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A cavernous church sanctuary with light plaster walls, wood trim, and rows of pews.
The Arts and Crafts style sanctuary of Chicago’s Second Presbyterian Church.
Eric Allix Rogers/Chicago Architecture Center

16 historic churches, temples, synagogues to see at Open House Chicago

With over 90 stunning places of worship to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down

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The Arts and Crafts style sanctuary of Chicago’s Second Presbyterian Church.
| Eric Allix Rogers/Chicago Architecture Center

While it’s easy to appreciate Chicago’s historic and architecturally significant places of worship from outside, you’ll get a unique chance to also peek inside on October 19 and 20 during Open House Chicago. Curbed Chicago spoke with Eric Rogers, OHC and community outreach manager for the Chicago Architecture Center, to highlight some of the can’t-miss sacred spaces.

More than 90 churches, temples, and synagogues are taking part in this year’s free event. With so many good options, Rogers struggled to narrow it down to 16 favorites. He says he emphasized religious structures that have unusual architecture or are working to tackle important social issues. “It’s a genre I am very passionate about,” Rogers tells Curbed. “[Religious sites] tell the stories of the communities in which they exist, as well as what’s going on today.”

Beyond places of worship, this year’s OHC weekend includes access to 350 of the city’s most impressive skyscrapers, ornate theaters, and hidden cultural gems. To help plan your weekend, the Chicago Architecture Center lists all of the sites on their website and lets you filter by category. It even tells you which spots are expected to have the longest lines.

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Third Unitarian Church

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Architect Paul Schweikher designed this South Austin church in 1936. “He was known for Mid-century suburban houses,” Rogers said. “So it’s very unusual, and you feel like your in someone’s basement rec-room.” Constructed during the Great Depression, the church was built using brick and wood to save money—it is simple, but still unique.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church

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Located in Beverly, this neo-gothic structure dates back to 1940, but it also has this groovy stained glass installed in the 60s, according to Rogers. “That juxtaposition is really compelling.” The organ will be played periodically throughout the day.

Open Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

First Church of Deliverance

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Walter T. Bailey, the first licensed African-American architect in Illinois, designed this Bronzeville church in the Streamline Moderne style. Rogers said this was one of the churches, “credited as the birthplace of gospel music.” The church has been broadcasting services for over 80 years, which makes it longest continuous program of its kind.

Open Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

St. Ita Roman Catholic Church

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Located in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, St. Ita is known for its 120-foot gothic tower is made out of 1,800 tons of Bedford limestone. The altar is elaborate, but the windows are really something to look at—they contain more than 200,000 pieces of stained glass.

Open Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

St. Benedict the African Catholic Church

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This modernist church in Englewood is inspired by traditional African huts and is named for an enslaved person in 16th-century Italy who followed Francis of Assisi. Along with contemporary stained glass and a 200-pound hand-woven tapestry, the sanctuary holds a full-immersion stone baptismal pool which holds 10,000 gallons of water.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bahá'í House of Worship

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Lots of people travel to Wilmette’s Bahá’í House of Worship throughout the year, but OHC visitors will be able to snap photos inside, something that is not usually allowed. The impressive North Shore structure is the Bahá’í religion’s first temple in the western hemisphere, opening in 1953. The dome is made with white Portland cement and crushed quartz to make it as white as possible.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church

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St. Mel’s Irish Catholic parish once occupied this 1910 building in West Garfield Park, but the Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church bought it in 1993. “Much of the original design remains,” Rogers said, but the building’s new windows are “very powerful.” One depicts the slave trade’s imprint on this African-American church and the surrounding community. The newest window includes imagery of the child martyrs from the Civil Rights movement and Chicago’s urban violence, including Hadiyah Pendleton and Laquan McDonald.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Augustana Lutheran Church

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“It’s a brutalist church, all brick and concrete, and almost a cavelike experience,” said Rogers regarding Hyde Park’s modernist Augustana Lutheran Church. Inside, you can also see sacred art including works by the late Chicago sculptor Egon Weiner.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation

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Right across the street from former President Obama’s home, this 1924 building houses the oldest Jewish congregation in the Midwest, founded in 1847. “Its smaller chapel was designed later by Ron Dirsmith, an architect who was mostly known for later working with Hugh Hefner doing office designs for Playboy,” Rogers said.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from noon to 3 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from noon to 3 p.m.

West Suburban Temple Har Zion Synagogue

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This modernist synagogue was built in River Forest by architecture firm Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett in 1953. But, Rogers said that “the real star is the collection of five 20-foot-tall stained glass windows that were executed in the 60s by William Gropper, known as a comic artist. It tells the story of the book of Genesis in his unusual, almost cartoonish style.”

Open Sunday, October 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

St. Paul's Catholic Church

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Rogers called this Lower West Side church, “instantly recognizable for having the twin spires that you can see from a long way away.” But its real claim to fame is not as noticeable—it was constructed without a single nail and even featured in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church

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A National Historic Landmark, this South Loop church suffered a devastating fire in 1900, so the congregation hired architects Howard Van Doren Shaw and Frederic Clay Bartlett to rebuild the building in the then-popular Arts and Crafts style. Over the years, the church welcomed many famous Chicago families including the Pullmans, Blackstones, and Armours.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

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Holy Trinity is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Chicago Landmark and is the oldest Orthodox parish in Chicago. Its unique style is typical of Slavic provincial architecture. Designed by Louis Sullivan, it is the famous architect’s only remaining church in Chicago and one of just two in the world.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from noon to 4 p.m.

