Landmark Uptown Theater Corp. – An Illinois Nonprofit 501(c)3

Grand Lobby photo courtesy of Mike Hume.

THE UPTOWN THEATRE
HAS BEEN ADDED TO
THE CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER’S
OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO® FESTIVAL,
JOINING MORE THAN 200 SITES
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,
OCTOBER 17 & 18, 2026

Now in its 16^th year, the annual public festival, one of the largest of its kind in the world, provides free access to architecturally, historically and culturally significant sites across 30 diverse Chicago neighborhoods, including more than 20 sites that are all new to the festival in 2026.

CHICAGO, October 1, 2026 — The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) announces that the long-dormant Uptown Theatre (Rapp & Rapp, 1925) has been added to the lineup of 200+ sites for Open House Chicago® taking place Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18, 2026.

“The Uptown Theatre is an extraordinary piece of architecture, from its massive 4,400-seat auditorium through the ornate details throughout its three lobbies,” said Adam Rubin, Senior Director of Public Engagement at the Chicago Architecture Center, who oversees Open House Chicago. “It speaks to a time a century ago when going to the movie or a concert was to be transported into a fantastical world far from the bustling streets of Chicago.”

Visitors to the landmark Uptown Theatre will be able to access not only the Grand Lobby but also the rarely accessed Auditorium in guided groups. The eagerly anticipated Open House Chicago® (OHC), one of the largest architecture and urban exploration festivals in the world, is a free annual festival that provides behind-the-scenes access to places of architectural, historical and cultural significance.

No advance registration is required to participate; visitors simply choose their sites and show up during daily Open House hours. Plan your itinerary at openhousechicago.org.

Additional sites announced today include: the under-renovation Pittsfield Building (Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, 1927) atrium and second floor; the historic Monadnock Building (Burnham & Root, 1891; Holabird & Roche, 1893), offering Chicago Fashion Week experiences in its ground floor storefronts; and new Chicago Architecture Center Marquette Hub inside the historic Marquette Building. The Marquette Hub, newly open on S. Dearborn Street, makes a convenient stop for visitors exploring nearby Open House Chicago destinations in the Loop, including: Center for Native Futures, Chicago Loop Synagogue, The Chicago Board of Trade Building, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Money Museum, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, HKS, Harold Washington Library Center, One North Dearborn and 333 South Wabash..

The more than 20 sites also making their Open House Chicago® debut in 2026 include: Muddy Waters MOJO Museum inside the restored Kenwood residence of the Father of Chicago Blues; Smashed Plastic Record Pressing, a vinyl LP pressing plant located in the former Hammond Organ factory in Hermosa; the Studio Gang-designed Chinese American Service League Kam Liu Building in Chinatown; and the Revival-style Women’s Athletic Club on the Near North Side, home of the first athletic club for women in the United States. New sites for 2026:

Blackhawks Ice Center (Near West Side)
Muddy Waters MOJO Museum (Kenwood)
Smashed Plastic Record Pressing (Hermosa)
Windy City Bird Lab (Near West Side)
Sears Sunken Garden (North Lawndale)
Oak Woods Cemetery (Woodlawn) *Built on Belief site
Narrow Bridge Arts Club (Woodlawn) *Built on Belief site
TimeLine Theatre (Uptown)
Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (Downtown)
Woman’s Athletic Club (Near North Side)
Chinese American Service League Kam Liu Building (Chinatown)
Xchange Chicago at Gary Comer Youth Center (Woodlawn)
St. Pauls United Church of Christ (Lincoln Park)
Albany-Carroll Arts Building (Garfield Park)
FarmZero (Downtown)
Olson Kundig (Near West Side)
Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Headquarters (Bronzeville)
BandWith Chicago (Garfield Park)
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (Hyde Park)
Uptown Theatre (Uptown)
The Pittsfield Building (Downtown)
Monadnock Building (Downtown)
Chicago Architecture Center Marquette Hub (Downtown)

Every October, Open House Chicago® attracts more than 35,000 visitors from across the region and around the U.S., for special free access to lofty skyscraper rooftops and penthouses, historic landmarks, breweries and distilleries, houses of worship, innovative workspaces, schools and greenspaces, many that are seldom open to the public, while highlighting businesses, organizations and creative leaders making a positive impact. This year, OHC will feature more than 200 locations across 30 Chicago neighborhoods, including more than 20 sites that are all new to the festival, and debut the new Built on Belief initiative

