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.
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.
Join CAC docents Lance Friedmann, Wayne Johnson, Kelly Jones and Alison Schlickman as they share highlights among the many new buildings, neighborhood developments and works of public art along the Chicago River.
After decades of disinvestment, could historic preservation be used as a tool to help rebuild vibrancy in the Roseland neighborhood? Find out at this roundtable discussion, co-convened with OHC 2020 community partner Preservation Chicago.
Take a 45-minute live, virtual tour with CAC docent Mary Jo Hoag's in downtown Chicago to discover stunning buildings designed by female architects, including the Equitable Building, Aqua Tower and Vista Tower.
Exclusively for CAC members • Join Jazz Institute of Chicago executive director Heather Ireland Robinson on a video tour through the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side, where she grew up.
Hear recent architecture school graduate Migel Santos’ fascinating proposal to revitalize a decommissioned rail line on the South Side, with hopes of boosting socioeconomic equity and neighborhood vitality.
Exclusively for CAC members • Visit the curious, mural-filled rooms of the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse on this virtual tour with Free Street Theater, which is headquartered in the historic building.
Exclusively for CAC members • Hear what inspired the design of the CAC and discover the skyline-altering work of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture on this virtual tour with renowned architect Gordon Gill.
Chicago’s historic preservation movement is now more than half a century old. Learn how local landmarking came into being and how its use and impact have gone far beyond preservation, with Chicago’s diverse Third Ward serving as a case study.
OHC 2020 community partner Hyde Park Art Center co-convenes this roundtable discussion about artist-driven community activations, creative projects and placemaking across Chicago.
Calling all Chicago enthusiasts! Test your knowledge of the city’s architecture at our exciting virtual trivia night. Compete in teams led by local personalities and win exciting prizes!
Hear the stories of Chicago women activists and learn what reforms they led, particularly on Chicago’s Near South Side, during this virtual program on July 15 and September 2 led by CAC docent Ellen Shubart.
Take a virtual walk around Wrigley Field and learn interesting tidbits about the architecture surrounding the historic baseball stadium on this 45-minute tour with CAC docent Kent Foutty on September 22.
Hear the secrets and stories behind a stretch of row houses situated between Wrigley Field and Graceland Cemetery on this live, 45-minute virtual tour of Alta Vista Terrace with CAC docent Kent Foutty.
International architecture practice Buro Ole Scheeren Group is helping re-imagine the form and function of skyscrapers around the world. Founding principal Ole Scheeren will illuminate the firm’s unique approach to every project.
Hear the fascinating story behind Farnsworth House, an iconic International Style home located about 60 miles west of Chicago designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.