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One of the most famous ways to see the city is here: Open House Chicago.
The annual Open House Chicago weekend, from the Chicago Architecture Center, takes place Oct. 19 and 20 and offers the rare chance for people to partake in behind-the-scenes tours of iconic Chicago landmarks — for free. The program includes over 170 sites across more than 20 neighborhoods, featuring schools, churches, speakeasies, theaters and other architecturally notable buildings across the city’s history.
In addition to free access to these buildings, participants can take self-guided historical tours and engage in a variety of programs scheduled this weekend.
But with more than 100 sites to see, it may be hard to choose which ones to visit.
Here’s a look at 13 Open House Chicago locations to consider checking out, along with descriptions from the Chicago Architecture Center.
Avalon Regal Theater – 1645 E. 79th St., Chatham/South Shore
This 2,500-seat auditorium opened in 1927 as the Avalon Theater. It was renamed in 1987 as a tribute to the original Regal Theater in Bronzeville, which was demolished in 1973. The atmospheric Moorish Revival design by John Eberson was similar to that of the Paradise Theater on Chicago’s west side, which was demolished in the 1950s. Aside from holding an election night party to celebrate Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008, the theater has been vacant and mostly unused since 2003. A mural on the exterior of the building includes the likenesses of many famous jazz and blues musicians associated with the Regal Theater, including Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. The building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1992.
Central Park Theater – 3535 W. Roosevelt Rd., Garfield Park/North Lawndale
The Central Park Theater has been a focal point of the arts and culture of North Lawndale since it opened its doors in 1917. The Central Park was one of the first theaters in the nation to have an air conditioning system. With nearly 1,800 seats, it remained a profitable for decades. The historic exterior and interior have been well preserved, and the owner is working with the Central Park Theater Restoration Committee to restore and reopen the theater as an event and programming space for the North Lawndale community.
Hector Duarte Studio – 1900 W. Cullerton, Little Village/Pislen
Three sides of muralist Héctor Duarte’s home and studio are covered with his “Gulliver in Wonderland” mural, a frequent stop on public art tours in Pilsen. It features a giant, outstretched Mexican immigrant as Gulliver, struggling to break free from the barbed wire that binds him. Duarte’s murals, mosaics, and studio work deal with themes of identity, immigration, and freedom.
Duarte has created more than 50 murals in the Chicago area. His paintings and prints have been exhibited at the National Museum of Mexican Art (which is just down the block), the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the State of Illinois Gallery, the Chicago Historical Society and Casa Estudio Museo Diego Rivera in Mexico City.
Ingersoll-Blackwelder House – 10910 S. Prospect Ave., Beverly/Morgan Park
One of the oldest homes in the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park community, located within the Ridge Historic District. The home’s original (rear) portion dates to 1874 and was built for real estate magnate John Ingersoll. A Queen Anne style expansion was added the following decade for new owner Isaac Blackwelder, president of the then-independent Village of Morgan Park. His wife, Gertrude Blackwelder, was the first woman to cast a vote in Cook County.
Koal Distillery – 4241 N. Ravenswood Ave., Lincoln Square/Ravenswood
The husband-and-wife team of Dr. Robert Birnecker and Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart founded KOVAL in 2008 as the first distillery to open in the Chicago city limits since the mid-19th century. KOVAL aims to bring heightened creativity to the world of spirits, utilizing unique, locally-sourced grains and a “heart cut” approach to distilling. This blossomed into a line of organic and kosher whiskeys, gins and specialty spirits that have racked up more than 100 international awards.
Blackstone Branch Library – 4904 S. Lake Park Ave., Hyde Park/Woodlawn
Opened in 1906, the library was modeled after the Erechtheion temple on the Athenian Acropolis. It was presented as a gift to the residents of Chicago from Isabel Blackstone in memory of her late husband, Timothy Beach Blackstone, president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad.
Astor Club – 1340 N. Astor St., 24 E. Goethe St., Near North Side
Astor Club opened in 2023 as a private members dinner club capitalizing on the fascinating history of its location. Tucked away in the basement of Bertrand Goldberg’s modernist Astor Tower apartments, this space was originally home to Maxim’s, an opulent restaurant attracting the likes of The Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra on swings through Chicago. It even housed the city’s first discotheque before shuttering in 1982, only opening for periodic special events in the years since.
Park Castle Condominiums – 2442 W. Greenleaf Ave., Apt. 2, Rogers Park/West Ridge
Architect James Denson designed this sprawling 1925 double courtyard brick apartment building to look like a castle, with crenelations, turrets and towers. Live swans once graced a moat-like pond. Although this feature is now gone, the bridges and some retaining walls remain. Inside the complex is one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets: an extravagant indoor pool that reflects the opulence of the Jazz Age.
Ramova Theatre – 3520 S. Halsted St., Bridgeport
Bridgeport’s Ramova Theatre reopened in 2023 as a live music venue, craft brewery, beer garden and grill. The project is the culmination of years-long rehabilitation efforts alongside multi-million dollar public and private investments into the community. Since opening in 1929, Ramova served as the neighborhood’s primary movie theater until shuttering its doors 1985.
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum – 800 S. Halsted St., Near West Side
A dynamic resource for people with an interest in the history of social reform, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum offers exhibitions and programs that aim to inspire action. The museum serves to educate a diverse range of visitors, including young learners, the UIC community, and civic-minded people in Chicago and beyond.
The Museum is located in two of the original settlement house buildings- the Hull Home, a National Historic Landmark, and the Residents’ Dining Hall, a beautiful Arts and Crafts building that has welcomed some of the world’s most important thinkers, artists, and activists.
The Cliff Dwellers Club – 200 S. Michigan Ave., Downtown
This private club was founded in 1907 as the Attic Club and renamed the Cliff Dwellers in 1909. It moved to the 22nd floor of 200 South Michigan in 1996, sporting some of the best views in the Loop, after inhabiting the top floor of neighboring Orchestra Hall for decades. It remains a private club and nonprofit organization for men and women who support the fine and performing arts. The club is a haven for artists, authors, musicians, painters, architects, and sculptors. Notable members have included Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Lorado Taft, and Hamlin Garland.
Wild Mile – 905 W. Eastman St., Lincoln Park
The Wild Mile is the first floating eco-park of its kind and scale in the world. Composed of floating docks winding through lush gardens of native wetland species, it is accessible from street level and functions as a public park to be enjoyed by city dwellers.
Riviera Theatre – 4746 N. Racine Ave., Uptown
The Riviera Theatre was the largest and most ornate of Uptown’s movie theaters until the opening of the Uptown Theatre almost a decade later. Opened in 1918 at a cost exceeding half a million dollars, this house designed by Rapp & Rapp originally accommodated over 2,500 patrons. The Riviera ended up becoming the second major theater of the Balaban & Katz circuit, which at the time also included the Central Park Theatre. Architecturally, it exudes grace and aristocracy, channeling the taste and style of Louis XIV. Silk panels covered the walls, ribbed with snow woodwork; frescoes dot the ceilings; and curved lines guide the eye to the stage. 8,000 electric lamps are strewn throughout the interior, and yet not one is visible to the eye. Color effects spring from the roof and walls in shaded subtle effects. French windows from passageways give a view of the entire house.
The CAC recommends visitors to navigate between the various sites using the CTA, Metra and Divvy bikes.
You can create an itinerary, look at the event schedule, navigate the site map and browse different places to visit with the Chicago Architecture Center app available on iPhone here and Android here. A full list of sites on Open House Chicago for 2024 can be found here.