Entry No. 86 — the Chicago file — filed under: hands-on
Chicago Industrial Arts & Design Center (CIADC)
A nonprofit industrial makerspace inside a converted warehouse (the old Zenith building) where adults learn to forge, weld, cast metal, and run a CNC shop — DNAinfo once called it a "hackerspace" for people who want to build in steel and iron, not just wood or clay.
The story
Most community studios offer watercolor palettes or pottery wheels. Chicago Industrial Arts & Design Center offers you a furnace, a blast forge, and an anvil. Tucked inside a converted Rogers Park warehouse along North Ravenswood Avenue—a industrial brick structure that formerly housed a Zenith electronics facility—this 501(c)(3) nonprofit was founded in 2014 by sculptor Matt Runfola to fill a glaring gap: giving everyday people access to heavy industrial equipment.
Forget digital-only tech labs or gentle craft spaces. The floor here is engineered around raw material fabrication, split into four focused departments: Metalworking & Forging, Metal Casting & Foundry, Fine Woodworking, and CNC Machining. It operates like a working trade bay, where you can hammer red-hot steel, pour molten metal into sand molds, drive high-speed CNC routers, or weld heavy structural tubing under the watch of professional fabricators.
What it's like
Expect shop grime, high ambient noise, and the faint, dry odor of hot iron and cut timber. You'll be handed safety glasses and ear protection before stepping past the threshold. Bring sturdy leather boots and wear strictly natural fibers like heavy cotton or denim—synthetic fabrics melt onto skin when exposed to sparks, and nobody here is interested in a trip to the ER. The crowd is a mix of absolute beginners taking intro forging workshops and seasoned makers running open-studio projects.
The move: Take a Metalworking & Forging class together and each hammer out your own piece of hot steel — a hook, bottle opener, or small tool — on the anvil under instructor guidance.
- 📍 Rogers Park
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 6433 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60626
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Chicago Mosaic School — Keep your hands dirty by moving from heavy iron forging to cutting stone and glass at North America's premier mosaic school nearby on Ravenswood.
- Malliway Bros. Magic & Witchcraft — Balance the physical violence of striking hot metal with a quiet visit to browse spell oils and folk magic supplies in Rogers Park.
- Armadillo's Pillow — Soothe your ears after the shop floor grind by flipping through dense, unsorted secondhand book stacks on Morse Avenue.
- Woolly Mammoth Antiques & Oddities — Pair your newly forged steel hook with a trip down into Andersonville to inspect preserved taxidermy and vintage medical tools.
Good to know
What specific departments operate inside the center?
CIADC maintains four distinct program areas: Metalworking & Forging, Foundry (Metal Casting), Fine Woodworking, and Technology & CNC Machining.
Do I need prior shop experience to take a class?
No. They offer introductory classes and one-off workshops designed for absolute beginners to learn basic tool safety while forging items like hooks or bottle openers.
What should I wear on the shop floor?
Strictly 100% natural fiber clothing (like cotton jeans and heavy shirts) and closed-toe leather boots or shoes. Synthetic materials like nylon or polyester are safety hazards around hot metal.
Can I use the equipment for my own independent projects?
Yes, but you must complete prerequisite coursework or demonstrate machine proficiency before accessing open studio hours.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · toolmade.org
last checked: 2026-07-19