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Gorgeous outdoor spaces, incredible skyline views, and stunning architectural details are just some of the elements that make our event venues iconic. OUTDOOR VENUES At the Chicago Riverwalk, a delightful 1.25-mile promenade, discover fun event venues like outdoor restaurants and bars that dot the lively riverfront. Choose from an array of leisurely Chicago River tours and dinner cruises. Check out the Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard Chicago’s First Lady, Wendella Tours & Cruises, Shoreline Sightseeing, and Mercury, Chicago’s Skyline Cruiseline. Cruise the Chicago River during an elegant seated meal on a Chicago Experiences Dinner Cruise aboard a climate-controlled, glass-enclosed vessel that accommodates up to 200 guests. Sharing space with Lincoln Park’s 350-seat Theater on the Lake, The Lakefront Restaurant dishes out Midwestern fare and spectacular views of Lake Michigan for 125 seated guests indoors or 80 on its patio. Rockwell on the River is located on the scenic North Branch of the Chicago River in a former Avondale manufacturing complex. This dramatic venue offers more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including a river deck, for an event of 500+ people. The Rockwell on the River grounds include a small-batch distillery, microbrewery, craft coffee roastery, and a marina — all connected by charming Italian cobblestones. Go big at 63rd Street Beach House, which accommodates up to 3,000 for cocktail parties on its various courtyards and balconies overlooking Lake Michigan. Choose from a variety of beautiful venues for up to 7,000 guests at Millennium Park, including the architecturally stunning Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Set among lush indoor and outdoor gardens, Garfield Park Conservatory offers a tropical paradise for 300 guests seated or 400 cocktail style. Award-winning Harborside International Golf Center provides a beautiful backdrop for plated dinners and cocktail receptions for 220 to 300 guests. VENUES IN THE SKY Experience 360-degree views from the Willis Tower’s 99th floor at Skydeck Chicago, which seats 175 guests, or up to 300 for receptions. Guests can venture out onto The Ledge for panoramic views. Located across the Chicago River from the iconic Wrigley Building, tri-level LH Rooftop at LondonHouse Chicago accommodates 250 guests for receptions. On the 94th floor, 360 CHICAGO offers a variety of spaces for groups of up to 550 people, along with thrilling bird’s-eye views from its TILT ride. The lively dance club environs of ROOF on theWit accommodates up to 325 people under a retractable roof, complete with dramatic city views. Chicago meets the French Riviera at rooftop Chateau Carbide at Pendry Chicago, featuring an outdoor garden and indoor seating for up to 150 guests. Sitting atop a former historic hotel, The Penthouse Hyde Park ballroom offers art deco design paired with sweeping city views for up to 180 seated guests. MUSIC VENUES On the site of the historic Morton Salt complex, The Salt Shed is a unique indoor-outdoor performance space that can accommodate 20 to 6,000 guests. Multilevel House of Blues is a soulful music hall offering a variety of event venues, with food and entertainment, from morning until late night for up 1,800 guests. Set inside a landmark former opera house in Pilsen, Thalia Hall is a modern-day entertainment complex that can accommodate 800 guests reception style and 240 seated. World-class blues music, Cajun food, and a laid-back vibe are all part of Buddy Guy’s Legends, which can accommodate up to 600 guests. Rich in history and architecture, music venue Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom can accommodate up to 4,873 guests. Chicago’s premier winery, restaurant, and venue, City Winery Chicago in the West Loop offers many options for private events, including a concert space, for up to 200 seated and 350 for cocktails. Reggies Chicago offers space in its bar and grill for special events. Reserve the Rock Club for 350 people, the Music Joint for 110, the rooftop for 100, or Bananas Comedy Shack for 110. A bilevel performance venue, Hyde Park’s The Promontory accommodates up to 150 seated and 300 cocktail style. The venue is known for its diverse live music shows. MUSEUMS With its variety of event spaces — including an outdoor plaza and theatre — and proximity to lovely Lincoln Park, the Chicago History Museum provides a unique setting for 10 to 1,500 guests. From a lush garden and outdoor terrace to a former stock exchange trading room, the various event venues at the Art Institute of Chicago can accommodate up to 500 seated guests. With its teeming aquatic world as a backdrop, the Shedd Aquarium provides venue space for 120 to 1,200 guests for seated dinners and lively strolling receptions. Overlooking the Chicago River, the two-level Chicago Architecture Center features a spacious atrium lobby and several galleries accommodating 300 guests. Offering one-of-a-kind views inside and out, the Museum of Science and Industry can seat up to 1,500 guests. Its ecofriendly, free-standing Smart Home seats 40 for dinner or up to 300 for an outdoor reception. The Museum Garden offers breathtaking views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan for up to 600 seated guests or 1,600 for receptions. The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, the nation’s oldest independent African American museum, can accommodate up to 450 guests seated, 800 standing. The American Writers Museum is a fascinating interactive museum offering Michigan Avenue event space for groups from 20 to 250 guests. Small private group tours are available. Go retro at Klairmont Kollections Automotive Museum, where guests are surrounded by classic cars from the past. Two event spaces hold up to 200 people. Amenities include a bar, AV system, and catering kitchen. Arrange for a private event experience at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian. Exhibits on tribal communities of North America are showcased in this fascinating space. PRIVATE EVENT SPACES Chicago Winery in River