The Uptown Theatre is the crown jewel of theater developers Balaban and Katz and renowned movie house architects Rapp and Rapp. Built in 1925, it is the largest freestanding theater in North America and was inspired by opulent palaces in Europe, employing the Spanish Baroque Revival style. With a stage, orchestra pit, movie screen and pipe organ, patrons could enjoy movies, plays, vaudeville acts, comedians, news reels and music in all forms. The venue shuttered in 1981 with its final concert being the J. Geils Band. Visitors will be able to access the Broadway lobby and the auditorium in guided groups. As always, Chicago Architecture Center members get priority access to Open House Chicago® sites.

Visitors interested in attending the event can learn more details on the Chicago Architecture Center’s website to plan their OHC weekend.

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About the Chicago Architecture Center
The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), a nonprofit celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, showcases Chicago and ideas from cities worldwide to inspire better living through design. A national leader in architecture and design education, the CAC offers tours, programs, exhibitions and more that are part of a dynamic journey of lifelong learning.

Opened to the public in 2018, its riverfront location is in the heart of the city, where Michigan Avenue meets the Chicago River, featuring nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibition space with views of a century of iconic skyscrapers.

Through partnerships with schools and youth-serving organizations, the CAC reaches approximately 5,000 K-12 students annually, while teacher workshops provide educators with tools and resources they need to advance STEM curricula in their classrooms. Committed to serving under-represented communities in construction, engineering and design professions, the CAC offers many of its education programs — and all its programs for teens — at no cost to participants. CAC programs for adults and members include talks with acclaimed authors and practicing architects, in-depth presentations on issues and trends in urbanism and classes unlocking subjects related to the built environment.

Proceeds from programs, tours and the CAC Design Store, as well as from grants, sponsorships and donations, support its educational mission. Visit architecture.org to learn more and follow @chiarchitecture and #chiarchitecture on social media.

CLICK HERE for INFORMATION about OPEN HOUSE CHICAGO at the UPTOWN

See Media Coverage of the Book & the 100th Anniversary

See Recent Video Documentary by Eddie Arruza

“The captivating images and stories in this book impel us all to support the efforts that will allow the UPTOWN to hold its place in Chicago’s architectural firmament.”

BILL KURTIS
Journalist

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This is the Definitive History
On the 100th Anniversary
Presented in a Hardcover Book
With Beautiful Photography,
Written by Robert Loerzel,
Introduction by James A. Pierce.

A Few Copies May Remain…
CityFiles Press is Out of Stock

CityFiles Press

Jarvis Square Books

Buddy @ Chicago Cultural Center

Women & Children First

Barnes & Noble

Amazon Books

You may support the restoration of the Uptown Theatre’s chandeliers with a tax-deductible donation. Please give via Zelle to: The Landmark Uptown Theater Corp.

foralltime1925 [at]
gmail [dot] com

How You Can Help

Book Talks
Available Upon Request

Note: Author Robert Loerzel shares information about upcoming talks. Please refer to his website for more.

Learn the History

This is a peek at the Uptown’s history through the only film dedicated to the Uptown’s story. What happens when a building slips through a crack in time? This film explores the history of the Uptown and why the biggest and arguably most elaborate movie theatre in the country has been left vacant for more than 40 years. The 2006 documentary “Uptown: Portrait of a Palace” explores the story of the theatre with vintage and more recent film footage and interviews with historians, neighbors and key players in the restoration effort. It won “Best Documentary” at the 11th annual Flicker Fest.
― Michael Bisberg & John Pappas

See Uptown Square

During the first two decades of the 20th century, real estate development transformed the intersection of Lawrence and Broadway from a rural crossroads to one of the region’s most vibrant entertainment, business, and shopping districts. “Jazz Age” musicians and artists performed at numerous theaters and nightclubs, while luxury hotels and retail development further defined the area’s distinctive character. Today, Uptown Square is one of the city’s finest surviving examples of an early 20th century neighborhood commercial and entertainment district, one rivaling the size of the downtowns of many smaller cities.
― Commission on Chicago Landmarks