Open House Chicago 2026
Chicago's Hidden Places
- Oct 17 – 18
- 13 locations
Explore remarkable buildings, hidden spaces, and places you don't normally get to enter — self-guided, in any order you like.
Choose your own adventure.
Explore any three places to complete your Chicago Explorer adventure. Check-ins open October 17.
Iconic architecture
Get inside “The Red,” the Loop tower you can spot from blocks away.
Downtown · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Rare access
Step into the Chicago Fed's Great Hall, usually closed to visitors.
Downtown · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Before you go: Photo ID required
Artists' landmark
Wander 10 floors of a building that has been home to artists since 1898.
Downtown · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Architectural landmark
A radical 1887 house with rooms turned toward a private courtyard.
Near South Side · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Before you go: Limited Accessibility
Behind the scenes
Rooftop owls, a Winter Garden and a peek at Special Collections.
Downtown · Sat 10 AM – 5 PM · Sun 1 PM – 5 PM
Rooftop
A rooftop deck with skyline views, a veggie garden and beehives.
Downtown · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Hidden pool
Discover a hidden Jazz Age indoor pool inside a 1925 “castle.”
West Ridge · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Before you go: Limited Accessibility
Rare access
Put on a hard hat and step inside what's left of Pullman's Rear Erecting Shops.
Pullman · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Before you go: Limited Accessibility · Closed-toe shoes required
Chicago history
Chicago's first African American congregation, once on the Underground Railroad.
Near South Side · Sat & Sun · 1 PM – 5 PM
Before you go: Waiver required
Hidden spaces
Go below an Art Deco icon into a vault that's sat empty for decades.
Downtown · Sat & Sun · 10 AM – 5 PM
Great views
A private arts club 22 floors above Michigan Avenue, with an outdoor terrace.
Downtown · Sat only · 10 AM – 4 PM
Chicago history
Explore the Chicago house where Walt Disney was born in 1901.
Hermosa · Sat & Sun · 12 PM – 4 PM
Before you go: Limited Accessibility
Rare access
A rare look inside the first athletic club in the U.S. founded for women.
Near North Side · Sun only · 10 AM – 5 PM
Visits are self-reported. Side Quests are for adults and families to enjoy together; children should explore with a parent or guardian.
As a guest, your adventure is saved on our server and linked to this browser for up to 90 days after the event. If you clear your cookies or switch browsers or devices, you won't be able to get back to it.
An independent ThingsToDoCity experience. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Chicago Architecture Center or Open House Chicago.
Open House Chicago is an annual event presented by the Chicago Architecture Center. Participating locations, hours and site details are based on the event's published information and can change — use each place's “Official event info” link for the latest.