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Auditorium Building Review
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Auditorium Building
- Address: 50 E. Congress Pkwy., Loop, Chicago, IL | Map It
- Phone: 312/431-2389
- www.auditoriumtheatre.org
- Category: Arts/Performance Venues
- Location: The Loop
Fodor's Review:
Hunkered down across from Grant Park, this 110,000-ton granite-and-limestone behemoth was an instant star when it debuted in 1889, boasting a 400-room hotel, offices, and a 4,300-seat theater. It didn't hurt the careers of its designers, Dankmar Adler and Louis H. Sullivan, either. The state-of-the-art theater included electric lighting and an air-conditioning system that used 15 tons of ice per day. Adler managed the engineering -- the theater's acoustics are renowned -- while Sullivan ornamented the space using mosaics, cast iron, art glass, wood, and plaster. During World War II, the building was conscripted for use as a Servicemen's Center. Then Roosevelt University moved in. Thanks to Herculean restoration efforts, the theater -- rechristened as the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University -- is once again one of the city's premiere performance venues. If you can't book a performance, call for tour details.
- Cost: Tour $6
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