech offices at 77 West Wacker Drive to interesting Art Deco details in buildings like the Civic Opera Building.

To view a list of all new sites in 2017, click here.

Stay up to date

Follow our lead and go somewhere new during OHC this year–whether that means revisiting an old neighborhood to see something different or venturing to a completely unfamiliar part of town for the first time. There’s no better opportunity to see for yourself the enduring impact of architecture and design on Chicago’s diverse communities.

To stay up to date and get information on participating sites, visit openhousechicago.org. The website includes an itinerary planning tool that will help you lay out your OHC weekend. You can also find out more about RSVP sites and members-only sites by visiting the website or picking up the printed OHC event guide in the Chicago Tribune on October 12.