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Our mission is to preserve, promote, and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prosper—a place to call home.

    Open House Chicago

    Open House Chicago 2025 site

     

    Photo by Ryan Barayuga.

    • National Public Housing Museum, 919 S. Ada Street, Chicago, IL 60607

    • Free
    • Learn more

    Explore our new civic and cultural home on Chicago’s near West Side as part of Open House Chicago!

    In partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center, the National Public Housing Museum is one of more than 200 architecturally, historically, or culturally significant sites welcoming visitors October 18–19, 2025, at this free annual architecture fest.

    Plan your itinerary and find out more at OpenHouseChicago.org.

    Saturday, October 18

    Meet the Architects
    11:30 am with Peter Landon and Terran Wilson
    3:30 pm with Terran Wilson
    Meet the architects who worked on the project to remake the last remaining building of the Jane Addams Homes into the National Public Housing Museum. These informal chats feature the Founder and Principal of LBBA, Peter Landon (FAIA, LEED, AP), and LBBA Principal, Terran Wilson (AIA). 

    Special Access: Historic Apartments
    Noon–5 pm
    Get a peek at three recreated apartments at the National Public Housing Museum. These historic apartments share the stories of different families who lived in the Jane Addams Homes between 1938 and 1975. Normally accessible only as part of an interactive guided tour, the apartments will be open for free, self-guided exploration at select points throughout Open House Chicago. 

    Sunday, October 19

    Special Access: Historic Apartments
    3–5 pm
    Get a peek at three recreated apartments at the National Public Housing Museum. These historic apartments share the stories of different families who lived in the Jane Addams Homes between 1938 and 1975. Normally accessible only as part of an interactive guided tour, the apartments will be open for free, self-guided exploration at select points throughout Open House Chicago. 

    All weekend

    Self-guided Visits
    10 am–5 pm
    Visitors can enjoy a self-guided visit that includes special exhibits like History Lessons: Everyday Objects from Public Housing and Living in the Shade: Open Space and Public Housing, Edgar Miller’s Animal Court, a scavenger hunt of architectural encounters, and interactive experiences in the REC Room and Demand the Impossible.

    A limited number of advanced tickets are also available that weekend for the full, guided tour of the Historic Apartments.

    Upcoming events

    Book with the title A Kitchenette to Fit Your Needs layered on top of a black and white photograph of an apartment building

    Collective Care in the Black Metropolis: From Kitchenette Living to the Public Housing Fight

    Join us for a conversation with cultural historian Amani Morrison on her new book, A Kitchenette to Fit Your Needs: Housing Chicago’s Great Migration.

    Read more
    Collage of high rise projects and new construction row houses

    Raj Chetty in Conversation on Economic Mobility and Housing Justice

    A timely conversation with economist Raj Chetty offers insights into the long-term impact of the HOPE VI program

    Read more
    orange background with a purple paper picador banner with decorative edges and house cutouts at each corner. in the center is the word HOME spelled out in smaller paper picador banners.

    Dia De Muertos/Day of the Dead

    Join us for this participatory cultural event as we collectively remember and honor our loved ones.

    Read more