Chicago Theatre, Movie theater and performance venue in North State Street, Chicago, US
The Chicago Theatre is a theater building on North State Street in Chicago, United States, designed in French Baroque style with a massive vertical sign and marble columns. The interior spans seven stories and displays elaborate ornaments, curved balconies, and gilded plasterwork throughout the auditorium.
Rapp and Rapp designed this 3,600-seat hall, which opened in 1921 and is considered the first large movie theater of its kind in the United States. After a period as a variety theater, the building was fully restored in the 1980s and has since returned to service as a performance venue.
The name reflects its role as a flagship cinema that shaped the urban concept of movie palaces. Today visitors encounter grand foyers with chandeliers and marble staircases reminiscent of European opera houses.
Guided tours take place on weekdays and bring visitors through the foyers, auditorium, backstage areas, and dressing rooms. The tour lasts about an hour and requires climbing stairs, as several levels are explored.
The exterior marquee sign contains more than 2,800 light bulbs and rises six stories tall, making it a landmark of the Theater District. The original Wurlitzer theater organ was restored during renovation and plays during select events.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
