The Baha'i House of Worship for the North American Continent, located in Wilmette, IL, is one of only eight continental Baha'i Temples in the world. It is the oldest of the Baha'i Temples and is open to people of all races, cultures, nationalities and religions. The Baha'i Temple in Wilmette does not have a "congregation" made up of Baha'is in the North Shore of Chicago. Instead, all Baha'i Temples are built as gifts for all people to use for personal prayer and meditation. Inside the Temple auditorium, the sacred writings of the world's religions are spoken, chanted or sung. No sermons or speeches are given inside the auditorium and no instruments are used; only a cappella music based on the sacred scriptures may be sung by an individual or choir. It is a place for prayer, meditation and worship and all are welcome.
Services are held Wednesday through Sunday at 12:30 PM and at 6:00 PM and are open to the public. On Sundays at 12:30-1:00 PM a Devotional Service is provided with music from the Temple Choir or a soloist, followed by an introductory talk about the Faith in the adjacent Welcome Center for anyone who is interested. Baha'i Holy Day Observances and other special Worship Services are also held in the Temple.
More information can be found on the Baha'i Temple's website.
The regular activities put on by the Baha'is of Wilmette are held at various locations around town, including the homes of community members, at Gilson Park, or at the Bahai Home on Greenleaf Ave and occassionally at the Baha'i Temple. If you'd like to learn more about the Wilmette Baha'i community's activities, please check out our calendar of events.