Clicky

Chicago Architecture Center

Chicago Architecture Center The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), formerly the Chicago Architecture Foundation, is a nonprofit o Tours, exhibitions, programs, and events for all ages.

Visit CAC at 111 E. Wacker Dr. to view our 1,000-building scale model of Chicago, shop in our award-winning store, or participate in a fun LEGO® building event in our ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Our CAC River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises was recently voted the #1 boat tour in the nation by USA Today. Choose from 85 tours by boat, walking, bus, or even L train, including the CAC Rive

r Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises. Tours depart daily and are led by CAC's expert docent guides. Learn more at architecture.org

Operating as usual

The Blackstone is a prime example of a turn-of-the-century luxury hotel along the famed historic street wall of Michigan...
03/18/2023

The Blackstone is a prime example of a turn-of-the-century luxury hotel along the famed historic street wall of Michigan Avenue. It is named after Timothy Blackstone, president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, whose mansion once stood on the hotel’s site. After years of neglect, the hotel reopened in 2008 following a $112-million showcase restoration.

📸 : courtesy Blackstone Hotel

http://bit.ly/424dWgC

GirlsBuild! Day introduces girls ages 11-17 to the fields of architecture, design, and engineering. During this inspirin...
03/18/2023

GirlsBuild! Day introduces girls ages 11-17 to the fields of architecture, design, and engineering. During this inspiring day, girls will build, learn and network with professionals from more than 15 different STEM organizations.
Register now! Event is March 25, 10am at the CAC.

https://bit.ly/3SES3QW

On St. Patrick's Day even our buildings wear ☘️ green ☘️ 📸 : barrybutler9
03/17/2023

On St. Patrick's Day even our buildings wear ☘️ green ☘️

📸 : barrybutler9

🎉 IT'S BOAT SEASON! 🎉 Tickets for the #1 tour in Chicago, the CAC River Cruise aboard  are now on sale! In 2023, we're c...
03/17/2023
Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady

🎉 IT'S BOAT SEASON! 🎉
Tickets for the #1 tour in Chicago, the CAC River Cruise aboard are now on sale! In 2023, we're celebrating 30 years of cruising the Chicago River together, showing off our beautiful city.
🎯 Weekends sell out fast!

http://bit.ly/3itObSt

#1 boat tour in North America according to USA Today Readers' Choice 2021 Awards! Looking for the ultimate…

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Chicago Sláinte!📸:
03/17/2023

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Chicago Sláinte!

📸:

You see them throughout several Chicago neighborhoods: vacant lots where homes used to be. But what can be built in thos...
03/16/2023

You see them throughout several Chicago neighborhoods: vacant lots where homes used to be. But what can be built in those empty lots that would inspire people to return to the city?

That's where CAC and the City of Chicago's ongoing Come Home Initiative comes in. Forty-two architecture firms have submitted proposals for filling these lots. Visit the link in bio to peruse all 42 submissions and give your feedback.

Following this exhibition, a jury of industry professionals will select design teams to advance to phase three of the competition, which will see local emerging developers paired with each winning firm to construct the case study homes on lots provided by the City of Chicago.

https://bit.ly/3J9sfcr

📸: 1st slide, Dirk Denison Architects; 2nd slide, Tatiana Bilbao; 3rd slide, Kevin Daly Architects; 4th slide, von Reese Associates

Chicago is rife with beautiful historic buildings. But how much do you really know about these architectural treasures? ...
03/16/2023

Chicago is rife with beautiful historic buildings. But how much do you really know about these architectural treasures? Learn about these beauties, including the Carbide and Carbon building (pictured here) on our Historic Treasures of Chicago's Golden Age tour.

http://bit.ly/3qJKoCY

When we think of stained glass windows, we often think of Churches. Synagogues also have a rich tradition of stained-gla...
03/15/2023

When we think of stained glass windows, we often think of Churches. Synagogues also have a rich tradition of stained-glass windows. Join us as we explore how these windows beautify sacred spaces across Chicago.

March 22, 12pm

http://bit.ly/3FmsZbT

The Cable House in Chicago's River North neighborhood is a Richardsonian Romanesque-style, built in 1886 by Cobb and Fro...
03/15/2023

The Cable House in Chicago's River North neighborhood is a Richardsonian Romanesque-style, built in 1886 by Cobb and Frost. It was bought by the McCormick family in 1902 and was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1991.
25 E. Erie

📸 : rock_camp via Instagram

Don't miss!⁠ Closing soon!⁠Did you know that there is one building that remains standing of the Michael Reese Hospital c...
03/14/2023

Don't miss!⁠ Closing soon!

