Chicago Architecture Center

Chicago Architecture Center The Chicago Architecture Center showcases Chicago and ideas from cities worldwide to inspire better living through design.

When you hit the pavement on one of our 75+ walking tours through Chicago neighborhoods, set sail on our award-winning river cruise, gift a membership to friends and family, or visit the stunning riverfront Center, you’re helping fund CAC youth education initiatives like Girls Build!, Teen Fellows, and the Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition. Or you may be helping to keep programs like Open

House Chicago free for participants for years to come. As a certified nonprofit, all CAC ticket purchases directly support our education efforts and community engagement projects.

• 1 walking tour ticket = transportation and lunch for a CAC summer program student.
• 2 river cruise tickets = sketching materials and drafting tools for a student.
• Sold out walking tour = tuition for a Teen Fellow to take a digital lab course at a local community college. EDUCATION • TOURS • EXHIBITIONS • CRUISES

Learn more at architecture.org

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE HOURS OF OPERATION

🌟 Yes! The Shop Building at Altgeld Gardens, designed by 1933 World’s Fair architects Keck & Keck, received preliminary ...
06/05/2026

🌟 Yes! The Shop Building at Altgeld Gardens, designed by 1933 World’s Fair architects Keck & Keck, received preliminary landmark status at yesterday’s Chicago Landmark Commission meeting. This unique modernism building was completed in 1945 and features a dramatic, sweeping overhanging roof that still stands out today.

The hope is for the structure to be adapted into a space for after-school programming and social services.

Thoughts?

📸: Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

👀 We see these buildings a lot, and honestly, they never get old. Great capture of the Willis Tower from the west. 📸: v...
06/04/2026

👀 We see these buildings a lot, and honestly, they never get old. Great capture of the Willis Tower from the west.
📸: via Instagram

06/04/2026

As Chicagoans, what is our architectural inheritance? Hear from Chicago architect John Ronan as he shares his thoughts on the city of architecture.
🎥 Check out the video.

🛳️ Don't miss out! Visit the link in first comment.
06/03/2026

🛳️ Don't miss out! Visit the link in first comment.

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month is a perfect time to explore Northalsted! Our Legacy of Northalsted tour gives you the story behind Boy...
06/02/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month is a perfect time to explore Northalsted! Our Legacy of Northalsted tour gives you the story behind Boystown and neighboring Lakeview East; the first officially recognized LGBTQ+ neighborhood in the United States.

Join us! Check out the link in first comment for details and tickets.

💎 The Jewelers Building is getting a $25M refresh, and it sounds incredible. A new lobby bar, state-of-the-art fitness c...
05/31/2026

💎 The Jewelers Building is getting a $25M refresh, and it sounds incredible. A new lobby bar, state-of-the-art fitness center, modern conference spaces, and a rooftop bar on the 25th floor. Ok, but what's even better? Those iconic cupolas overlooking the river will be open for private dining. 😮
So…how soon can we make a reservation? 👀

📸: A rendering of new exterior lighting planned at the Jewelers Building. (CRG and Prime Group)

Prairie Style architecture started in Chicago around 1900, when architects like Frank Lloyd Wright began reimagining wha...
05/30/2026

Prairie Style architecture started in Chicago around 1900, when architects like Frank Lloyd Wright began reimagining what American buildings could look like.

They pulled ideas from nature, kept things simple, and focused on horizontal lines that call back to the Midwest landscape.

You can see Prairie style architecture across the Chicagoland, especially in Oak Park.
Learn more.

📸: Carl Schurz High School, Architect: Dwight H. Perkins

Summer tour season is in full swing! Here are some tours you need to get on your calendar. Check out the link in first c...
05/29/2026

Summer tour season is in full swing! Here are some tours you need to get on your calendar. Check out the link in first comment for tix and additional details.

05/29/2026

When considering architectural restoration, many of us might think of the outward appearance, but much of the work is actually hidden. That's the case with the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Check out the video and learn more from restoration architect Ellen Stoner!

Loving this sunset capture from
05/27/2026

Loving this sunset capture from

Places like this along the Riverwalk are easy to pass by, but today is a good day to stop. Remembering all who have serv...
05/25/2026

Places like this along the Riverwalk are easy to pass by, but today is a good day to stop. Remembering all who have served and sacrificed this Memorial Day.

📸 : Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Chicago's Riverwalk, Artist: Gary Tillery

05/25/2026

🏛️ What does it actually mean to “preserve” a building?

At the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, it's an ongoing process, part preservation, part adaptation.

This video looks at some of the work that’s gone into keeping the building in use.

Check out these upcoming tours! ℹ️ & 🎟️ at the link in first comment ⬇️
05/23/2026

Check out these upcoming tours!
ℹ️ & 🎟️ at the link in first comment ⬇️

The Monadnock is often talked about as one building, but architecturally, it's really two.The north half (1891), by Burn...
05/22/2026

The Monadnock is often talked about as one building, but architecturally, it's really two.
The north half (1891), by Burnham & Root relies on thick, load-bearing brick walls, while the south half (1893) by Holabird & Roche is built around a steel frame. You can actually see that shift just by looking at the facade.

Learn more at the link in first comment.

