CAFamily: Sculpture in the City
Drop-in from 10—2pm in the Millennium Park Family Fun Tent and help us create an enormous, evolving public sculpture designed by kids, for kids! All ages welcome. Great for families!
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.
Program Archive
Programs by Format
Programs by Audience
Design Dialogues: Downtown Hotel Boom
Many long-vacant historic office buildings are benefiting from Chicago’s ambitious tourism goals, as hotel conversions are popping up all over the loop. Will we continue to see more hotels like the Virgin, LondonHouse at the London Guarantee, and the…
Teen Summer Camp: Get Built
July 13–17, 9am–3pm (5-day camp). Recommended for ages 14–18. Ever wonder what a construction manager does? Or how creative an architect can really be? Come to CAF and explore ACED (Architecture, Construction, Engineering, Design) fields through site…
Behind the Scenes: Buffett Place
On July 9, 2015, come see the Fred and Pamela Buffett Place—a completely renovated, environmentally-friendly, supportive housing community by Landon Bone Baker Architects in 2014. This transformation of the 1920s Diplomat Hotel in Lakeview won a Chicago…
Read and Build 2015: Larry Gets Lost in Chicago
Let’s go on a scavenger hunt around the block to see Larry’s favorite spots in Chicago! Suitable for ages 3—5; older siblings and friends up to age 7 will also enjoy this studio.
LEGO® Build Workshop: Emphasis
Come explore how designers emphasize details to make our built environment more intriguing! You will Build with LEGO®, solve a design problem and learn the fundamentals to create your own designs. We'll spark your imagination with a new theme every month…
Saturday Studio: Emphasis
In June we'll learn to see like designers as we explore our city and create unique structures using the design principle of "emphasis."
Drinks + Design: Emphasis
Stand out! This month we explore the most attention grabbing Principle of Design: Emphasis. Together, we’ll create designs with EMPHASIS or a visual focal point utilizing LEGO® Architecture Studio bricks.
Burnham Society: Virgin Hotel, Private Tour and Reception
The Old Dearborn Bank Building, a 27-story Art Deco landmark, opened in January 2015, showcasing the architectural features restored and recreated for this hip hotel. Members of the Burnham Society will be among the first to experience the new rooftop…
Design Dialogues: A Connected Riverwalk
With the upcoming completion of the main branch of the Riverwalk, the City's long-held vision for our "second shoreline" is starting to come into focus. How will the designs for this six-block overhaul transform the former industrial waterway into a…
Members Only: ON YOUR FEET! Reception
Join us for an exclusive members-only presentation and cocktail reception as Richard Jaris, Senior Associate and Scenic Designer at the Rockwell Group, provides insight into the creative design that brings this set of "ON YOUR FEET!" to life. Afterwards…
Read and Build: Iggy Peck, Architect
What are you passionate about? This month we will read about Iggy Peck Architect, a young designer passionate about buildings! We'll think like Iggy on a interactive walking tour. Suitable for ages 3—5; older siblings and friends up to age 7 will also…
LEGO® Build Workshop: Asymmetry
We all want to build like the pros and now you can every Sunday in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio @ CAF. Come build with LEGO®, solve a design problem and learn the fundamentals to create your own designs. We’ll spark your imagination with a new theme…
Burnham Society Tour: Home of Gordon Gill
Gordon is a trustee of CAF and partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. He uses cutting-edge materials to build the world's tallest skyscrapers, but at home he admires the 6-foot-4-inch, chocolate-brown brick wall that encloses his secret-garden…
Drinks + Design: Asymmetry
Drinks + Design in the Studio is a monthly, hands-on program for adults (21+). Participants will meet in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio @ CAF to explore the playful side of architecture and design using LEGO® while enjoying an after-work drink.