A Free Open House Chicago Walk From the Board of Trade to House of Blues

The Board of Trade Building closes off the south end of the LaSalle Street canyon at 141 W. Jackson Blvd. Holabird and Root completed the Art Deco tower in 1930, and it stood as the tallest building in Chicago for 35 years, crowned by a 30-foot statue of Ceres. For Open House Chicago, the first-floor lobby and museum open for self-guided visits, and the basement vault, empty for decades, opens on the lower level after years of holding trading receipts, silver bars and thousands of steel lock boxes. Hours run 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. There are no restrooms on site.

House of Blues occupies the saddle-shaped theater at Marina City, the Bertrand Goldberg complex on the Chicago River, and has gone by that name from 1996 onward. Its interior takes cues from the Estavovski Opera House in Prague. On Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, visitors tour four floors at their own pace, including the Music Hall, the restaurant and bar, and the Foundation Room, a members-only club with three prayer rooms named Divinity, Buddha and Ganesh. Live music starts at 12:00 PM in the restaurant. The site stays closed on Sunday. Enter from the Marina City parking area on State St.

Open House Chicago runs October 17 and 18, with more than 200 sites open free and no advance registration. House of Blues opens on Saturday only, which sets the day for this pair. Start at the Board of Trade when doors open at 10:00 AM, then head north through the Loop and cross the river to Dearborn Street. An early start puts the vault in the morning and the Music Hall after noon, when the restaurant stage begins. Both sites are wheelchair accessible and allow photography. Chicago Architecture Center members can skip the line with a Priority Pass.