The north entrance to the 111 E Wacker parking garage is closed for repair. Please use the south entrance at 233 E South Water Street.

Our History

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Formerly known as the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Chicago Architecture Center is a nonprofit cultural organization with tours, exhibitions, programs and events for all ages. Our mission is to inspire people to discover why design matters.

The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) was founded in 1966 as the Chicago Architecture Foundation to save the historic Glessner House. Since then, the CAC has grown to become one of the largest cultural organizations in Chicago. For more than 50 years, our educators, 450 volunteer docents and 150 guest services volunteers have shared the stories of Chicago architecture with millions of Chicagoans and visitors. The CAC serves more than 500,000 guests and audience members annually.

Visit the CAC at 111 E. Wacker Dr. to view our 4,250-building scale model of Chicago, shop in our award-winning store or participate in a fun family event in our ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Or choose from 85 tours by boat, walking, bus or “L” train. Tours depart daily and are led by CAC's expert, volunteer docents. Every October, check out the CAC's free annual Open House Chicago festival.

Proceeds from the CAC’s tours and store, as well as grants, sponsorships and donations, support our educational mission.

Our Mission

The Chicago Architecture Center inspires people to discover why design matters.

Our Vision

The Chicago Architecture Center is the leading organization devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of architectural innovation. As Chicago’s forum for the exchange of ideas on urban design, the CAC inspires people to participate in the building of vibrant communities and to demand the highest standard in urban design. The CAC awakens young people to achieve their potential through the discovery of architecture, engineering and design.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, inclusion & Accessibility

CAC IS COMMITTED to providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for its staff, volunteers and visitors. We recognize and value the unique life experience that every individual brings to our organization, and the need to include and reflect diverse voices in CAC content and programming, especially those from historically excluded populations. We will uphold this commitment starting from within, by:

  • Building a culture of accountability and sharing, with opportunities for self-reflection.
  • Educating ourselves about BIPOC histories, systemic racism, implicit bias and the need to adopt anti-racist actions.
  • Creating brave spaces for staff to safely discuss thoughts and feelings about injustice, micro-aggressions or prejudiced behavior in constructive ways.
  • Seeking to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of talented staff and volunteers from historically excluded populations who are currently underrepresented.
  • Pursuing external input and feedback to incorporate inclusion into CAC’s strategic plan and organizational, departmental, and individual performance goals.