Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation

an amazing space. if you are a fan of frank lloyd wright you should check this place out, look to see if there are any concerts here because the acoustics here are great and the space is large but still intimate especially for such a massive old poured in place concrete structure.

I was taking the FL Wright walking audio tour of Oak Park with a couple of friends & we toured the temple. VERY much worth the $ 7! Especially if you’re doing the walking tour in the colder mos, it’s a great place to warm up & be wowed!

Had my wedding here two weeks ago.
YAY Pro: Beautiful space, and Meridian, the event coordinator was quite responsive with my thousands of emails and questions. Rules/​regulations pretty open and easy to work with.
Con: The rehearsal was helter skelter because of our minister’s approach (shes not affiliated with UT) but regardless it would have been helpful if a UT staff member were actually participating in the rehearsal — although she was present, she was guarding the door. During our actual wedding we couldnt remember how all the hallways and doors connected, and got lost after the recessional! The venue really needs to provide someone for the door and someone for the wedding party at both the rehearsal and the ceremony.

Frank Lloyd Wright definitely rose to the challenge on this one. Faced with a low budget, while still standing up to the huge churches in the area, I would say he did a phenomenal job, and one walk through the temple is all it takes to see why this was such a breakthrough then and now.
If you’re in the area, definitely take the tour, and you’re actually allowed to take pictures, so bring a nice camera!

UTUUC is a welcoming congregation and a warm and accepting mixture of singles and families of all kinds, with many adopted children. This morning’s service was led by the wonderful Minister of Religious Education, who talked about her own experiences growing up gay as well as the current response to suicides by gay teens, including the It Gets Better Project.
Unitarian Universalists offer a haven from many more dogmatic religions, and their congregations tend to be refuges for people who have been hurt by religion but still feel religious, as well as many others who just feel affinity for their values. Most congregations have very active social missions, and UTUUC is no exception.
I was raised UU so I am used to its odd mixture of elements. Its spirituality is hard to define, and sometimes that’s not completely satisfying. But especially if you are raising children and want them to be part of a congregation where they will be taught that they are free to define their own beliefs, UTUUC is a very good choice. The youth programming is excellent, including support for teens by some really dedicated and inspiring adults.
Even if you don’t have children, you might still like being part of a community in which children may feel able to grow up to be themselves.
Sitting in that glorious worship space, a visionary design by Frank Lloyd Wright, really adds to the experience. This congregation also has very good music and an active choir led by an outstanding director.

As a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright designs, this is another must see.
The temple is easily within walking distance of his home place which is what we did after our tour completed there. Be sure you check the hours they are open for visitors as this is a functioning church facility and the admissions desk was staffed by a young lady who was extremely nice and helpful. Admission is quite reasonable and the facility is open to be self-​guided. We were able to walk throughout the entire facility and take photos from any vantage.
The facility is not air-​conditioned, which is something she explained they would like to do if they can raise the money. This would help stabilize the building and control the humidity.
The build appears to be in good shape though there were a few spots they had been restoring which were easily visible.
If you are fan of FLW, then this is certainly a structure you should tour.
Enjoy

I can only speak of my experience as a visitor and NOT as a follower of the Unitarian Universalist faith.
Sadly, the church is under renovation, so I was able to see how the church was a bit worn (torn pieces of the wall can be seen). I did like the window works (my favorite part of Wright’s designs). Not much to see with the church so the $ 8 admission to see 2 rooms was too much for me. Oh well, I hope the money can help the renovation go smoothly…

After having apostasized from my Mormon upbringing years ago, this was the first refreshing approach to religion that I have come across so far: all inclusive, thoughtful sermons, somewhat patterned and ritualistic but not too much so, an effort to draw from the wisdom and reflections of great minds from all faiths and walks of life, and hymns not unlike those from my upbringing; add to that one of the coolest chapels on earth and this is a church worth returning to and exploring. Favorite: lecture to the kiddies on the virtues of hitchhiking.