diff --git a/collects/unstable/open-place.rkt b/collects/unstable/open-place.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5e518e293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/unstable/open-place.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#lang racket/base
+
+(require (for-syntax syntax/parse racket/base syntax/free-vars racket/syntax)
+         racket/place)
+
+(provide open-place)
+
+(define-syntax (open-place stx)
+  (syntax-parse stx
+    [(_ ch:id body:expr ...)
+     (define b #'(let () body ...))
+     (define/with-syntax b* (local-expand b 'expression null))
+     (define/with-syntax (fvs ...) (free-vars #'b*))
+     (define/with-syntax (i ...) (for/list ([(v i) (in-indexed (syntax->list #'(fvs ...)))]) i))
+     (define/with-syntax (v p) (generate-temporaries '(v p)))
+     #'(let ()
+         (define p (place ch (let* ([v (place-channel-get ch)]
+                                    [fvs (vector-ref v i)] ...)
+                               b*)))
+         (define vec (vector fvs ...))
+         (for ([e (in-vector vec)]
+               [n (in-list (syntax->list (quote-syntax (fvs ...))))])
+           (unless (place-message-allowed? e)
+             (raise-arguments-error 'open-place 
+                                    "free variable values must be allowable as place messages"
+                                    (symbol->string (syntax-e n)) e)))
+         (place-channel-put p vec)
+         p)]))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/collects/unstable/scribblings/open-place.scrbl b/collects/unstable/scribblings/open-place.scrbl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56406633b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collects/unstable/scribblings/open-place.scrbl
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#lang scribble/manual
+@(require scribble/eval "utils.rkt"
+          (for-label unstable/open-place racket/place racket/contract racket/base))
+
+@(define the-eval (make-base-eval))
+@(the-eval '(require racket/class racket/place unstable/open-place))
+
+@title[#:tag "open-place"]{Open @racket[place] expressions}
+@unstable-header[]
+
+@defmodule[unstable/open-place]
+
+@addition[@author+email["Sam Tobin-Hochstadt" "samth@racket-lang.org"]]
+
+@defform[(open-place id body ...+)]{ 
+
+Like @racket[(place id body ...)], but @racket[body ...] may have free lexical
+variables, which are automatically sent to the newly-created @tech{place}.
+Note that these variables must have values accepted by
+@racket[place-message-allowed?], otherwise an @[exn:fail:contract] is raised.
+}
diff --git a/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl b/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl
index fc92018939..82e32f6093 100644
--- a/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl
+++ b/collects/unstable/scribblings/unstable.scrbl
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ Keep documentation and tests up to date.
 @include-section["logging.scrbl"]
 @include-section["markparam.scrbl"]
 @include-section["match.scrbl"]
+@include-section["open-place.scrbl"]
 @include-section["parameter-group.scrbl"]
 @include-section["pretty.scrbl"]
 @include-section["recontract.scrbl"]