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Chicago's Historic Buildings Open To Public This Weekend

(CBS) -- It's a rare treat for architecture lovers.

CBS 2 Vince Gerasole gets a sneak peek at this year's Open House Chicago.

You may have walked past the 117-year-old Fine Arts Building before, never realizing the wonders awaiting, if you just stepped inside its sepia-toned lobby.

Inside is one of the last hand-operated elevators in the country.

Especially stunning this fall is the gleaming white Studebaker Theater, just restored to its 1898 heyday. It's crowned by a carved ceiling, with glistening flourishes at every corner.

"With architecture we often say, 'Look up,'" says Lynn Osmond of the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

This year's edition of Open House Chicago is throwing the doors open to more than 200 architectural gems not always seen by the general public.

"It gives you a chance to be a voyeur in a new neighborhood --- so it's a scavenger hunt of finding new buildings," Osmond says.

One of the top attractions towers 400 feet into the heavens. It's the sky chapel of the First United Methodist Church, a gift of the Walgreen family.

The open house attracts thousands. This year, the event runs Oct. 17 and 18. Click here for more information.

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