Girls Build! Day 2022: Women Building Chicago
Join us for a special STEM festival designed just for girls ages 11-16! Girls will build, learn and network with professionals from more than 15 different STEM organizations.
Programs & Events at CAC
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.
Program Archive
Programs by Format
Programs by Audience
The Chicago Public Library through an Architectural Lens
Join us as we explore the buildings of the Chicago Public Library, from its beginning in the 19th century in an unused water tower, to its dazzling 21st century neighborhood branches.
Whose House? The Widow Clarke, Bishop Ford and the Story of Chicago’s Oldest Residence
The 1835 Clarke House is Chicago’s oldest standing residence. It is preserved thanks to the stewardship of Bishop Louis Henry Ford and the St. Church of God in Christ. Join us for a conversation about the house and opportunities to broaden the stories…
Not Set in Stone: Cement and Concrete
Many of today’s commercial buildings are made of concrete. One of concrete’s crucial components is cement, which releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the environment. Join us as we learn what other alternatives exist to mitigate cement’s…
The Year That Was/The Year to Come in Chicago Design & Development
Join us for a special program with CAC President and CEO Lynn Osmond. Hear about 2021’s most inspired design, development and preservation efforts as Chicago gradually recovers and recalibrates in the wake of the pandemic. Then, consider what awaits…
Let's Talk About Land Acknowledgement
The Chicago Architecture Center stands on unceded Native land. As we work to better represent Chicago’s diversity in everything we do, this spring the CAC will begin to incorporate land acknowledgement into all public offerings (tours and programs)…
Sacred to Secular Transformations
In the past decade, thousands of houses of worship have closed each year. But when the congregation leaves, what happens to the structures they leave behind? Join our discussion, where we will cover how these buildings are being adapted in new and creative…
WHAT’S NEXT: The Future of Downtown
Floundering retail. Stunted tourism. Vacant offices. City centers across the globe are facing big challenges borne partly of the pandemic’s ongoing disruptions. Explore how designers, business leaders and city officials are working to keep Chicago moving…
The Olmsted in all of Us
April marks the 200th anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth. To celebrate, we're exploring the deeper legacy of this pioneering figure—designer, planner, educator, reformer, advocate, activist, inventor, innovator and enduring influencer.
Chicago on the Silver Screen: Halsted Street, U.S.A.
The Chicago Architecture Center teams up with Chicago Filmmakers in Edgewater for a special presentation of Halsted Street, U.S.A.
Perkins' School Design Legacy: It's for the Kids
Join us for a look at the fascinating life and public service of Dwight H. Perkins, the designer responsible for over 40 Chicago Public Schools. Along with his son, Lawrence, they were leaders in progressive school design best exemplified by the revolutionary…
Engineering Fest 2022: Access to Experts
Our annual Engineering Fest is back in person this year! Join us for a day of discovery, as children ages 8-14 are invited to build and learn, view two floors of exhibits, meet engineers and explore how architecture and engineering partner to create the…
Chicago Architecture in Print: A Book Signing With Our Docents
The Chicago Architecture Center will host local authors and CAC docents Molly Page and Ellen Shubart for a meet and greet book signing.