When the Picasso sculpture was unveiled in 1967, it sparked plenty of debate. Mayor Richard J. Daley was a fan of the co...
05/22/2026

When the Picasso sculpture was unveiled in 1967, it sparked plenty of debate. Mayor Richard J. Daley was a fan of the commission, telling the audience at the dedication ceremony,
“What is strange to us today will be familiar tomorrow.”

📸: via Instagram

🚣 Did you know Chicago has a serious rowing scene?Studio Gang’s WMS Boathouse at Clark Park and Eleanor Boathouse at Par...
05/19/2026

🚣 Did you know Chicago has a serious rowing scene?
Studio Gang’s WMS Boathouse at Clark Park and Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571 serve as gathering points for teams, beginners, and community programs alike, including the nationally-ranked Chicago Rowing Foundation and the no-cost Chicago Training Center.

🌟 Winning teams in winning architecture. Quite a combo.

📸: WMS Boathouse at Clark Park. Architect: Studio Gang Architects. Photographer: W. Biederman Photography.

The Upside Down...but in a good way. 📸: andrewvorourke via Instagram
05/18/2026

The Upside Down...but in a good way.

📸: andrewvorourke via Instagram

Two- and three- flat housing is just how it sounds—2 or 3 story apartment buildings. But these structures are more than ...
05/18/2026

Two- and three- flat housing is just how it sounds—2 or 3 story apartment buildings. But these structures are more than just housing. These buildings represented a practical way for families to own property, earn rental income, and build a little financial security over time.

The 2 and 3 flats are a staple of Chicago housing. Learn more about them at the link in first comment.

Wait...THE BEAN IS 20?! 😮It was on this day, April 15, 2006, that the city first saw itself reflected in the legume by t...
05/15/2026

Wait...THE BEAN IS 20?! 😮

It was on this day, April 15, 2006, that the city first saw itself reflected in the legume by the Lake.

And 2 decades later, Cloud Gate still pulls people in. That's kind of amazing. 🌟

Get out and explore! Details and tickets at the link in first comment ⬇️
05/14/2026

Get out and explore! Details and tickets at the link in first comment ⬇️

📆 This Jewish Heritage Month, we’re reflecting on the many ways Jewish architects, developers, and civic leaders have he...
05/14/2026

📆 This Jewish Heritage Month, we’re reflecting on the many ways Jewish architects, developers, and civic leaders have helped shape Chicago’s skyline. From opulent theater designs like the Nederlander to bold skyscrapers like Marina City to Beaux-Arts landmarks such as LondonHouse and the distinctive Chicago Loop Synagogue, their work spans commercial corridors, cultural institutions, and beyond.

📍 Want to explore their stories more deeply? Learn how Jewish architects, engineers, designers, artists, and community leaders helped shape the city we love through CAC’s new tour for private groups, Jewish Builders of Chicago. Check out the link in first comment for details.

📸: Hands of Peace sculpture by artist Henri Azaz, 1963, located at the Chicago Loop Synagogue, Photographer: Craig Shimala

Want to get a first look at CAC's newest exhibition, Flyway City? Become a CAC Member! 🌟 CAC Members are invited to an e...
05/13/2026

Want to get a first look at CAC's newest exhibition, Flyway City? Become a CAC Member! 🌟 CAC Members are invited to an exclusive drop‑in event offering a first look at Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem, an inspiring new exhibition designed and co-curated by Studio Gang in collaboration with the CAC.

See how architecture can help create healthier urban habitats and reduce bird collisions, which impact more than 1 billion birds every year. Members can also preview Chicago’s Living Habitat (co‑curated with Openlands) and enjoy 25% off in the Design Store during the event.

More details at the link in first comment.

Yep, just one of those days where the sky is doing two completely different things at the same time. 😳📸: nick_ulivieri v...
05/11/2026

Yep, just one of those days where the sky is doing two completely different things at the same time. 😳
📸: nick_ulivieri via Instagram

🚆 Happy National Train Day!Few places capture the power and legacy of rail travel like Chicago’s Union Station. Opened i...
05/10/2026

🚆 Happy National Train Day!

Few places capture the power and legacy of rail travel like Chicago’s Union Station. Opened in 1925 and still operating today, it remains one of the last grand train stations running in the U.S., anchoring the West Loop and connecting Chicago to the country.

Want to experience its Great Hall and hear the stories behind it? CAC offers a guided tour of Union Station. Check out the link in first comment.

📸: Great Hall restoration. ©️ Amtrak, courtesy Goettsch Partners.

🐦 On World Migratory Bird Day, we’re highlighting Chicago’s role as a critical stop along a major migratory flyway. As a...
05/09/2026

🐦 On World Migratory Bird Day, we’re highlighting Chicago’s role as a critical stop along a major migratory flyway.

As a participant in the Chicago Bird Migration Monitoring Network, the Chicago Architecture Center is helping collect data on birds moving through the city using instruments placed on our rooftop at 111 E. Wacker. Combined with data from other buildings across Chicagoland, this research helps scientists and conservationists better understand migratory patterns that can support conservation efforts in urban environments.

This project is a collaboration between the Windy City Bird Lab, the Van Doren Lab of Migration Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Duke University

Learn more at the link in first comment ⬇️

📸: Emmely Aldave

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Chicago, IL
60601

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Thursday 10am - 5pm
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