The Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois (or Chicago Baháʼí Temple) is a Baháʼí temple in Wilmette, Illinois. It is the second Baháʼí House of Worship ever constructed and the oldest surviving. It is one of eight continental temples, constructed to serve all of North America.Use our Wilmette trip app to add Baha'i House of Worship and other attractions to your Wilmette vacation plans.
The temple was designed by French-Canadian architect Louis Bourgeois (1856–1930), who received design feedback from ʻAbdu'l-Bahá during a visit to Haifa in 1920. To convey the Baháʼí principle of the unity of religion, Bourgeois incorporated a variety of religious architecture and symbols. Although ʻAbdu'l-Bahá participated in a ground-breaking ceremony in 1912 that laid a cornerstone, construction began in earnest in the early 1920s and was delayed significantly through the Great Depression and World War II. Construction picked up again in 1947, and the temple was dedicated in a ceremony in 1953.
Baháʼí Houses of Worship are intended to include several social, humanitarian, and educational institutions clustered around the temple, although none have been built to such an extent. The temples are not intended as a local meeting place, but are instead open to the public and used as a devotional space for people of any faith.
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Baha'i House of Worship reviews
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The building is currently closed (COVID 19), but the grounds are stunning and worth a visit. There is free street and lot parking. Give yourself at least 20 - 30 minutes to walk around the nine... more »
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This is one of the most impressive buildings from the outside that you will ever see. The 9 sided building is one of a kind. Highly recommend going after April when the flowers are blooming and the.... more »
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Very beautiful place and open to all religions.. Very well maintained.. Will definitely be back to look in detail as we were short on time today for our visit. A reason most definitely to come back to Chicago!
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A good place to meditate upon open to all your religions. Massive structure well maintained. Clean environment and elegant structures. The art work is really good for our eyes to view. It has a good garden around the building with fountain.
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