The Auditorium Theatre’s popular Historic Tours are back at the National Historic Landmark starting October 15. Tours are approximately 60 minutes in length and are offered two days each month, with two tours per day at 10:30AM and 12:30PM.
“We are excited to open our doors again to the public for in-person tours,” says Auditorium Theatre CEO Rich Regan. “In our 131-year history, the theatre has been through difficult times before, and from the beginning of our mandated closure on March 12, 2020 we knew without a doubt that we would reopen again. Restarting Historic Tours is our first step toward that goal.”
The Theatre also premieres a free 20-minute Virtual Tour of this National Historic Landmark, hosted by Regan. This mini-tour features highlights of the full-length in-person Historic Tour.
“With the building still closed to performances, and travel to Chicago still limited, it is important to us that we are still able to share this beautiful architectural marvel with the world,” continued Regan.
The Auditorium Theatre, designed by famed architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, opened on December 9, 1889, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Historic Tours take patrons behind the scenes and view it as few do. The tour includes legendary accounts of how and why the theatre was built; stories of the many artists who graced its historic stage; and a closer look at the brilliant 24-karat gold-leafed ceiling arches, hundreds of Sullivan’s beautifully restored intricate stencil patterns, the stained glass muses at the entrance, and murals by Charles Holloway and Albert Fleury.
Event Information
Auditorium Theatre Historic Tours
In-Person Tours
Upcoming Tour Dates (10:30AM & 12:30PM)
Thurs, Oct 15; Mon, Oct 26; Thurs, Nov 12; Mon, Nov 23; Thurs, Dec 10; Mon, Dec 21; Thurs, Jan 7; Mon, Jan 18; Thurs, Feb 11; Mon, Feb 22; Thurs, Mar 11; Mon, Mar 22; Thurs, Apr 8; Mon, Apr 19; Thurs, May 13; Mon, May 24
$15 per person. Tickets at AuditoriumTheatre.org or 312.341.2300.
Covid-19 safety measures will be in place during the in-person tours. Only six people per tour, and all patrons and tour guides must wear a mask covering the nose and mouth throughout the tour. All ticket holders and the tour guide must maintain 6 feet distance per household throughout the tour. The theatre has increased cleaning efforts, including high-touch areas like railings and elevator buttons. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the building. All tour ticket holders will be subject to a wellness check-in that includes a touch-less temperature check, plus a short verbal questionnaire. All Auditorium Theatre staff are subject to a wellness check before tours. The Auditorium Theatre will refund any tour ticket if these guidelines are not followed, or if a patron or tour guide does not pass the wellness check.
Virtual Tour
View our free 20-minute Virtual Tour on YouTube or Facebook.
About The Auditorium Theatre
The Auditorium Theatre, located at 50 E Ida B Wells Dr at Roosevelt University in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark.
The Auditorium Theatre 2020-21 Season is made possible in part with support from The Florian Fund, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and the Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel.
For more information visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.
Photos of the Auditorium Theatre by Dori Eldridge, Frank Orrico, and Jean Reneé.