Did you know that there is one building that remains standing of the Michael Reese Hospital complex? The Singer Pavilion is the sole remnant of the former hospital campus and a future anchor for a 48-acre Bronzeville Lakefront mega-development. ⁠
This exhibition presents innovative new ideas for activating the Singer Pavilion and surrounding Bronzeville Lakefront. Collegiate architecture programs at three schools reimagined how to use this historic building in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. And hey, the kids are alright. ⁠

https://bit.ly/3k6L6LD



Illinois Institute of Technology
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Have you seen this building on the Chicago River and always wondered why it's called DIRTT?  DIRTT’s penthouse showroom ...
03/14/2023

Have you seen this building on the Chicago River and always wondered why it's called DIRTT?

DIRTT’s penthouse showroom overlooks the Chicago River from the top of the Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company Warehouse building (Gustav Hallberg, 1912). The building is one of just two former warehouse buildings still standing on the main branch of the Chicago River. The penthouse, now home to the Green Learning Center, is a place where DIRTT ("Doing It Right This Time") shares solutions for sustainable interior construction and ideas about how to build better.

http://bit.ly/3JgUo07

📸 : Eric Rogers

03/13/2023

Adam Rubin, CAC’s Director of Interpretation, recently spoke with Scripps about the famous dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day. Check it out!

Here's a beautiful way to start off your Monday!📸 : rsalas77
03/13/2023

Here's a beautiful way to start off your Monday!

📸 : rsalas77

As you settle in to watch the Oscars tonight, don't forget about a close-to-home star that you might not think of: the c...
03/12/2023

As you settle in to watch the Oscars tonight, don't forget about a close-to-home star that you might not think of: the city of Chicago.

From a Charlie Chaplin film made in 1915 to the comic book world of Batman, hundreds of movies have been shot in Chicago. And when they are made here, Chicago architecture has had a knack for making its way into the final cut.

http://bit.ly/3YEeRSe

Today the Chicago River is dyed green, but what else do you know about the city's favorite waterway? ⁠⁠Here's some quick...
03/11/2023
The Chicago River: From industry to recreation

Today the Chicago River is dyed green, but what else do you know about the city's favorite waterway? ⁠

Here's some quick facts:⁠
• the river used to flow in the opposite direction (into Lake Michigan)⁠
• it was once a "working river"⁠
• the river was once described as "red"⁠

Learn more about the Chicago River at the link in bio. ⁠

http://bit.ly/422VcOH

📸 : ⁠

The story of the Chicago River is one that continues to unfold. Through periods of industry, transportation, revitalization and recreation, it has grown and changed like the city itself.

Now Open at the Chicago Architecture Center!Come Home: Missing Middle Infill Housing presents innovative ways of reimagi...
03/11/2023

Now Open at the Chicago Architecture Center!

Come Home: Missing Middle Infill Housing presents innovative ways of reimagining Chicago’s single family home, two- and three-flat, rowhouse and six-flat typologies to better meet modern living. The exhibition highlights the work of 42 firms from across North America that were invited to present their design solutions at the CAC, following an open call for proposals.

Plus, you can give your feedback about the projects. Check out the link in bio for details and how to make you voice heard.

https://bit.ly/3J9sfcr

📸 : Pivot House, DAAM

These slightly foggy days definitely give the city an air of mystery.📸 :  via Instagram
03/10/2023

These slightly foggy days definitely give the city an air of mystery.

📸 : via Instagram

If you know a girl aged 11-17 who is interested in architecture, engineering or design, Girls Build! Day is the event fo...
03/09/2023

If you know a girl aged 11-17 who is interested in architecture, engineering or design, Girls Build! Day is the event for her!

The day includes hands-on STEM activities, an all-female panel discussion about the industries, and opportunities to ask professionals questions about careers in these fields. Don't miss this exciting event!

Learn more & register: https://bit.ly/3SES3QW

March 25, 10am, at the Center: 111 E. Wacker

Check this out! CAC's CEO, Eleanor Gorski speaks on WBEZ about Come Home Chicago, a new design competition that would br...
03/09/2023
▶️ Listen Now: Chicago Architecture Center builds on Lightfoot’s Invest South/West program

Check this out! CAC's CEO, Eleanor Gorski speaks on WBEZ about Come Home Chicago, a new design competition that would bring more housing units to six Chicago neighborhoods.

https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-architecture-center-builds-on-lightfoots-invest-south-west-program/813f016c-ffc5-4658-9a52-a9db3e8ce6fb

The center is leading a new design competition that would bring more housing units to six Chicago neighborhoods.

