Cultural Organizations
Theatre, Film, and Performing Arts
“After decades in the shadow of the North Side, Chicago’s historic South Side is in the midst of a mind-boggling makeover.” -Chicago Magazine
Court Theatre
University of Chicago
5535 South Ellis Avenue
(773) 753-4472
www.courttheatre.org
Court Theatre is a nationally celebrated professional center of excellence for classic theater at the University of Chicago. Since 1955, Court Theatre has been driven by its mission to discover the power of classic theatre. Every Court production is produced in a fresh, innovative, and unexpected way that honors the historical importance of the play while exploring its contemporary relevance.
Doc Films
Max Palevsky Cinema
Ida Noyes Hall
1212 East 59th Street
(773) 702-8575
docfilms.uchicago.edu
Admission: $4
Started in 1932, Doc Films is the longest running student film group in the country. Each quarter, Doc volunteers design film series, sell tickets, and project films from cult classics to newer blockbusters to celebrity sneak previews. Doc Films strives to be a supporter and a catalyst of cinema scholarship and movie fandom.
Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago
Soon to be located at 1100 East 47th Street
(773) 602-1135
www.muntu.com
Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago celebrates the human spirit through traditional and social African and African-American dance. Muntu's exuberant performances pulsate with the rhythms of the African and African-American world. Programs offered by Muntu can be structured to meet many needs: in-school residencies, lecture demonstrations, ensemble performances, full performances, interactive instructional workshops, and artistic training.
University of Chicago Department of Music
Goodspeed Hall
1010 East 59th Street
(773) 702-8069
music.uchicago.edu
The University of Chicago Department of Music sponsors a wide variety of events on campus, including concerts by the department's eleven student performance ensembles, an annual Gilbert & Sullivan opera production, weekly noontime concerts, and a series of master classes, lectures, and colloquia. The department also sponsors artist-in-residence ensembles the Pacifica Quartet, eighth blackbird, and Contempo.
The University of Chicago Presents
Office of Professional Concerts
Primary Venue: Mandel Hall
1131 East 57th Street
Box Office: 5720 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Room 102
(773) 702-8068
The Chicago Tribune called it a model of what a concert series should be.
UCP offers the very best classical music, plus jazz and more, bringing world-famous musicians to Mandel Hall, one of the city's best-sounding concert halls, from October through May.
Museums and Art Centers
“The University of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry selected among the ‘7 wonders of Chicago’ by readers.”-Chicago Tribune
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 East 56th Place
(773) 947-0600
www.dusablemuseum.org
Tue-Sat: 10am-5pm; Sun: Noon-5pm
Admission: $3 adults, $2 students and seniors, $1 children (6-13), children under 6 free
Free on Sundays
The DuSable Museum of African American History is the oldest institution of its kind in the country and has been dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of the history and culture of Africans.
Hyde Park Art Center
5020 South Cornell Avenue
(773) 324-5520
www.hydeparkart.org
Mon-Thurs: 9am-8pm; Fri-Sat: 9am-5pm; Sun: noon-5pm
Admission: Free; fees vary for art classes.
The Hyde Park Art Center is a non- profit organization that presents innovative exhibitions, work primarily by Chicago-area artists, and educational programs in the visual arts for children and adults of diverse backgrounds. In 2006 HPAC moved into a new facility, expanding both its exhibits and programs.
Hyde Park Historical Society
5529 South Lake Park Avenue
(773) 493-1893
www.hydeparkhistory.org
Sat-Sun: 2-4pm and by special request.
Admission: Free.
Housed in a former waiting room for cable cars, the organization began to tell the story of this very historical Hyde Park community in the 1970s. Volunteers maintain interest, and support an ever- increasing archive.
Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center
1060 East 47th Street
(773) 285-1211
www.blackpearl.org
Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm; Sat: 10am-1pm
Admission: Free; fees vary for art classes.
Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center (LBP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for youth and adults to deepen their creative involvement through the arts. LBP offers programming utilizing enterprising art studios including pottery, painting, photography, computer technology, glass, metal, and wood. LBP also serves as a contemporary rental space, retail outlet, and art gallery.
Museum of Science & Industry
57th Street & Lake Shore Drive
(773) 684-1414
www.msichicago.org
Mon - Sat: 9:30am-4pm; Sun: 11am - 4pm
Admission: $11 for adults, $9.50 for seniors, and $7 for children 3 - 11.
Discounts for City of Chicago residents
One of the largest and most popular science museums in the world! Plunge into the Coal Mine, take a "cross-country flight" on a Boeing 727, see robots at work in a real toy factory, and experience the World War II U-505 Submarine-surrounded by a new and spectacular interactive exhibit space!
Oriental Institute Museum
University of Chicago
1155 East 58th Street
(773) 702-9514
oi.uchicago.edu
Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat: 10am-6pm; Wed: 10am-8:30pm; Sun: Noon-6pm; closed Mondays
Admission: Free.
The Oriental Institute Museum is a showcase of the history, art, and archaeology of the ancient Near East (modern Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Sudan, Syria, and Turkey). The museum is part of the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, which has supported research and archaeological excavation in the Middle East since 1919.
The Renaissance Society
Bergman Gallery, Cobb Hall 418
5811 South Ellis Avenue
(773) 702-8670
www.renaissancesociety.org
Tue-Fri: 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun: Noon-5pm; closed Mondays
Admission: Free.
The Renaissance Society encourages the growth and understanding of contemporary Internationally recognized as one of the finest resources of vanguard art in the United States, the Renaissance Society presents the most recent developments in contemporary art and is equally committed to fostering the development of Chicago's own rich artistic resources.
Smart Museum of Art
University of Chicago
5550 South Greenwood Avenue
(773) 702-0200
smartmuseum.uchicago.edu
Tue, Wed, Fri: 10am-4pm; Thu: 10am-8pm; Sat-Sun: 11am-5pm
Admission: Free.
In addition to its critically acclaimed special exhibitions, the Smart Museum of Art houses a collection of over 9,000 works from classical antiquities to the art of today. Combine a visit with one of the museum's tours or family programs and see why the Smart is a leading university art museum and one of the city's most dynamic arts institutions.
Special Collections
University of Chicago Regenstein Library
1100 East 57th Street
(773) 702-8705
www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl
Mon-Fri: 8:30am-4:45pm; Sat: 9am-12:45pm (except during University interims)
Admission: Free.
The University's Special Collections includes over 260,000 rare books; manuscripts spanning the period from the second century A.D. to the present; and the University of Chicago Archives, which documents the history of the University. Exhibitions drawn from these splendid collections feature scholarship in a wide range of subjects.
Architecture
Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House
5757 South Woodlawn Avenue
(708) 848-1976
www.wrightplus.org
Tours at 11am, 1pm, 3pm;
Bookshop open daily 10am-5pm
Admission: $12 adults; $10 seniors (65+) and youth (7-18)
Frank Lloyd Wright's Frederick C. Robie House (1908-10) sparked a revolution in residential architecture, and its influence still reverberates today. Designated by the American Institute of Architects as one of the ten most significant structures of the twentieth century, the impressive home features continuous bands of stunning art glass and dramatic overhangs. Open daily for guided museum tours.
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
University of Chicago
5850 South Woodlawn Avenue
(773) 702-7059
rockefeller.uchicago.edu
Daily 8am-4pm (and during special events)
Admission: Free. (Some events require an admission fee.)
Gothic grandeur reigns in the soaring stone exterior and stained glass interior of the chapel, the spiritual center of the University of Chicago. A Chicago landmark and Hyde Park gem, it serves as a venue for concerts, theater, exhibits, lectures, and worship, and boasts the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon and E. M. Skinner organ.