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Open House Chicago 2012

Published: October 3, 2012

Open House Chicago 2012 Facts  

  • October 13 & 14, the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) will host Open House Chicago 2012 (OHC), a free event that takes the public behind the scenes of more than 150 of the city’s greatest spaces and places. OHC is made possible through the generous support of: Kemper Corporation, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Transit Authority, WBEZ Chicago Public Media, NBC5 Chicago, ComEd, Designer at Home and Room & Board.

    OHC is free! No registration required.  Sites will be open on a first-come, first-served basis.

     Sign up for the OHC e-newsletter for important OHC updates: www.architecture.org/ohcsignup.

 CAF members enjoy “preferred access: to sites. Itineraries are self-guided and informed by a printed event directory (available in the Chicago Tribune on October 11) or online after early September at www.openhousechicago.org.

 OHC sites in 13 diverse neighborhoods including downtown Chicago are available at varying times between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Check listings for details. OHC neighborhoods include:  

  • Black Metropolis/Greater Bronzeville (For more information call Yvette Kelly 773-268-7232)
  • Little Village
  • Chinatown (New for 2012)
  • Pilsen (New for 2012)
  • Downtown
  • Prairie District (New for 2012)
  • Garfield Park/ North Lawndale
  • Rogers Park/ West Ridge
  • Gold Coast (New for 2012)
  • South Shore (New for 2012)
  • Humboldt Park (New for 2012)
  • Uptown (New for 2012)
  • Hyde Park 

Visitors arrrange their own transportation to the communities/sites they want to tour. Take a CTA train or bus. Walk. Ride a bike. Roller-skate—any method is welcome. Depending on the community, parking may also be widely available.

 OHC weekend will provide access to a wide variety of sites with diverse styles and functions. Locations include: residential spaces, offices, hotels, restaurants, theaters and performance halls, private landscapes, design/architecture studios, schools, places of worship as well as retail, manufacturing, cultural and government facilities. This diverse selection of sites allows visitors to plan itineraries according to their own specific interests.

  •  The Chicago Tribune will be printing 500,000 copies of an OHC Event Guide and packaging them in their full regular circulation (home delivery and newsstand) on Thursday, October 11. A limited supply of free directories will also be available at OHC sites and at the CAF headquarters at 224 S. Michigan Avenue beginning two weeks prior to the event weekend.
  •  Become a CAF member at architecture.org to receive a “CAF Member Priority Access Pass,” which grants you quicker access to OHC sites.
  •  Sign up to receive the OHC newsletter for updates on venues and the latest information on special programming. Also consider volunteering as a “greeter” at an OHC site—it’s fun, easy and offers great benefits. www.openhousechicago.org/volunteer
  •  OHC is modeled after similar popular programs in dozens of cities around the world, including New York, London and Tl Aviv. www.openhouseworldwide.org

 OHC is a celebration of Chicago’s neighborhoods and communities. The community partners helping make OHC 2012 happen are: Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago, Chicago Loop Alliance, Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Division Street Business Development Association, Enlace Chicago, Foundation for Homan Square, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, Institute of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Little Village Chamber of Commerce, Quad Communities Development Corporation, The Resurrection Project, Rogers Park Business Alliance, Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society, South East Chicago Commission, South Shore Chamber, Inc., Uptown United and West Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

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