CHI (P) - Private Tour of Unity Temple - Oak Park
About this event
Join Explore Chicago for a private docent led tour of Unity Temple in Oak Park.
Completed in 1908, Unity Temple was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Oak Park’s Unitarian Universalist congregation after their previous church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Limited by a modest budget and an urban site, Wright created an innovative design and used unconventional materials to produce one of the most sophisticated accomplishments of his early career. Designed in Wright’s Oak Park Studio, it is considered the greatest public building of his Prairie era. Unity Temple stands today as a masterpiece of modern architecture and design. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark and is part of The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, a World Heritage Site.
In 2017 a three-year, $25 million restoration of Unity Temple by Harboe Architects was completed. The work was funded by donations and grants, including a $10 million gift from Chicago’s Alphawood Foundation and $1.75 million from the congregation. Wright referred to Unity Temple as his “little jewel box,” and a major part of the project involved restoring the building’s art glass, including windows and light fixtures. In addition, Harboe and his team spent about a year developing techniques to repair cracks in the building’s plaster interior and concrete exterior. The addition of nine geothermal heating and cooling wells provides the temple with air conditioning for the first time in its history.
The tour will last approximately 60 minutes. It starts at 11:00 am, but participants are asked to arrive at 10:45 am.
Optional: We will meet for lunch after the tour at Il Vicolo Trattoria Restaurant (116 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park). Members pay for their own meal. Please let the event contact know if you are interested in a lunch reservation.
Carpooling: We would like to facilitate carpooling to this event. Please let the event contact know if you are willing to give one or more people a ride or if you would like to find a ride with someone else.
Parking: Unity Temple does not have a parking lot. While some street parking is available in the neighborhood, parking is very affordable a few blocks away at the Village of Oak Park’s Avenue Parking Garage (720 North Boulevard), with fees around $3 to $4 for 2-4 hours. (It is located right next door to Il Vicolo Trattoria Restaurant, where we are having lunch.)
Public Transportation: Public transportation to Unity Temple is available on the CTA (Oak Park Avenue or Harlem Avenue stations) and Metra (Oak Park station).
Event Contact(s)
Karin Grimes
Registration Info
Registration has closed - Event is past
Payment In Full In Advance Only
Cancellation Policy:
If you are a member and cancel your registration before the specified deadline, you will receive a full refund as a credit to your account. You can use the credit to pay for another event or put it toward your annual dues payment. Non-members will receive a refund on their credit card, minus a $4 processing fee.
No refunds are available to members or non-members after the cancellation deadline.
Invalid Quantity