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Cross Austin Boulevard: This story is part of an on-going series of articles published by Austin Weekly News about topics, events, people, places, and things that happen west of Austin Boulevard but resonate east of it.
When the Open House Chicago returns on the weekend of October 16-17, the Chicago Architecture Center will dedicate a weekend for the 11th time to showcasing the architectural richness of Chicago.
In 2020, the pandemic forced a completely virtual format in which visitors could use the OHC app to explore the exterior of architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites and take part in self-guided tours or hiking trails on specific topics.
This year the walk is back with a stronger personal focus. While the app continues to allow tours of the city and offer bonus information, many of the sites will be open for personal access on October 16-17 this year. Throughout the month of October, attendees can use the OHC app to access free, self-guided history and architecture tours across Chicago.
Adam Rubin, interpreter for the CAC, says the weekend has been shortened a bit after its peak in 2019 when around 250 locations were opened to the public. This year, the weekend is focused on around 100 attractions, and Rubin says the reduced itinerary will help the average Chicagoer narrow down the number of attractions to visit more easily.
“The sites will open with location-based security measures, and the OHC app will return with a few new ways and some new voices,” said Rubin.
The Kehrein Center for the Arts in Austin. | Photo by Eric Allix Rogers
The Kehrein Center for the Arts in Austin. | Photo by Eric Allix RogersWhile the vast majority of the locations are in the city itself, Rubin said Evanston and Oak Park both created the nearby suburbs that deserve a presence.
“Oak Park will always be a destination for Open House Chicago,” he said. “First of all, a lot of Chicago folks haven’t had the chance to visit Oak Park or are new to town. Even if Oak Park websites feel very familiar, they are new to someone.
“The attraction of a very dense collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes will always be there. Add in an amazing environment to drink craft beer in and the fact that some people really want to go to religious establishments and Oak Park has a bit of everything. ”
The official Oak Park locations at this year’s OHC are West Suburban Temple Har Zion, 1040 N. Harlem Ave .; Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave .; One Lake Brewing, 1 Lake St .; the Oak Park River Forest Museum, 129 Lake St .; the nineteenth century club, 178 Forest Ave .; and First United Methodist Church of Oak Park, 324 N. Oak Park Ave.
Austin locations include the Austin Community Family Center, 501 N. Central Ave .; Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd .; and St. Martin Episcopal Church, 5710 W. Midway Park.
Two of the OHC app’s trails, as the self-guided bonus tours are called, focus on Oak Park and the Austin community.
Back for a second year is the Frank Lloyd Wright: Portrait of a Young Architect trail, which focuses on seven of Wright’s homes designed in Oak Park early in his career and life.
In Austin, The Grand Residences of Frederick R. Schock focuses on the work of this architect in the community. CAC lecturer Karen Clapp tells the tour with contributions from some current owners of shock houses. Rubin says those voices from the Austin community “made the audio feel more personal this year. We didn’t have any audio commentary last year, so find out more about what it’s like to live there here. “
He points out that the Oak Park and Austin trails fit together nicely for someone looking to spend a day on the West Side.
“Both tours tell a story about a relatively narrow time in the architect’s life,” said Rubin. “There’s a parallel element – both consider the kind of community that every architect wanted to create. Someone who visits the area in one day would add a lot to it. “
In addition to the local hiking trails, Rubin highlights a few others that cover specific points of interest in a city that has a lot to explore. Rubin said some of the pathways expand OHC’s focus beyond traditional architecture to promote historical knowledge and multicultural awareness.
A tour in Hyde Park focuses on places where the Obamas lived and worked. A tour inspired by the 150th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire will include locations that survived the fire to tell the story of fire and its effects. A tour focused on conservation in Chicago will cover some local sites that are conservation success stories and some that are more precarious.
Another tour delves into the stories of the Potawatomi tribe through the eyes of visual artist Andrea Carlson, who studies public works of art and the extermination of the Potawatomi from the city.
An event the size of OHC tends to expand the Chicago Architecture Center audience, and Rubin says that at the end of the day it’s a civic event that helps increase people’s appreciation for the city they call home increase.
“It creates an understanding of the city and its past while also helping many people to be proud of the city of Chicago,” he said.
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