Open House Chicago returns this weekend, more than 170 buildings will open to the public

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Saturday and Sunday is Open House Chicago, with the public gaining access to nearly 200 significant sites throughout the city, including the Great Hall inside the Federal Reserve Bank in the Loop.

The Great Hall features a four-story high ceiling and 12 massive columns. Mathew Ramirez with the Money Museum, that’s also located inside the bank, said the columns represent the 12 different Federal Reserve banks throughout the country.

“If you have a bill on you right now and you want to take out your wallet, it might have a “7G” on it. And so we are the seventh district,” Ramirez said.

“And so, 7G means that we were the ones who requested that bill to be printed through the Treasury Department and it came here first.”

The Federal Reserve Money Museum will also have special weekend hours.

Federal Reserve System historian Jonathan Rose has his eye on the museum’s 1 million dollar cube, made up of stacked $1 bills.

“Well, my kids math teacher loves to find ways to help kids understand large numbers like a million. I told them about this cube and I think it really helps just to see the amount of space that a million dollars takes up,” Rose said.

“To me, it's not really an intuitive number. I couldn't really guess that this is what, a million dollars.”

A brief case filled with $100 bills is also onsite for an additional 1 million dollar perspective.

More information on which architecturally, historically and culturally important buildings are viewable this Open House Chicago, can be found on the Chicago Architecture Center website .

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