Buddhist Temple of Chicago

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This contemporary Buddhist temple with a hexagonal shape was constructed in 2006 in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Chicago’s original temple, however, was founded in Hyde Park in 1944 and catered to Japanese-Americans recently released from World War II internment camps.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Chicago Loop Synagogue

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The current building was designed by Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett in 1957, although the Chicago Loop Synagogue was founded in 1929 for Jewish workers downtown and visitors. A must-see here is a wall of stained glass crafted by Abraham Rattner.

Open Sunday, October 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

Ling Shen Ching Tze Buddhist Temple

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After this building’s designer John Wellborn Root died mid-project, Daniel Burnham took over in 1891 to complete what was then the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. Since 1992, the Bridgeport building has been home to the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple of True Buddha School. Visitors will be asked to remove their shoes before entering.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Third Unitarian Church

Architect Paul Schweikher designed this South Austin church in 1936. “He was known for Mid-century suburban houses,” Rogers said. “So it’s very unusual, and you feel like your in someone’s basement rec-room.” Constructed during the Great Depression, the church was built using brick and wood to save money—it is simple, but still unique.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Trinity United Methodist Church

Located in Beverly, this neo-gothic structure dates back to 1940, but it also has this groovy stained glass installed in the 60s, according to Rogers. “That juxtaposition is really compelling.” The organ will be played periodically throughout the day.

Open Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

First Church of Deliverance

Walter T. Bailey, the first licensed African-American architect in Illinois, designed this Bronzeville church in the Streamline Moderne style. Rogers said this was one of the churches, “credited as the birthplace of gospel music.” The church has been broadcasting services for over 80 years, which makes it longest continuous program of its kind.

Open Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

St. Ita Roman Catholic Church

Located in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, St. Ita is known for its 120-foot gothic tower is made out of 1,800 tons of Bedford limestone. The altar is elaborate, but the windows are really something to look at—they contain more than 200,000 pieces of stained glass.

Open Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

St. Benedict the African Catholic Church

This modernist church in Englewood is inspired by traditional African huts and is named for an enslaved person in 16th-century Italy who followed Francis of Assisi. Along with contemporary stained glass and a 200-pound hand-woven tapestry, the sanctuary holds a full-immersion stone baptismal pool which holds 10,000 gallons of water.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bahá'í House of Worship

Lots of people travel to Wilmette’s Bahá’í House of Worship throughout the year, but OHC visitors will be able to snap photos inside, something that is not usually allowed. The impressive North Shore structure is the Bahá’í religion’s first temple in the western hemisphere, opening in 1953. The dome is made with white Portland cement and crushed quartz to make it as white as possible.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church

St. Mel’s Irish Catholic parish once occupied this 1910 building in West Garfield Park, but the Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church bought it in 1993. “Much of the original design remains,” Rogers said, but the building’s new windows are “very powerful.” One depicts the slave trade’s imprint on this African-American church and the surrounding community. The newest window includes imagery of the child martyrs from the Civil Rights movement and Chicago’s urban violence, including Hadiyah Pendleton and Laquan McDonald.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Augustana Lutheran Church

“It’s a brutalist church, all brick and concrete, and almost a cavelike experience,” said Rogers regarding Hyde Park’s modernist Augustana Lutheran Church. Inside, you can also see sacred art including works by the late Chicago sculptor Egon Weiner.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation

Right across the street from former President Obama’s home, this 1924 building houses the oldest Jewish congregation in the Midwest, founded in 1847. “Its smaller chapel was designed later by Ron Dirsmith, an architect who was mostly known for later working with Hugh Hefner doing office designs for Playboy,” Rogers said.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from noon to 3 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from noon to 3 p.m.

West Suburban Temple Har Zion Synagogue

This modernist synagogue was built in River Forest by architecture firm Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett in 1953. But, Rogers said that “the real star is the collection of five 20-foot-tall stained glass windows that were executed in the 60s by William Gropper, known as a comic artist. It tells the story of the book of Genesis in his unusual, almost cartoonish style.”

Open Sunday, October 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

St. Paul's Catholic Church

Rogers called this Lower West Side church, “instantly recognizable for having the twin spires that you can see from a long way away.” But its real claim to fame is not as noticeable—it was constructed without a single nail and even featured in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church

A National Historic Landmark, this South Loop church suffered a devastating fire in 1900, so the congregation hired architects Howard Van Doren Shaw and Frederic Clay Bartlett to rebuild the building in the then-popular Arts and Crafts style. Over the years, the church welcomed many famous Chicago families including the Pullmans, Blackstones, and Armours.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

Holy Trinity is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Chicago Landmark and is the oldest Orthodox parish in Chicago. Its unique style is typical of Slavic provincial architecture. Designed by Louis Sullivan, it is the famous architect’s only remaining church in Chicago and one of just two in the world.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from noon to 4 p.m.

Buddhist Temple of Chicago

This contemporary Buddhist temple with a hexagonal shape was constructed in 2006 in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Chicago’s original temple, however, was founded in Hyde Park in 1944 and catered to Japanese-Americans recently released from World War II internment camps.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Chicago Loop Synagogue

The current building was designed by Loebl, Schlossman and Bennett in 1957, although the Chicago Loop Synagogue was founded in 1929 for Jewish workers downtown and visitors. A must-see here is a wall of stained glass crafted by Abraham Rattner.

Open Sunday, October 20, from noon to 5 p.m.

Ling Shen Ching Tze Buddhist Temple

After this building’s designer John Wellborn Root died mid-project, Daniel Burnham took over in 1891 to complete what was then the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. Since 1992, the Bridgeport building has been home to the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple of True Buddha School. Visitors will be asked to remove their shoes before entering.

Open Saturday, October, 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.