Greenstone Church (Solon S. Beman, 1880) in the Pullman/Roseland neighborhood features a unique facade of green stone qu...
03/09/2023

Greenstone Church (Solon S. Beman, 1880) in the Pullman/Roseland neighborhood features a unique facade of green stone quarried in Pennsylvania. With the exception of the chancel arrangements, the sanctuary has remained unchanged since the 1880s. The cherry wood of the altar and pews is original, as is the Steere & Turner manual-tracker pipe organ.

http://bit.ly/3ytrZyZ

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to highlight some women-owned and women-founded firms featured in ...
03/08/2023

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re thrilled to highlight some women-owned and women-founded firms featured in the Come Home poster show. This group of international architecture firms showcases the highest quality of design and housing innovation. Share your feedback on all 42 designs here: https://bit.ly/3mssDtD.

Frida Escobedo ParkFowler Plus Tatiana Bilbao Estudio MERGE Architects Ross Barney Architects UrbanLab, Civic Projects

Chicago's 7 Most Endangered Buildings 2023 has been revealed! Swipe to check out the full lineup.⁠⁠Want to know more abo...
03/08/2023

Chicago's 7 Most Endangered Buildings 2023 has been revealed! Swipe to check out the full lineup.⁠

Want to know more about what made the Preservation Chicago list? Head to this link to read the full building descriptions and why preservationists are advocating for them this year.⁠ https://bit.ly/3yr4W7P

1 - Century & Consumers Buildings⁠
Century Building, 1915, Holabird and Roche, 202 S. State Street⁠
Consumers Building, 1913, Jenney, Mundie & Jensen, 220 S. State Street. Photo credit: Eric Allix Rogers⁠

2 - Terra Cotta Buildings Throughout Chicago⁠
c. 1890s - 1940s, Various Architects. Photo credit: Serhii Chrucky⁠

3 - Jeffery Theater Building & Spencer Arms Hotel⁠
1924, William P. Doerr, 7054 S. Jeffery Boulevard/952 E. 71st Street. Photo credit: Ward Miller/Preservation Chicago⁠

4 - The Warehouse⁠
1906 & 1917, Vernon W. Behel, 206 S. Jefferson Street. Photo credit: Serhii Chrucky⁠

5 - Taft Hall at the University of Illinois Chicago⁠
1965, Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), 826 S. Halsted Street. Photo credit: Max Chavez/Preservation Chicago⁠

6 - Werner Brothers Storage Building⁠
1921, George S. Kingsley, 7613 N. Paulina Street. Photo credit: Serhii Chrucky⁠

7 - Southwest Side Industrial Buildings ⁠
Continental Can Company Building, 1920, Samuel Scott Joy, 3815 S. Ashland Avenue. Photo credit: Serhii Chrucky⁠
Damen Silos, 1906, John Metcalf (civil engineer), 2860 S. Damen Avenue. Photo credit: Eric Allix Rogers⁠
Fisk Power Station, 1903, Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, 1111 W. Cermak Road. Photo credit: Serhii Chrucky

Last night, the CAC welcomed more than 200 architects, designers and industry leaders to celebrate the opening of Come H...
03/08/2023

Last night, the CAC welcomed more than 200 architects, designers and industry leaders to celebrate the opening of Come Home Chicago's Missing Middle Infill Housing poster show. Architects from around the nation and beyond, from Montreal to Mexico City, took a closer look at the 42 submissions that have been selected for phase 2 of the Come Home Initiative. We’re proud to present their innovative ideas for reimagining Chicago’s housing typologies to better meet modern living.

You can view the 42 entries from local and national architecture firms and provide feedback for the jury here: https://bit.ly/3mssDtD

Thank you to our sponsor The Chicago Community Trust and partners City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development and City of Chicago Department of Housing.

Today is International Women's Day and we have a list of influential women architects you NEED to know. From the founder...
03/08/2023

Today is International Women's Day and we have a list of influential women architects you NEED to know.

From the founder of Chicago's first woman-run architecture firm to the first African-American woman registered as an architect in Illinois, these 5 trailblazing women architects made their mark in Chicago.

http://bit.ly/3HXkjqN

📸 : The Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, designed by Sophia Hayden Bennett, the first female architecture graduate from MIT

Who else is gearing up for St. Patrick's Day?Great shot from
03/07/2023

Who else is gearing up for St. Patrick's Day?

Great shot from

Tomorrow is the big day! Preservation Chicago unveils the 2023 Chicago's 7 Most Endangered List. To celebrate the 20th a...
03/07/2023

Tomorrow is the big day! Preservation Chicago unveils the 2023 Chicago's 7 Most Endangered List. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this list, check out a building that was added to the list last year and learn about where its future stands now.

