Designed by the Boston firm of Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge as the first home of the Chicago Public Library, the Chicago Cultural Center was completed in 1897. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 31, 1972, and was designated a Chicago Landmark by the City Council on November 15, 1976.

The Beaux Arts style was influenced by the buildings of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The building's interior features rooms modeled on the Doge's Palace in Venice, the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and the Acropolis in Athens. Its lush ornamentation includes two stained-glass domes, rare marbles inlaid with sparkling mosaics, and intricate, coffered ceilings.

 

 

Facilities Directory

First Floor

Chicago Office of Tourism Visitor Information Center
Renaissance Court (Chicago Department of Senior Services)
Randolph Café
Studio Theater
Dance Studio
Shop at the Cultural Center
Michigan Avenue Galleries
Landmark Chicago Gallery
Project Onward Studio

Millennium Park Offices
1st floor Conference Room

Public Washrooms

 

Second Floor

Claudia Cassidy Theater
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Rotunda, Hall, and Annex
Healy Millet Dome
Chicago Rooms
Volunteer Office

Public Washrooms
 
 

Third Floor (Washington Street Side)

Preston Bradley Hall
Tiffany Dome

Fourth Floor

Sidney R. Yates Gallery
Exhibit Hall
Department of Cultural Affairs (offices)
Chicago Sister Cities International Program
4th floor Conference Room

Fifth Floor (Washington Street Side)

Chicago Children's Choir
Meeting Rooms