Photo courtesy of Chicago Architecture
Chicago Architecture
The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) announces the sites for the 15th Open House Chicago festival, taking place October 18-19, 2025. Open House Chicago (OHC), one of the largest architecture and urban exploration festivals in the world, is a free annual festival that provides behind-the-scenes access to places of architectural, historical and cultural significance.
Photo courtesy of Chicago Architecture
Chicago Architectures
Every October, Open House Chicago attracts more than 35,000 visitors from across the region and around the U.S., for special free access to lofty skyscraper rooftops and penthouses, historic landmarks, breweries and distilleries, houses of worship, innovative workspaces, schools and greenspaces, many that are seldom open to the public. The event highlights businesses, organizations and creative leaders making a positive impact. This year, OHC will feature approximately 210 locations across 25 Chicago neighborhoods, including more than 30 new sites.
“By making architecture accessible to all, Open House Chicago is a key part of the Chicago Architecture Center’s mission to inspire people to discover why design matters. Open House is based on a similar festival founded in the United Kingdom in 1992 to allow people to explore buildings in London and is part of a worldwide network of more than 40 similar festivals,” said Eleanor Gorski, the Chicago Architecture Center’s CEO and president. “It’s a natural fit for Chicago, the city of architecture, and we look forward to welcoming guests from outside the city. Whether you’re learning more about your own neighborhood or discovering a part of Chicago you’ve never visited before, Open House is the ultimate way to get to know Chicago."
New Sites
Thirty new sites for 2025 include: Bertrand Goldberg’s Hilliard Tower Apartments in Chinatown; Morris Architects Planners-designed The Magic Lounge in Andersonville; state of the art indoor cultivation facility Four Star Mushrooms, growing gourmet mushrooms in the Near West Side; the late Steve Albini’s recording studio Electrical Audio in Avondale; and the state-of-the-art Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation in the Austin neighborhood, converted from a shuttered elementary school.
In addition to the open sites, OHC sites will host more than 40 programs and activations during the weekend, including a family day and guided site tours at Hyde Park’s Smart Museum of Art on Saturday, “Cosmic Comedy” at the South Asia Institute on the Near South Side on Saturday afternoon and musical performances at The Checkout, a former 7-Eleven transformed into a thriving chamber music venue in Uptown on Saturday and Sunday.
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Hotel Partnerships
While spending a weekend exploring the city of architecture visitors can take advantage of discounted rates at OHC partner hotels for the weekend of October 17-19. Five downtown Chicago hotels are offering discounted rooms and special benefits for guests who book as Open House Chicago visitors. Guests who book Loews Chicago Hotel, The Peninsula Chicago, The St. Regis Chicago, The LaSalle Chicago and Radisson Blu Aqua using OHC discount codes receive a Priority Pass to skip the line at OHC sites, and other perks throughout the weekend. Hotels’ individual offers and booking instructions can be found here.
Photography Competition
Returning for its second year in 2025 is the OHC photo competition. Festival attendees can showcase their photography skills by submitting photos taken at OHC sites in one of five categories: interior; exterior; black & white; people & buildings; and detail. Submissions can be made through the competition webpage at architecture.org.
Visitors interested in attending the event can learn more details on the Chicago Architecture Center’s website or download the CAC app to plan their OHC weekend. The app allows users to sort by neighborhood and building type and build routes to enjoy all that OHC offers.