North features a tasting room, the LIVA at Chicago Winery restaurant, and several private event spaces with skyline views. Everything you’ll need — including staff, stemware, stage, green room, talent, dance floor, and more — can be arranged for an event of up to 380 seated and 1,200 for receptions. A marble staircase sets the scene for grand events inside The Exchange. The historic Michigan Avenue venue offers four rooms that can be customized for events from 20 to 300 people. Classic brunch, lunch, and dinner menu options are offered. Along the Chicago River, The Old Post Office offers eventgoers an art deco setting, complete with floor-to-ceiling white marble walls and gold leaf ceilings. The Historic Lobby hosts 800 seated or 1,400 reception style. From a former paper mill to a sophisticated event space for up to 400 seated or 1,000 standing guests, The Geraghty features 22-foot ceilings, overhead LED wall-to-wall lighting, custom chandeliers, and a VIP green room. With more than 50,000 square feet of versatile event and meeting space within a stunning modern building, Venue SIX10 can accommodate up to 350 seated guests. Housed in a renovated historic building, Morgan Manufacturing offers more than 32,000 square feet of event space — with elegant-industrial design and soaring ceilings — for up to 500 guests. Built in 1936 and formerly home to the Illinois Automobile Club, the beautifully renovated, three-story Revel Motor Row provides unique spaces for a variety of events for up to 2,600 guests. SPORTS VENUES Host VIP sports fans in the private suites at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. Suites accommodate 20, 40, or 80 guests, with full-service catering and boxed meal options, and are also available for select concerts and special events. Home to the Chicago White Sox, Bridgeport’s Guaranteed Rate Field offers a variety of event spaces that can accommodate from 40 to 5,000 guests during baseball games. Space rentals are also available on non-game days. A meet-and-greet with a former Chicago Cubs baseball player, a pre-game field tour, and gourmet food and beverages are some of the private suite features available at Wrigley Field. Gallagher Way, the stadium’s adjacent open-air plaza, hosts 3,000 theatre style, with catering from popular local restaurants. Serving as the home court of the Chicago Sky (2021 WNBA champs), the 10,000- seat Wintrust Arena is available for corporate special events, concerts, and parties. Beautifully appointed suites across two levels include catering and private bar options. Set up a lounge, game area, or stage on the seasonal outdoor plaza. Soldier Field has several indoor and outdoor venues, some offering beautiful lake views and landscaped parklands. Rent the whole stadium, including 133 sky suites, for massive events of up to 63,000 people. COWORKING SPACES Momentum Coffee, a South Loop coffee shop and coworking incubator, also functions as an event venue with multiple spaces, including conference rooms. Mox.E Coworking is a flexible event space with enterprise-level technology and amenities that support diversity and foster collaboration. In the same building, Overflow Coffee provides the perfect pick-me-up. With multiple Chicago locations, Convene offers beautifully designed event and meeting spaces, with best-in-class technology and exceptional hospitality. Built around an open-air courtyard, Guild Row is a flexible event space featuring unique offerings such as a teaching kitchen, woodshop, and live-fire cooking station. ART CENTERS A former 19th-century church with historically significant architecture, Epiphany Center for the Arts offers 42,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for up to 2,000 guests reception style and 850 for banquets. Beauty abounds both inside and out at Bronzeville’s renowned Gallery Guichard, featuring an outdoor patio and sculpture garden, with original artwork serving as a colorful backdrop for events. With 7,000 square feet available, the space can accommodate a variety of gatherings. With a goal of producing events and interactions that reflect the Englewood community in a positive light, the Englewood Arts Collective matches over 300 local artists with event appearances, from art lectures to mural painting. Venues inside the Bridgeport Art Center include the Skyline Loft (boasting Chicago skyline views) and the ground-floor Sculpture Garden Gallery that leads out to a covered courtyard. The 18,000-square-foot loft’s seated capacity is 500. The garden features 16,500 square feet of indoor-outdoor space. Find even more exciting venue and entertainment ideas. ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR SPECIAL EVENT Tap into a variety of local entertainment for your next event. Dance Spectacular Productions works with event planners to create customized, entertaining shows for any theme and budget. The multicultural South Chicago Dance Theatre troupe fuses classic and contemporary dance styles. Discover the dance, theatre, and music traditions showcased by Mandala South Asian Performing Arts. Lola Bard Productions provides jazz entertainers, classical musicians, and holiday carolers for corporate events and cocktail parties. Up to 300 guests can be accommodated at Teatro ZinZanni for dinner, cocktails, or meetings, with magicians, aerialists, and cabaret singers available. Shall We Wine specializes in interactive events, including classes for wine tasting, cooking, and cocktail-making, with optional magic, comedy, and games. Rent an art studio, event space, or 200-seat theatre from the eta Creative Arts Foundation, which preserves and promotes the African American aesthetic in Chicago. Treuer Laughs creates diverse standup comedy shows for corporate and private events. The DJ Firm provides DJ services and musicians across Chicagoland for events large and small. Professional dancers with the Ballet 5:8 company beautifully share dynamic storytelling through ballet performances. Red Clay Dance Company creates, performs, and teaches Afro-Contemporary dance, and also offers corporate workshop sessions.
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