Open House Chicago—one of the world’s largest architecture and urban exploration festivals—returns this weekend thanks to the Chicago Architecture Center. With 210 locations scattered across 25 Chicago neighborhoods, this year’s installment is the festival’s biggest yet. Along with peeping behind the doors of some of the city’s most architecturally and culturally significant buildings, Chicagoans can also enter a photo competition, play architectural bingo via the Chicago Reader’s festival guide and enjoy free private tours of residential spaces normally closed to the public. Here’s everything you need to know about Open House Chicago 2025.
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Does Open House Chicago have free entry?
Yes, Open House Chicago is a free festival open to all.
What are the Open House Chicago dates and hours?
Open House Chicago takes place on Saturday, October 18, and Sunday, October 19, 2025. Most sites will be open 10am to 5pm. If your heart’s set on visiting a particular building, double-check its hours via Open House Chicago’s site directory.
What neighborhood areas are included in Open House Chicago?
Open House Chicago spans 25 Chicago neighborhoods, including Avondale (one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, according to Time Out), Englewood, Hyde Park, Logan Square, Pilsen and Ukrainian Village.
How do I plan my Open House Chicago weekend?
If you’re not game to manually sift through Open House Chicago’s hundreds of sites, the festival’s website offers several pre-built itineraries. The itineraries are organized around themes like “Urban Agriculture” and “Highlights of the Black Metropolis.” There are even agendas built around whichever “L” train you’re using to explore the city.
Open House Chicago is also stationing four neighborhood headquarters throughout the city—Ravenswood, North Lawndale, Bridgeport and downtown—where attendees can plan their routes, utilize free Wi-Fi and chat with Chicago Architecture Center representatives.
What is the Open House Chicago photo competition?
Whether you’re a skilled shutterbug or a hobbyist armed with an iPhone, this is your time to shine. Open House Chicago attendees can submit photos taken at any of the festival’s sites in one of five categories: interior, exterior, detail, black & white and people & buildings. Selected entrants will have their photography printed and displayed at the Chicago Architecture Center’s November 2025 exhibition “Framed Views: OHC Photography.” Learn more about the competition here.
What sites are new to Open House Chicago this year?
Over 30 new sites have been added to Open House Chicago’s roster this year. Highlights include the just-opened Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation in Austin, a 7-Eleven-turned-chamber music venue in Uptown and the late Steve Albini’s legendary Avondale recording studio Electrical Audio.
The following sites are new to the program this year:
- Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation (Austin)
- Auditorium Building, Roosevelt University (Downtown)
- Center on Halsted (Lakeview)
- The Checkout (Uptown)
- Chicago Magic Lounge (Andersonville)
- Chicago Sukkah Design Festival at James Stone Freedom Square (North Lawndale)
- Chicago Theological Seminary (Hyde Park)
- David Rubenstein Forum, University of Chicago (Hyde Park)
- Electrical Audio (Avondale)
- First Unitarian Church of Chicago (Hyde Park)
- Four Star Mushrooms (Near West Side)
- Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archive (Rogers Park)
- Hawksmoor Chicago (Near North Side)
- Hilliard Tower Apartments (Chinatown)
- Home of Harmony, Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago (Irving Park)
- Intuit Art Museum (West Town)
- Japanese American Service Committee (West Ridge)
- Judson and Moore Distillery (Avondale)
- Lathrop Apartments (Lakeview)
- Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Apartments (Logan Square)
- Marquette Building (Downtown)
- National Public Housing Museum (Near West Side)
- Sheridan Trust and Savings Building (Uptown)
- Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago (Hyde Park)
- South Side Sanctuary (Bronzeville)
- Starling by Duo/ (North Lawndale)
- Swift Hall at University of Chicago Divinity School (Hyde Park)
- The Weaving Mill (Logan Square)
- Westtown Center (Logan Square)