Mark your calendars to gather up some friends and family and check out the FREE 2015 Open House Chicago on October 17-18, 2015,  which is an awesome free public event put on by the Chicago Architecture Foundation that offers behind-the-scenes access to over 200 buildings across Chicago. No reservations are required and everyone is welcome. Explore the hidden gems and  architectural treasures of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods — all for free. The Chicago Architecture Foundation has an ambitious citywide DIY tour weekend and it’s a great opportunity to gain rare access to more than 2000 of the city’s most interesting historical and newly constructed residences, office buildings, retail and hospitality hotspots, cultural and holy hallows, and institutions of higher learning and social services.

200 COOL PLACES.    48 HOURS.     GO.
and best of all….   IT’S FREE.
OCTOBER 17-18, 2015

Go behind the scenes at more than 200 area buildings with Open House Chicago.

Here are some highlights:

• The Lyric Opera Building -This throne-shaped 49-story skyscraper is home to the internationally renowned Lyric Opera of Chicago. It features Art Deco and Art Nouveau styling and ornamentation, musical motifs and an impressive arcade that runs the length of the east facade. The 3,563-seat theater is the second-largest opera auditorium in North America. It also holds the largest stage in downtown Chicago. Jules Guerin—famous for his Plan of Chicago renderings—designed the fire curtain, stencil designs and color palette throughout the opera house.
• Radisson Blue Aqua Hotel -Jeanne Gang’s iconic Aqua Tower houses this hotel. The award-winning Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel holds the distinction of being the first Radisson Blu Hotel in North America. It opened in 2009 and was built to LEED-Silver certification standards. The hotel features 334 fashion-inspired guestrooms; 28,000 square feet of meeting and event space; an 80,000-square-foot recreation deck and green roof; a state-of-the-art fitness center; and on-site dining at the modern-Italian Filini Bar and Restaurant.
• Goose Island Beer Barrel Warehouse – This 143,000-square-foot warehouse is home to the largest barrel-aging program of its kind in the U.S. Goose Island Beer Company’s legendary Bourbon County Stout and other beers develop their flavor slowly in more than 20,000 barrels of different sizes and varieties. Long aisles are stacked high with wooden casks that almost reach the timbered ceiling. These rows form monumental spaces filled with the aromas of vintage bourbon and wine barrels.
• Nichols Tower in Homan Square: The city’s original Sears Tower, it is located on the Southwest Side
• The Lake Point Tower: It’s that clover-shaped, black residential high-rise overlook the lakefront by Navy Pier.
• The Plant: This awesome, closed-loop urban farm and aquaponics hub is in an old meatpacking facility in Back-of-the-Yards, and tours usually cost $20 a pop.

Use their handy map or site list to see what’s open and for how long.

Sts. Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church (courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers)