Amber Gibson 2021-03-20 00:58:40
Looking for a unique backdrop for a hybrid event, meeting, dinner, or lavish party? These creative venues show off Chicago in fun and memorable ways. OUTDOOR VENUES Two hundred people can cruise on Odyssey Chicago River, while 749 guests are welcome to board Odyssey Lake Michigan. Chicago’s First Lady offers a fleet of impressive yachts for private rental. Plan a dinner cruise for up to 250. Shore Club Chicago hosts networking mixers for groups from 20 to 1,200 in a chic setting on North Avenue Beach. The patio at The Lakefront Restaurant, an upscale tavern at Theater on the Lake, seats 80 in a historic setting. The Chicago Yacht Club has several waterfront venues, including a tented patio with Monroe Harbor views that can accommodate 125 for receptions. With breezy balconies and quaint courtyards overlooking Lake Michigan, 63rd Street Beach House is a great option for a banquet of 600 or a cocktail party with up to 1,200 guests. Millennium Park accommodates up to 7,000 people between multiple event venues, including the striking Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Host a reception for up to 1,000 people amidst the lovely blooms at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Guests can mingle among the 12 acres of colorful indoor and outdoor gardens. VENUES IN THE SKY Offshore Rooftop & Bar at Navy Pier is the nation’s largest rooftop venue. Multiple gathering spaces, both indoors and out, are perfect for private events of 12 to 900 people. At The Peninsula Chicago, sixth-floor rooftop lounge Z Bar offers sophisticated global flavors for cocktail parties of up to 230 on its outdoor terrace. Skydeck Chicago’s event space on the 99th floor can accommodate 175 seated guests, or up to 300 for standing receptions. Thrill seekers can venture out onto The Ledge, a series of glass balconies hovering 1,353 feet above the city. The South Loop’s VU Rooftop fits up to 450 for receptions on its 13,000-square-foot rooftop that includes alfresco areas with fire pits, private bars, and epic views. 360 CHICAGO, perched on the 94th floor of 875 N. Michigan Ave., offers flexible spaces for groups of up to 550. Treat your guests to thrilling downward-facing city views from TILT. There’s an upbeat dance club vibe at ROOF on theWit. The sultry year-round space accommodates up to 300 people under its retractable roof. At The Robey Chicago in Wicker Park, both The Up Room and Cabana Club offer 180-degree skyline views and can host up to 220 people for an indoor/outdoor reception-style function. MUSIC VENUES Opened as an opulent dance hall in the 1920s, Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom accommodates 4,000 guests in an elegant historic landmark. The House of Blues offers state-of-theart lighting and sound with Southern flair for up to 1,800 across the multi-level music hall. Buddy Guy’s Legends, owned by the famed musician, serves Cajun food with world-class blues for groups from 25 to 600. Modeled after the Prague opera house, Pilsen’s Thalia Hall accommodates 800 reception-style. Smaller groups of 100 or less can enjoy dinner at adjacent gastropub Dusek’s Board & Beer or spiked punch bowls at Punch House downstairs. Reggies in the South Loop offers semi-private balcony space, during scheduled concerts, for up to 80. There’s also a 50-passenger rock bus available for transportation. Wine aficionados will relish the concert venue (300 reception-style) at City Winery. The rustic winery/restaurant features Mediterranean dishes and its own in-house vintages. MUSEUMS Enjoy Chicago’s first-ever Infinity Mirror Room by Yayoi Kusama, among other playful art installations, at the West Loop’s wndr museum, which holds receptions for up to 100. The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen can accommodate 180 for sitdown dinners, or 300 standing, with a hardwood stage for presentations. An architectural gem, the Glessner House hosts intimate parties of up to 100 between its coach house, courtyard, and conservatory. Entertain guests among priceless artworks at the Art Institute of Chicago, where elegant event spaces range from gardens to art galleries, with reception capacity for up to 4,000 people. Between its airy atrium, lobby, and galleries, the stunning Chicago Architecture Center accommodates 300 guests across two floors. In Lincoln Park, sip cocktails next to a historic ‘L’ car at the Chicago History Museum, the city’s oldest cultural institution, accommodating up to 800 guests reception-style. Rent the entire Museum of Science and Industry for parties of up to 12,000 guests. Or opt for the intimate Smart Home, which seats 40. All three world-class attractions at Chicago’s Museum Campus offer beautiful Lake Michigan views and spectacular event venues. Touch stingrays at the Shedd Aquarium (1,600-guest capacity) or see the night sky through the Doane Observatory’s research-quality telescope at the Adler Planetarium (1,200-guest capacity). Time travel at the Field Museum (7,500-guest capacity) and marvel at Máximo, the largest dinosaur that ever lived. The Kovler Atrium and Kern Terrace Garden are popular indoor and outdoor spaces at the Museum of Contemporary Art, seating 300 inside or 500 in a garden tent. The interactive American Writers Museum (the only museum of its kind in the nation) accommodates 60 seated and 250 standing. PRIVATE EVENT SPACES The luxe Geraghty boasts 22-foot ceilings, overhead wall-to-wall lighting, and a VIP green room. Plan a banquet for 800 or a reception with up to 1,500 guests. With 30,000 square feet of column-free space, Skylight in the iconic Chicago Board of Trade Building fits 1,000 seated or 1,500 reception-style. Venue SIX10 on South Michigan Avenue offers a multitude of meeting spaces, with a reception capacity of 1,200 guests, across 35,000 square feet of space. Up to 700 guests can socialize under the world’s largest Tiffany glass dome in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center. The West Loop’s Epiphany Center for the Arts, originally a 19th-century church, features modern amenities like a showcase kitchen. Gather up to 1,750 guests for a standing reception. Zhou B Art Center features flexible spaces across two floors, plus an outdoor garden, to accommodate intimate cocktail parties or stylish galas. Invite 700 guests for a seated dinner or 1,550 for a reception. The Zephyr on historic Motor Row near McCormick Place was once a Lincoln Motors showroom, and can host up to 300 guests. Conference facilities at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab can accommodate up to 250, with an auditorium that can be split into three smaller rooms. SPORTS VENUES Home to the Blackhawks and Bulls, the United Center has private suites available for 20 to 80 guests, with boxed or plated in-house catering options. Soldier Field, home turf for Bears football games and Chicago Fire soccer matches, offers a myriad of indoor and outdoor venues. Rent the whole stadium for a capacity of 63,000. In Bridgeport, Guaranteed Rate Field seats up to 600 standing, between the party deck and Home Plate Club, for a White Sox baseball game. Arrange bullpen sessions at Wrigley Field before enjoying a Cubs game from a private suite. Gallagher Way, the stadium’s adjacent open-air plaza, hosts 3,000 theatre-style. At Wintrust Arena, suite rentals with a personal attendant are available for up to 16 guests to watch the Chicago Sky WNBA team play. A playground for sports fans, the Chicago Sports Museum fits 600 seated or 1,200 standing, with catering by Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch. ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR SPECIAL EVENT Magic, music, or improv — these entertainers grant any request. STITELY MUSIC Stitely Music works with Chicago’s top musicians. From Motown to an orchestral ensemble to DJs and live karaoke, their dynamic bands will pack the dance floor all night long. stitely.com THE SECOND CITY No one brings the belly laughs better than The Second City. Alumni of Chicago’s legendary comedy club include superstars Amy Poehler and Bill Murray. secondcity.com DANCE SPECTACULAR PRODUCTIONS Dance Spectacular Productions can provide flash mobs, character meet and greets, and even cheerleaders to liven up a product launch, holiday party, or trade show. dancespectacularproductions.com THE MAGIC PARLOUR Magician Dennis Watkins offers private shows for groups of 20 or more at The Magic Parlour in the Palmer House, with customized dining options from the hotel’s Lockwood Restaurant or Potter’s Chicago Burger Bar. themagicparlourchicago.com CARMEL CREATIVE Carmel Creative in Evanston secures high-profile national talent for events, in addition to offering script writing services and arranging AV requirements. carmelcreative.com Check out meetinchicago.com for even more ideas.
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