Chautauqua Auditorium

The Chautauqua Auditorium is a wooden twenty-sided building 150 feet (46 meters) in diameter, designed to offer clear sight lines from all seats to the stage. The interior layout allows visitors throughout the hall to view performances without obstruction.

Local bridge builder H.B. Trout designed and constructed this meeting hall in 1903, basing the design on an earlier auditorium from Dixon, Illinois built in 1899. This inspiration shaped a distinctive architectural approach for the structure.

Three Greek statues on the stage proscenium represent art, music, and drama, created by Illinois artist Robert Marshall Root. They shape the appearance of the stage and are central to how the interior space looks today.

The building is located in Forest Park at North East 9th Street and is easy to find. After substantial restoration work, it reopened to the public in September 2021 and continues to welcome visitors today.

This is the largest building of its architectural type, and it features an innovative support system that eliminates the need for interior columns. This construction method creates unobstructed views throughout the entire hall.

Location: Shelbyville

Inception: 1903

Architects: H.B. Trout

Address: East North 9th Street, Shelbyville, Illinois 62565

GPS coordinates: 39.41806,-88.79000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:44