Open House Chicago Itinerary

Happy Friday the 13th everybody! It finally feels like fall here in Chicago, and I could think of no better way to enjoy it than walking around the city with friends for the annual Open House Chicago. This will be my first year attending, so I decided to focus mainly on downtown as well as my absolute favorite neighborhood, the Gold Coast.

Below is a glimpse of our itinerary!

The Blackstone Hotel – I have a fascination with historic hotels, so naturally this seemed like a great place to start. Known as the “Hotel of Presidents”, the Blackstone has a magnificent lobby as well as some fun hallways to explore.
Goettsch Partners – Home of the designs for the Wrigley Building renovation, the LondonHouse Chicago hotel, 150 N Riverside, and more. This sleek office space will not be one to miss, and even offers a sneak peak of the firm’s current projects (…an Amazon HQ design proposal perhaps?!)
Chicago Loop Synagogue – Founded in 1929, this synagogue features an entire wall of stained glass titled “Let There be Light”, designed by Abraham Rattner.
City Hall – With columns standing 94 feet tall, this is one of the most drastic examples of Neo-Classical architecture in the city. Fingers crossed we run into Leslie Knope visiting Chicago’s historic Council Chambers.
150 North Riverside – Located on a new stretch of river walk, this building’s design seems to defy gravity. This building is brand new, completed in 2017, and is “a one-of-a-kind achievement in art, architecture and technology”.
77 West Wacker – A beautiful, Greek-inspired skyscraper which is home to several businesses, including the Capital One office space that is also on the tour. The Capital One floor features a “Gensler-designed office space with its eye-popping furnishings and art installations”.
LondonHouse Chicago – Featuring an Art Deco (my fave) and Neo Classical design, LondonHouse is home to a 3-story rooftop with unbeatable views of the river.
Aon Center – As the 3rd tallest building in Chicago, the Aon Center is a must-see for this list. The tour allows visitors to go up to the 71st floor and take in a 360-degree view of the city.
Freehand Chicago (Tokyo Hotel) – What used to be the Tokyo Hotel is now a funky hostel & hotel, with a major highlight being the “Broken Shaker bar imported from the Freehand’s original Miami Beach location”.
Eleanor Robinson Countiss Home – Designed to imitate a chateau that Louis XVI gave to Marie Antoinette on the grounds of Versailles, this once-home to Eleanor Robinson is now a museum. In the library you can find original architectural drawings and historical photographs of the mansion.
Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel – Here you can find an intimate wood-paneled lounge, the grand Crystal Ballroom, and domed, gilded Georgian ceilings full of chandeliers.
Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts – This three-story Italianate mansion built in 1874 looks like it could be straight out of a Nancy Drew novel. The building is now full of artists creating paintings, drawings and sculpture, and features a skylit top floor studio.
Holy Name Cathedral – This Cathedral is the featured image on this blog, and will only be open from 3:30pm-5pm on Sunday. With breathtaking interiors and 70-ft ceilings, our last stop is a must. Holy Name was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.