Chicago Cultural Center

One of downtown Chicago’s most beautiful buildings
Talk of the town: It’s cherished by locals today, but in the 1970s, the Center was almost demolished to avoid costly repairs until Mayor Daley’s wife ‘Sis’ voted to save it.

Standing opposite Millennium Park, the enchanting Chicago Cultural Center was originally constructed as a public library and ‘People’s Palace’ in 1897. It's now used as a multipurpose arts venue and home of the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture visitor information center.
Exhibitions and events in the Center are definitely worth attending, but the building's architecture is an attraction in its own right. Its marble and enamel-tiled stairway and stained glass rotunda, for example (both dedicated to Union soldiers killed in the Civil War) are wonderful expressions of 19th century civic pride.

Further up is a unique glass domed chamber designed by great American art nouveau innovator Louis Comfort Tiffany, still used for music recitals. Once slated for demolition, the Center is now once again close to Chicago's heart.