Famous for being Chicago's first movie palace and the first air conditioned cinema in the country, the Central Park Theater was the first partnership between architects Rapp & Rapp and theater moguls Balaban & Katz. Since its grand opening in 1917, this extravagant theater has entertained North Lawndale for decades, but today, the theater is in need of a major restoration. Preservation Chicago has been working closely with the theater's owners to secure an exciting future for this important site, naming it one of Chicago's 7 Most Endangered in 2022.

To see the 2023 list revealed, join us on March 8 for free. Register here https://bit.ly/3ZgLAy7

📸: Tom Harris Photography

Did you know that Chicago also has a Flat Iron Building? The Flat Iron Building in New York and the one in Chicago were ...
03/07/2023

Did you know that Chicago also has a Flat Iron Building? The Flat Iron Building in New York and the one in Chicago were both designed by architects from Chicago; Daniel Burnham designed the NYC building (1902), while Holabird and Roche designed the Chicago building (1918).

http://bit.ly/3YsgzWM

📸 : Choose Chicago

Dwell asks - "Can a design contest actually spur development?" The Come Home initiative says yes. Designs from 42 local ...
03/06/2023
Chicago Is Running a Design Contest to Create Infill Housing—Here’s a First Look at Submissions

Dwell asks - "Can a design contest actually spur development?" The Come Home initiative says yes. Designs from 42 local and national architecture firms have advanced to phase 2 of the housing design competition. Next, a jury review will determine which designs continue to phase 3. You can see the poster show on display at the Center from March 3-26, and check out a preview of the designs in the article.

Firms participating in the city’s Come Home Initiative, an effort to encourage much-need development, are sharing these concepts and more with the contest’s judges this week in downtown Chicago.

Short and sweet! Our hour-long building tours are a great way to really understand some of the city's most significant s...
03/06/2023
Rookery Building

Short and sweet! Our hour-long building tours are a great way to really understand some of the city's most significant structures. And the Rookery tour is a must-do.

Explore the interior and exterior of one of Chicago’s most famous and beloved historic buildings: The Rookery by Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root. You'll learn about the architecture and hear the fascinating stories about this stunning building.

http://bit.ly/3mf9MlA

Explore the interior and exterior of one of Chicago’s most famous and beloved historic buildings: The…

Chicago has a vast Polish population. This Pulaski Day be sure to learn more about this vibrant group.http://bit.ly/3kFB...
03/06/2023

Chicago has a vast Polish population. This Pulaski Day be sure to learn more about this vibrant group.

http://bit.ly/3kFBEPF

📸 : The Polish Consulate in Chicago

We're continuing our countdown to every preservationist's most anticipated day of the year: the reveal of Preservation C...
03/05/2023

We're continuing our countdown to every preservationist's most anticipated day of the year: the reveal of Preservation Chicago's 7 Most Endangered List! Though this list aims to advocate for saving threatened historic structures, throughout its 20 years not every building has been a win, but the losses demonstrate just as strongly why preservation matters.

Controversially demolished in 2003, the Mercantile Exchange Building was completed in 1927 and designed by architect Alfred S. Alschuler. Despite being listed by Preservation Chicago as one of Chicago's 7 Most Endangered, this orange-rated beauty was razed for a lot that remains empty today. Out of this loss, however, came the introduction of the 90 Day Demolition Delay in 2003 which has helped save other high-profile sites in recent years.

To see the 2023 list, join us on March 8 for free. Register here https://bit.ly/3ZgLAy7

📸: Photo 1, a historic photo of the Mercantile Exchange Building by the Associated Press. Photo 2, a shot of the empty site where the building once stood by Anna Munzesheimer.

Address

111 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL
60601

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chicago Architecture Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Chicago Architecture Center:

Videos

Category

Our Story

Tours, exhibitions, programs and events for all ages. Visit the Chicago Architecture Center on Wacker Dr. to view our 4,000-building scale model of Chicago, discover super-sized models of skyscrapers from around the world, shop in our award-winning store or participate in a fun LEGO® building event in our ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Choose from 85 tours by boat, walking, bus, or even L train, including the CAFC River Cruise aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises. Tours depart daily and are led by the CAC's expert docent guides. Learn more at architecture.org!

Nearby museums


Comments

In many ways, the fate of the LaSalle Street corridor and the broader downtown are intertwined. If the most viable future for downtown is flexible adaptation to a mix of uses, there is no better place to test this hypothesis than along this iconic office corridor.

