At the 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 the CAC.
Chicago’s skyscraper-studded downtown core is home to a surprising number of houses of worship, serving believers of multiple faiths and representing a wide variety of architectural styles. Join CAC docent David Utech as he highlights six of them.
Discover the stories behind two Frank Lloyd Wright gems in north suburban Glencoe: Booth Cottage and Ravine Bluffs, a collection of homes that showcase Wright’s interest in community planning.
Don’t miss this signature lecture with internationally renowned architect Jeanne Gang, founding principal of Studio Gang. In more than 20 years of practice, Studio Gang has pushed the envelope to create stunning buildings and landscapes that strengthen…
Hear from North Lawndale residents about the positive impact more than 50 community gardens are making in their West Side neighborhood.
Exclusively for CAC members • Join hip-hop artist, community organizer, teacher and writer Che “Rhymefest” Kweku on a virtual tour to places that changed the course of his life and career, in Chicago’s Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods.
CAC docent Mike McMains joins two community leaders, Allan Lindrup and Yvette Moyo, for this live-streamed, virtual tour of the South Shore neighborhood, showcasing its rich history and beautiful architecture.
Exclusively for CAC members • ”Walking Chicago” author, freelance journalist and photographer Robert Loerzel shares some of his favorite buildings and places in Edgewater and Rogers Park during this virtual tour.
Take a virtual tour of the former Central Park Theater in North Lawndale, a 1917 movie palace that marked the start of a fruitful partnership between architects Rapp and Rapp and theater corporation Balaban and Katz.
Exclusively for CAC members • Hear fascinating stories about the multi-year, award-winning Chicago Riverwalk project, from two women who worked together to bring it to fruition: architect Carol Ross Barney and CAC docent Michelle Woods.
This special collection of virtual tours and brief performances brings attendees “into” spaces they wouldn’t ordinarily see at storied Chicago music venues, including the Avalon Regal Theater, The Forum, Thalia Hall and the Vic Theatre.
OHC 2020 community partner Chicago Cultural Alliance co-convenes this discussion among representatives from its member organizations. Hear (im)migration stories from panelists and discover local sites that are meaningful for their communities.
Join OHC 2020 community partner Design Evanston for a look at its new book, "Evanston’s Design Heritage," featuring 127 notable architects, designers, landscape architects and planners who lived or worked in the suburb since its founding in 1863.
Exclusively for CAC members • 93XRT radio host Lin Brehmer stops at sites of significance in the history of rock music in downtown Chicago on this virtual tour.
Based on the CAC’s popular "Get to Know Your House" series, this program provides attendees with tips for researching their historic homes, using Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood as a case study.
Learn about recent efforts by the City of Evanston to recognize sites and buildings that speak to the role African Americans played in shaping the suburb. This conversation is co-convened by the Evanston History Center, an OHC 2020 community partner.
