I'll willing to go as far as to say OHC is my annual favorite Chicago event. It's a time to go beyond the big attractions and see all the wonderful smaller attractions that make Chicago special.
Once again this year, I served as a volunteer, returning to the Nichols Tower where I volunteered in 2021. Situated a few miles west of the Loop, the 14th floor has great views of the skyline, other neighborhoods of Chicago, and even some of the suburbs, including Oak Park. As a volunteer, I especially enjoyed greeting visitors and welcoming them to the Original Sears Tower. The staff who work there were also great to collaborate with during my afternoon there.
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| View east toward downtown Chicago |
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| Someone on duty during the open house photographed me inside. |
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| Exterior view of the Nichols Tower |
After I finished my volunteer shift, I drove to the Austin neighborhood and visited the Notre Dame Church. I was intrigued to learn that it was once a Methodist Church and then a Roman Catholic religious order acquired the building and spent extensive resources to refurbish it.
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| Main altar |
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| Side altar |
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| The organ |
The next day, Sunday, Mom and I spent time in the afternoon sightseeing together. The rainy morning ended by the time we set out in the afternoon and it was brilliantly sunny. We started at the Walt Disney Birth Home in Hermosa. We went with a group inside the home, stopping in various rooms to hear more of the story of the house and the Disney family.
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| Front of the Disney Birth House |
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| This paperwork is an affidavit of Walt Disney's birth. |
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| Here's a close-up of artwork on top of an interior door. |
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| In the room Walt shared with his brother |
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| Mom and I pose outside the front of the house. I think an OHC volunteer might have photographed us. |
Next, we made a quick stop at a weaver company.
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| Above and below are views of the weaving equipment. |
And then we went to Ignite Glass Studio, which was fascinating for a variety of reasons. The walkway to the side entrance had artistic glass embedded at intervals. The staff had demonstrations of creating glass art. And there were great views from the rooftop, including the Chicago skyline and the nearby Union Pacific tracks.
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| Outside courtyard |
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| Above and below are the live glass artwork demonstrations. |
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| Rooftop view looking west |
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| Looking east on the rooftop area toward the skyline |
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| Looking down at the courtyard |
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| A fellow visitor kindly photographed Mom and Me with the skyline behind us. |
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| Above is the entry way, and below is the detail of the walkway leading to the courtyard. |
On our way back to Oak Park, I made a quick stop inside St. Helen Church on Augusta, which had a side chapel for baptisms.
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| The exterior of St. Helen has a state of Pope St. John Paul II appearing on the left. |
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| The baptistry inside |
One consistent highlight of my OHC experiences is the skyline views. Visiting buildings that are open during OHC allows me to see the vast expanse of Chicago from up above and get a new perspective. Perhaps that's why I was drawn to return as a volunteer at the Nichols Tower. I'm certain it was why the skyline views were a highlight on Sunday at the Ignite Glass Studio, even from a rooftop terrace only one story up. Seeing the art of glass-blowing was fascinating, too.
Chicago has so much to offer in the intricate patchwork that it is. I'm grateful to the Chicago Architecture Center for how they provide this wonderful opportunity to see what's in Chicago, and, for me as a volunteer, to be part of showcasing what's here. I was amazed at one point when I briefly spoke with a woman who said she travels from Maryland to Chicago every year for OHC. I was glad to hear that because I would recommend this event to anyone, especially from out of town to see what's here.
OHC was once again a great way to connect with Chicago and see new views of it.
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