Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Opened to the public in 2018, the Chicago Architecture Center’s 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. The Chicago City Model Experience, shown here in the Center’s Chicago Gallery, is the largest scale model of the city, with more than 4,250 miniature buildings, interactive touchscreens, and a cinematic backdrop animating key moments in its history. This timelapse shows Columbian Model & Exhibit Works, Ltd. making more than 30 updates to the Chicago City Model in June 2020.
Permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Center spotlight Chicago’s continued leading role in the design of tall buildings that have changed skylines around the world, and highlight diverse neighborhoods, housing types, leading architects and future projects. The Center is also conveniently sited directly above the Chicago Riverwalk as well as docks launching Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady, “The Architects’ Choice” in river cruises.
Part of CAC@Home, the Chicago Architecture Center’s free and weekly mini magazine, the Center offers CAC Live: online events accessible remotely, many of which are free to CAC members. Visit architecture.org/caclive to view and register for upcoming events.
Archived at architecture.org/athome, CAC@Home includes additional benefits and exclusive offerings for CAC members.
Visit architecture.org to learn more and follow @chiarchitecture on social media.
Opened to the public in 2018, the Chicago Architecture Center’s 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. The Chicago City Model Experience, shown here in the Center’s Chicago Gallery, is the largest scale model of the city, with more than 4,250 miniature buildings, interactive touchscreens, and a cinematic backdrop animating key moments in its history. This timelapse shows Columbian Model & Exhibit Works, Ltd. making more than 30 updates to the Chicago City Model in June 2020.
Permanent and temporary exhibitions at the Center spotlight Chicago’s continued leading role in the design of tall buildings that have changed skylines around the world, and highlight diverse neighborhoods, housing types, leading architects and future projects. The Center is also conveniently sited directly above the Chicago Riverwalk as well as docks launching Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruises aboard Chicago’s First Lady, “The Architects’ Choice” in river cruises.
Part of CAC@Home, the Chicago Architecture Center’s free and weekly mini magazine, the Center offers CAC Live: online events accessible remotely, many of which are free to CAC members. Visit architecture.org/caclive to view and register for upcoming events.
Archived at architecture.org/athome, CAC@Home includes additional benefits and exclusive offerings for CAC members.
Visit architecture.org to learn more and follow @chiarchitecture on social media.
