Chicago Cultural Center is a Beautiful Beginning to a Chicago Visit

Each year, the Cultural Center presents more than 700 free concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances, films and lectures. It is also a great place to begin a visit to Chicago; housing one of the city's two official Visitor Information Centers and a Café featuring coffee, pastries, sandwiches and salads. In 2010, nearly 900,000 visitors came to enjoy these free programs, take in the Cultural Center's beauty and utilize visitor services and programs, making it one of Chicago's most visited attractions. Admission is free.

Visit https://www.chicagoculturalcenter.org/ or call 312.744.6630 for a complete schedule of Chicago Cultural Center programs. Find Chicago visitor information at https://www.explorechicago.org/.

Building History

Steeped in local history, the Chicago Cultural Center building covers an entire city block, from Washington to Randolph Streets, and Michigan Avenue to Garland Court. It opened in 1897 to serve two purposes: 1) as the city's first permanent home for the Chicago Public Library (the building's south or Washington Street side); 2) as a headquarters for the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for Union Civil War veterans from all branches of service (the building's north or Randolph Street side). In 1947, the Chicago Public Library took over the entire building, later vacating it to open in its new central location, the Harold Washington Library Center (400 S. State Street), in 1991. Also in 1991, the building was officially renamed theChicagoCulturalCenter and became the nation's first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural center. Its hundreds of free presentations and events showcasing artists, musicians and performers from around the world and nearby are enjoyed by the public each year.

Popularly known as the “People's Palace,” architects Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge gave the building an imposing large-windowed exterior of granite and limestone, detailed with influences of Greek, Roman and Italian Renaissance architecture. Inside, flowing spaces were finished with the finest materials, including white marble; sparkling mosaics of glass, mother-of-pearl and stone; and colorfully decorated ornamental plasterwork. Large domes of leaded glass are centerpieces for the building's two sides. The noted Chicago decorating firm of Healy & Millet fabricated the dome for the Grand Army of the Republic's rooms on the Randolph Street side, which are now used as event spaces. On the Washington Street side, the former book delivery room, now known as Preston Bradley Hall, combines glass mosaics with a 38-foot-diameter leaded glass dome by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York. Restored in 2008, it is the largest Tiffany dome in the world, containing approximately 30,000 individual glass pieces. The room now houses a wide variety of public events.

The Chicago Cultural Center has been named a Chicago Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Free 45-minute tours of the Chicago Cultural Center are offered at1:15 p.m.on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. They depart from theRandolph Street lobby on the first floor.

Art Exhibits

Special and visiting contemporary art exhibitions are featured year-round in four major galleries on the first, second and fourth floors. Works by local, national and international artists depict a variety of themes from the recent breakout exhibit, Finding Vivian Maier: Chicago Street Photographer, to summer 2011's Repurposed: Sculpture by Aristotle Georgiades and the Movie Mojo: Hand-Painted Posters from Ghana exhibit. The Landmark Chicago Gallery is a long-running photographic exhibition of historically and architecturally significant buildings and places from the city's past and present. Using this gallery's pamphlet, Chicago Tribute Markers of Distinction, visitors can go on a self-guided tour around the city. The Project Onward Gallery features artwork created by artists with special needs. Artworks are also found in corridors and near elevators throughout theCulturalCenter.

Public Programs

In addition to art exhibits, the CulturalCenterpresents hundreds of critically acclaimed free programs that showcase a variety of creative arts. This includes theater and dance; international, LGBT and independent films; lunchtime and evening musical performances of new music, blues, jazz and classical; exhibit-related presentations and performances; and lectures on everything from architecture to philosophy to the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park. A complete schedule of performances is available online at https://www.chicagoculturalcenter.org/.

Chicago Publishers Gallery

One way to tap into the city's vibrant literary scene is to browse local authors and publishers' books and periodicals at Chicago Publishers Gallery & Café. This permanent collection has over 2,300 books and periodicals from over 100 book publishers and 75 periodical publishers, and hundreds of authors in and around Chicago. For readers with a smart device, the building's free Wi-Fi makes it easy to get more information on these literary sources at www.ChicagoPublishersGallery.com. Some titles are also available for sale at the Shop at the Cultural Center.

Shop at the Cultural Center

The Shop at the Cultural Center carries an interesting mix of exhibit-related merchandise; books, cards and jewelry; items made in Chicago or by Chicago artisans, such as totes constructed from recycled event street banners and spice mixes inspired by Chicago's famous neighborhoods; and books and toys for kids. At the Jewel Box Gallery, inside the Project Onward Studio, find paintings, drawings and sculptures by artists with special needs. These two shops are perfect for unique Chicago souvenirs.

Visitor Information Center

Locals and visitors frequent the Chicago Cultural Center Visitor Information Center for its treasure trove of Chicago information. In addition to events and attractions brochures, knowledgeable Visitor Representatives offer insider tips on navigating and enjoying the city. Touch-screen computers link to the city's visitor site, www.ExploreChicago.org, with details on thousands of events and attractions. Other amenities include limited free Web access and the CTA Transit kiosk for directions and unlimited-ride, multiday passes at one low price. The onsite Culinary Concierge serves up the latest on the local food scene, including events, cooking classes, culinary-school dining rooms, food-music venues, restaurants and tours.

The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture's free tour programs, Chicago Greeter and Chicago InstaGreeter depart from the VisitorCenter. Chicago Greeter is a great primer to the city's sights and its trademark friendliness. Enthusiastic, city-wise locals lead up to six visitors on a two to four hour informal city tour on foot and public transit. Pre-registration is required 7 to 10 business days in advance at https://www.chicagogreeter.com/. Its on-the-spot InstaGreeter service leads one-hour Loop visits on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to4 p.m. (with the last departure at3 p.m.). Conducted on a first come, first served basis, these visits are also limited to families or groups of six or fewer.

Visitor Information Resources

Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive trip-planning assistance and information by visiting https://www.explorechicago.org/. Brochures and information onChicago's exciting events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. Friendly Visitor Representatives can answer questions and assist in planning an unforgettable itinerary. The visitor centers are located in two of the city's most popular areas: across from Millennium Park in the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph Street (also the wheelchair accessible entrance); and at the historic Water Works pumping station, 163 E. Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue.

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Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to promoting an ongoing celebration of the arts; supporting the people who create and sustain them; and marketing the city's abundant cultural resources to a worldwide audience. DCASE, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, programs and promotes thousands of high-quality free festivals, exhibitions, performances and holiday celebrations presented each year at Millennium Park, Grant Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues throughout the city.

Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture

The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC) is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. COTC supports local artists through grants and other resources and creates vital opportunities for artists of all levels. For more information please visit https://www.explorechicago.org/.