But how will this happen? How does an austere financial district transform into a vibrant 24-hour neighborhood, and who will call this neighborhood home?

Join us for LaSalle Street at a Crossroads, this Thursday, 1/26, 6pm.

https://bit.ly/3kagM2f

Do you know a kid who is interested in architecture, design or engineering?? They would LOVE the Chicago Architecture Center Engineering Fest!

Kids ages 8-14 are invited to build and learn, view the CAC's special exhibitions, meet engineers and explore how architecture and engineering partner to create the cities we know and love.

The event is February 25th, 10am at the Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E. Wacker Drive, and is ✨FREE✨ for all attendees.

For details and to register: https://bit.ly/3H3xeuf

The Chicago Board of Trade building houses an expansive vault in the basement which has sat empty for decades, making this forgotten cavern an attraction unto itself. Built by the Chicago Board of Trade Safe Deposit Co., the vault has secured many different items of importance throughout its long history, such as trading receipts, silver bars, and of course, thousands of steel lock boxes.

Did you visit the vault during Open House Chicago 2022?? It's breathtaking.

http://bit.ly/3DdvSuB

Winters in Chicago can be, well, a little on the gray side. However, we've got the perfect way to brighten things up!

Our Tiffany in Chicago tour takes you to the most magnificent art-glass and mosaic installations, each designed and crafted by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company.

https://bit.ly/2XV8a4x

You know those places you go and it's like you're stepping back in time?? Apollo's 2000 Theater is one of those places.

Originally the Marshall Square Theater, this venue showcased both vaudeville acts and movies when it opened in 1917. It still houses the original projection room.

https://bit.ly/3krZ2j8

Pullman monument named national park, honoring labor and civil rights history. This is Chicago's first and only National Park. What an honor!

https://bit.ly/3iOsnDJ

📸: Eric Rogers

La Casita de Don Pedro in Humboldt Park is a living public art project, created by the willing hands of volunteers and celebrating the Puerto Rican nationalist leader after whom it is named. https://bit.ly/3GUAuXk
We love that Chicago is one of those cities where you can just be walking around and *gasp*...🤩 beautiful building 🤩
This moorish-style home is located in the Near North neighborhood.
📸: from Instagram
Who's ready for a project?? Hey, maybe if we all pull together our resources and talents we can take this on...?? Any takers?? 😉
Early Frank Lloyd Wright house up for sale in Oak Park.
https://bit.ly/3Hkf1Zz
Did you visit BMO Tower during Open House Chicago 2022??

One of our most popular sites during OHC2022, the BMO Tower is a newly completed 50-story office tower adjacent to Union Station. In addition to all of its innovation and style, it also showcases stunning views of the city 🤩

https://bit.ly/3kpZ3UD

We know, we know...we have soooo many great tours it's hard to decide which one to take. Well, we are here for you! A great starter tour is Chicago Icons, which is scheduled for this weekend!

This lively overview of Chicago architecture explores iconic buildings from the 1890s to present. We'll compare and contrast a wide range of buildings with varying architectural styles and see how older structures connect to new skyline additions.

https://bit.ly/3zhCljx

📸: Peter J. Sieger

🎉 It's Newhouse time again! 🎉

CAC is excited to celebrate 41 years of showcasing the talents of Chicagoland high school students solving real-world architecture, design, and engineering problems through the Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition.

The theme of the this year's competition is Sustainability Through the Lens of Biophilia. Sustainable architecture is designing with our city and our planet's future in mind. Newhouse 2023 asks students to consider how this architecture style intersects with biophilia, which is the idea that humans inherently desire a connection to nature and natural elements.

➡️REGISTRATION IS OPEN⬅️

bit.ly/3DV5ymg

Did you know that Pullman's 12-acre campus is Chicago's only National Park?

For its community-centric design, The Pullman National Monument Visitor Center has recently been awarded a 2022 American Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

The site is the former Pullman Company’s Administration building, formerly the Clock Tower, and Factory Grounds, eponymously named for its owner George Pullman, where until the late 1950s railcars were produced.

https://bit.ly/3ZH6qHm

Great shot from yesterday. ⁠

📸 : via Instagram

x

Other Museums in Chicago (show all)

Muppets Movie 2? Yes please The Etesian American Writers Museum Friends of Spanish Heritage Speakers Chicago Cultural Center Radio Hall of Fame Museum of Broadcast Communications Design Museum of Chicago Museum of Illusions - Chicago 21c Museum Hotel Chicago School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) Visiting Artists Program SAIC Iranian Studies Group Art Institute Teens The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Alumni SAIC Historic Preservation