44 theaters among 350 sites featured in Open House Chicago 2019

If you’ve ever wandered past a Loop theater or a Bronzeville church and thought “I bet that looks amazing inside,” now’s your chance to get a peek inside for yourself.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Architecture Center announced the locations for 2019 Open House Chicago, which offers residents and tourists a chance to get a look at city spaces they might not see otherwise.

The list includes more than 350 sites across 38 neighborhoods that will be open free of charge Oct. 19-20. The sites include private clubs, residential spaces, offices, hotels, theaters, design/architecture studios, schools and places of worship as well as manufacturing, cultural and government facilities.

As 2019 is the Year of Chicago Theatre, 44 theaters around the city will open their doors to the public that weekend — no ticket needed.

The full list of sites, dates and times can be found on Open House Chicago’s website. (Some are only open to center members or require you to RSVP.)

If you’re looking for the best way to hit as many sites as possible, here are some gems that are steps from “L” stops. Grab a day pass and get touring.

Sun-Times files

Old Chicago Post Office

Just a short walk down from the LaSalle/Van Buren stop in the Loop, the Old Chicago Post Office has been making headlines for the last few years after a major renovation has brought in big names like Uber to the space. During Open House Chicago, attendees will have the rare opportunity of touring the restored and modernized lobby without flashing an employee badge. Last year, it was only open to center members.

Address: 433 W. Van Buren St. (Accessible entrance on northeast side of building), Loop

L Stop: LaSalle/Van Buren, Pink, Orange and Brown Lines

Dates and Times: Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

James Foster/For the Sun-Times

Broadway in Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre

Most nights, only those with tickets can enter the James M. Nederlander Theatre, formally known as the Oriental Theatre until February 2019, and observe its South Asian-inspired designs. For the first time this year during Open House Chicago, the public is welcome to come tour the historic theater, which was first opened as a motion picture palace in 1926. Stage legends such as Judy Garland and Duke Ellington have performed there.

Address: 24 W. Randolph St., Loop

L Stop: State & Lake, Green, Pink, Orange and Brown Lines

Dates and Times: Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Old Chicago Inn

The Old Chicago Inn, located just around the corner from the Belmont “L” stop, may look like another bed and breakfast, but this 1920s-styled inn has a secret speakeasy entrance in the alley. Sip a cocktail and explore the a turn-of-the-century graystone. We hear the password is “showtime.”

Address: 3222 N. Sheffield Ave., Lake View

L Stop: Belmont, Red and Brown Line

Dates and Times: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Steep Theater & The Boxcar

Chicago’s theater scene extends way past the Loop. The company at the Steep Theater and next-door Boxcar strive to produce new and under-performed plays in small, intimate spaces. The building, a first-timer to Open House Chicago, used to be a grocery store before it was redesigned in 2008.

Address: 1115 W. Berwyn Ave., Edgewater

L Stop: Berwyn, Red Line

Dates and Times: Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Peter Pawinski/For the Newberry Library

The Forum

Want to bust a move on what may be the city’s oldest hardwood dance floor? Located in Bronzeville, The Forum is one of the oldest assembly and performance halls in the city and was the center of the black community in the area. Built in 1897, the red-bricked building has hosted performers such as Nat King Cole, union meetings and political assemblies. Once on the verge of demolition, The Forum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 2019. A large renovation is being planned, so get in and tour it now.

Address: 324 E. 43rd St., Bronzeville

L Stop: 43rd Street, Green Line

Dates and Times: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

UChicago Green Line Performing Arts Center

Completed in 2018, the UChicago Green Line Performing Arts Center is the most recent addition to the Arts Block, a collection of cultural and commercial spaces on Garfield Boulevard in Washington Park. This new theater venue and rehearsal space is housed in what used to be jazz and entertainment venues, including a nightclub that was once owned by boxing legend Joe Lewis.

Address: 329 E. Garfield Blvd., Washington Park

L Stop: Garfield, Green Line

Dates and Times: Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

Héctor Duarte Studio

Last month, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on a Pilsen muralist whose home best reflects his life’s work: It has a massive mural called “Gulliver in Wonderland” painted on it. The artist, Héctor Duarte, has painted more than 50 murals in Chicago, and is opening his home and studio so art lovers can view complete and in-progress artwork.

Address: 1900 W. Cullerton St. (Enter on Wolcott), Pilsen

L Stop: Damen, Pink Line

Dates and Times: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Hatchery

Food and beverage entrepreneurs know The Hatchery well. The building, completed earlier this year and making its Open House Chicago debut, holds 54 leasable private kitchens as well as food storage, shared kitchens, loading docks, meeting and office spaces to help entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground and out of the kitchen. Hop off the Kedzie stop on the Green Line and get in past the building’s plaza to see its impressive event and meeting places and the current home of Impact Culinary Program, spearheaded by Chef Rick Bayless.

Address: 135 N. Kedzie Ave., Garfield Park

L Stop: Kedzie, Green Line

Dates and Times: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.