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The Auditorium, Chicago, IL

Photo: Editors2021, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Theatre & EventsHistory BuffDate NightRainy-Day Pick

The Auditorium

50 E Ida B. Wells Dr · Chicago, IL

Why you should go…

The Auditorium is a performing arts venue inside the Auditorium Building, designed by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan and completed in 1889. Today you come for concerts, dance companies and touring shows, or for a National Landmark Backstage Tour. The hall was built with 3,500 bare carbon filament light bulbs and 26 hydraulic stage lifts, advanced technology for its day. It was the first home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which played here until 1904.

  • #historic theatre
  • #live performances
  • #louis sullivan
  • #architecture tour
  • #concerts

Good to know

General theatre & events guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Curtain time is firm

    Latecomers are commonly held at the back until a scene break, so build in a buffer.

  • Study the seating chart

    Price and sightline vary a lot within the same house. A few rows back can be the better seat.

  • Rush and lottery seats exist

    Many venues release same-day tickets at a discount if you are flexible about where you sit.

  • Arrive with time to spare

    Parking, bag check, and finding your row all take longer than you think on a full house.

What's around here?

The closest stops to The Auditorium, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Iconic

    Big Bus Tours Chicago

    $25–$50

    Open-top, hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus tours looping past Chicago's downtown landmarks.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Quirky Fun

    Chicago Prime Tours

    $25–$50

    Narrated bus tours covering Chicago's true crime, gangster history, and general sightseeing highlights.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Nightlife
    Iconic

    Buddy Guy's Legends

    Under $25

    Hear live Chicago blues in Buddy Guy's own South Loop club, where guitars given by blues and rock greats hang behind the bar.

    0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    The Chicago Theatre

    $25–$50

    The marquee that means Chicago, catch a show or tour the gilded 1921 movie palace.

    0.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    Broadway In Chicago

    $50+

    Presenter of national Broadway touring productions across five historic theatres in Chicago's Loop.

    0.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    The Second City

    $25–$50

    The legendary Old Town comedy theater that launched Bill Murray, Tina Fey, and Stephen Colbert. Sketch and improv nightly.

    2.5 mi awayMore like this