Featured Program
Guest Lecture: Architecture in Japan with Takaharu Tezuka
Hear about imaginative spaces created by Tokyo-based architect Takaharu Tezuka during this special guest…
Programs & Events at CAC
At Chicago Architecture Center, our programs and events help you think differently about the places we live, work and play. Get behind-the-scenes access to the city's architectural treasures. Practice your design skills while you play with your family. Participate in expert-led discussions about the latest urban design issues. With these offerings and so many more to choose from, we guarantee there’s something inspiring and fun for you at CAC.
Recommended Programs
Adult Programs
With our focused lectures, members-only events, classes for adult learners and much more, CAC brings you inspiring new ways to stay engaged with Chicago’s architecture and built environment.
Kids, Families & Teens
Dive into the design process with a CAC camp or studio visit. Or have fun with your family as you read, build a project and hone your creative problem-solving skills.
Special Events
Don't miss these once a year or one-time-only special events. Get to know CAC through festivals, members events, exhibition openings and more.
Adult Programs
With our focused lectures, members-only events, classes for adult learners and much more, CAC brings you inspiring new ways to stay engaged with Chicago’s architecture and built environment.
5 Programs in this collection
Daytime Talk: Building the New Chicago City Model
The newly expanded Chicago City Model Experience features more than 4,000 buildings and interactive elements…
Too Tall To Fail: Revitalizing Our Iconic Skyscrapers
Many of the most recognizable tall buildings dotting our skylines are more than 50 years old. How do…
Daytime Talk: Women of the 1893 World's Fair
In honor of the 125th anniversary of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, CAC docent Kathleen Carpenter…
Guest Lecture: Architecture in Japan with Takaharu Tezuka
Hear about imaginative spaces created by Tokyo-based architect Takaharu Tezuka during this special guest…
Architecture is Art: Deborah Berke and Samara Golden
Explore the intersection of art and architecture with world-renowned architect Deborah Berke and artist…
Kids, Families & Teens
Dive into the design process with a CAC camp or studio visit. Or have fun with your family as you read, build a project and hone your creative problem-solving skills.
4 Programs in this collection
Family Build: Bridges
Chicago is the birthplace of skyscrapers, but it's also known for its innovative bridges. We'll learn…
LEGO® Lab
Join us on Thursdays in October and November to solve architecture-inspired design challenges using LEGO®…
Read and Build: Skyscrapers
How do skyscrapers stand so tall? We'll explore tall buildings by taking a walk through the Drake Skyscraper…
Teen Open Studio - Oct. 18
Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback…
Special Events
Don't miss these once a year or one-time-only special events. Get to know CAC through festivals, members events, exhibition openings and more.
Find a Program
Programs by Format
Programs by Audience
Read and Build: Skyscrapers
How do skyscrapers stand so tall? We'll explore tall buildings by taking a walk through the Drake Skyscraper Gallery at the CAC, listening to a reading of “Iggy Peck, Architect” by Andrea Beaty and building a mini skyscraper to take home.
LEGO® Lab
Join us on Thursdays in October and November to solve architecture-inspired design challenges using LEGO® in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Creative challenges will introduce you to iconic Chicago buildings, unique design challenges and essential…
Teen Open Studio - Oct. 18
Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend.
Guest Lecture: Architecture in Japan with Takaharu Tezuka
Hear about imaginative spaces created by Tokyo-based architect Takaharu Tezuka during this special guest lecture. Takaharu will share a selection of his firm’s most innovative projects, like an open-air kindergarten where children play on the roof.
Family Build: Skyscrapers
Join us on Oct. 21 or 28 to build tall! We’ll explore a breathtaking collection of skyscraper models in our Drake Skyscraper Gallery, and create our own towering structures inspired by the themes: imagine, work, live and innovate.
Residential Architecture: From Mansions to Modernism
Many of Chicago's most luxurious residential buildings are located along the lakefront. Historian Julia Bachrach will illuminate the fascinating story of Chicago's residential lakefront architecture from the 1870s through the 1970s in four two-hour classes…
Teen Open Studio - Oct. 25
Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend.
Daytime Talk: Women of the 1893 World's Fair
In honor of the 125th anniversary of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, CAC docent Kathleen Carpenter will share the stories of several women who played significant roles in making the Fair a spectacularly grand affair.
Teen Open Studio - Nov. 1
Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend.
Teen Open Studio - Nov. 8
Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend.
Architecture is Art: Deborah Berke and Samara Golden
Explore the intersection of art and architecture with world-renowned architect Deborah Berke and artist Samara Golden, in conversation at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA).
Family Build: Bridges
Chicago is the birthplace of skyscrapers, but it's also known for its innovative bridges. We'll learn about three types of bridges and how engineers built them. We'll also build our own bridges and test their strength.
Teen Open Studio - Nov. 15
Join us in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio on Thursdays from 5—7pm during the school year to get feedback and guidance on independent or competition projects. CPS students are eligible for a stipend.
Guest Lecture: Short Cuts: Alternative Infrastructures in Hong Kong and Chicago
During this special guest lecture organized by quarterly urbanism journal MAS Context, architect Jonathan Solomon will explore the roles that underground pedestrian networks play in two very different cities: Hong Kong and Chicago.
Daytime Talk: Building the New Chicago City Model
The newly expanded Chicago City Model Experience features more than 4,000 buildings and interactive elements that help visitors interpret and understand the city. Come learn how the model was made and hear stories about the work behind the upgrades.