Arts & Entertainment
Chess Records, Ramova Theatre and University Club of Chicago Among New Sites Announced for Open House Chicago 2024
Chess Records studio. (Courtesy Chicago Architecture Center)
Start practicing your air guitar, Chicagoans.
The famed Chess Records studio has joined the annual “who’s who” of buildings offering access during the annual Open House Chicago ”urban exploration” two-day festival, set for Oct. 19-20.
Of the nearly 175 sites, spread out over more than 20 neighborhoods, 25 of them are new to the event. Other prominent first-timers include the newly renovated and reopened Ramova Theatre, the University Club of Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre and the Al-Sadiq Mosque.
Oh, and if the festival inspires you to spruce up your own home or office, visits to these other newcomers will come in handy: the Chicago Tool Library, Salvage One and the Rebuilding Exchange.
“With all the new developments happening or proposed in Chicago, it’s more important than ever that people see how architecture and design shape our city,” said Eleanor Gorski, CEO and president of the Chicago Architecture Center, which created Open House Chicago.
Along with providing behind-the-scenes looks at some of Chicago’s historic, architectural and cultural treasures, Open House Chicago is hosting dozens of programs linked to various sites.
A sampling of these programs includes mini tours of the Pullman neighborhood, and ofrenda-making at Graceland Cemetery in collaboration with the National Museum of Mexican Art.
The full, searchable list of Open House sites is available online. Organizers have even put together tour itineraries based on themes such as theaters or kid-friendly locations. And there’s even a list of sites curated by WTTW’s own Geoffrey Baer.
Also new this year: a photo competition. Select submissions will be displayed at the Chicago Architecture Center during the holiday season, and winners will receive complimentary members to the center.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
