Open House Chicago (OHC) is a free weekend festival held annually in Chicago that allows participants to visit dozens of buildings that are not typically open to the public.

OHC is organized by the Chicago Architecture Foundation over a two-day period each year in mid-October. The event promotes appreciation of architecture by the general public.

OHC began in 2011 and it is part of a worldwide network of Open House events that started with Open House London in 1992. Its organizers state that event objectives include enabling participants to “venture into new neighborhoods, learn the stories of Chicago’s architecture and experience the diversity and culture of each community.” OHC is an important event for tourism in Chicago. Funding for the event comes from the Chicago Architecture Center and from corporate sponsors, government agencies, foundations, and individual donors. The event relies on approximately 2,600 volunteers to staff participating buildings.

Dates and attendance Dates Number of sites Visits to included sites Estimated individual attendeessource Oct 15–16, 2011 131 84,000 23,000 Oct 13–14, 2012 198 142,000 40,000 Oct 19–20, 2013 157 194,000 55,000 Oct 18–19, 2014 167 285,000 75,000 Oct 17–18, 2015 204 320,000 85,000 Oct 15–16, 2016 213 380,000 100,000 Oct 14–15, 2017 257 347,00091,000 Oct 13–14, 2018 280366,000100,000 Oct 19–20, 2019 almost 350 Oct 16–Nov 1, 2020 over 500 0 0 Virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic Oct 16–17, 2021 over 100 Oct 15–16, 2022 over 150 Oct 14–15, 2023 over 170 Oct 19–20, 2024 over 170

Sites

Sites include spaces inside historic and architecturally significant buildings that aren't generally open to the public, including historic mansions, Frank Lloyd Wright homes, theaters, skyscrapers, exclusive private clubs, opulent hotel ballrooms and suites, rooftops, industrial sites and design and architecture offices.

Highlights include Tribune Tower, Kemper Building, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Fine Arts Building, Chicago Board of Trade Building, The Rookery, Aon Center, Chicago Temple Building, Emil Bach House, Elks National Memorial, New Regal Theater and more.

See also Chicago Architecture Foundation Open House New York Open House London Doors Open Toronto Open House Brno

References

External links Open House Chicago Homepage Chicago Architecture Center Website Open House Worldwide