Chicago is world-renowned for its architectural history and its contribution to the skilled crafts of designing and building skyscrapers, and our city's famous skyline draws people from around the world who want to see our groundbreaking buildings up close and in person. And to help locals and tourists try to cram as many building visits and tours into as short of a time as possible, every autumn the Chicago Architecture Foundation hosts its annual Open House Chicago exhibition which offers visitors access to dozens of famous and historic buildings.

For this year's Open House Chicago, which takes place this coming weekend, the Chicago Architecture Foundation is opening up 200 buildings across the Chicago area for anyone to check out during the weekend. From stately mansions built during Chicago's gilded age, to midcentury skyscrapers, to the offices of famous architects, there are more than enough places to visit to keep everyone occupied for the entire weekend. And while there are dozens of fascinating places to visit, we've narrowed the list down to a handful of sites that can't be missed.

This year's Open House Chicago will include various sites throughout the near suburbs, but in order to keep the list concise, we're focusing only on sites located within the city. However, there are certainly some really neat suburban locations to check out this year, particularly the Dearborn Observatory on Northwestern University's campus in Evanston as well as the brand new Vantage apartment tower in Oak Park.