The Auditorium Theatre opened on December 9, 1889, at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois, the product of architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan — with a young Frank Lloyd Wright working in their office at the time. Commissioned by businessman Ferdinand Peck, who envisioned a grand civic hall rivaling New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the building debuted as the tallest structure in Chicago and the largest in the United States, costing more than $3.2 million to construct.
After surviving a mid-century closure, wartime conversion into a servicemen’s center during World War II, and a rescue by Roosevelt University in 1946, the theatre was lovingly restored and reopened in 1967. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, it has since welcomed an extraordinary range of performers — from Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Doors in the rock era to touring Broadway productions of Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as the Joffrey Ballet, which called the Auditorium home from 1998 to 2020.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago, Illinois
- Type: Historic performing arts theatre
- Architects: Dankmar Adler & Louis Sullivan
- Opened: December 9, 1889
- Capacity: About 3,875
- National Historic Landmark: 1975
- Original Capacity: 4,200
- Famous for: Celebrated acoustics, rock legends, ballet, and Broadway
Architecture and Acoustics
Adler and Sullivan designed the Auditorium with a gently increasing series of arches and no central dome or chandelier, a configuration that produces what critics have long called unrivaled acoustics. The theatre was among the first buildings in the world to be illuminated entirely by incandescent light bulbs — some 3,500 carbon-filament lamps — and it incorporated one of the earliest central air-conditioning systems ever installed. Twenty-six hydraulic stage lifts gave the production team remarkable flexibility for the era. Louis Sullivan’s ornate interior stenciling and stained-glass skylights added a visual grandeur that matched the sonic ambition.
When Roosevelt University acquired the building in 1946 to save it from demolition, much of the theatre sat dormant for two decades. Trustee Beatrice Spachner led the fundraising effort that brought in $3 million for a restoration overseen by architect Harry Weese, culminating in the 1967 reopening. A further restoration project announced in late 2025 targets the stained-glass skylight and Sullivan’s original Celtic stenciling, with completion expected in fall 2027.
A Stage for Legends
From its earliest years, the Auditorium hosted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Grand Opera Company, cementing its place at the center of the city’s cultural life. After reopening in 1967, the venue embraced the full breadth of live performance: rock nights with Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Doors, Elton John, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and the Grateful Dead alternated with evenings of classical music and the touring productions of landmark Broadway musicals.
The Joffrey Ballet’s 22-year residency from 1998 to 2020 reinforced the theatre’s reputation as one of America’s premier dance stages, while guest engagements by the American Ballet Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet brought international prestige. Today the Auditorium continues to operate as an independent non-profit arts organization, presenting concerts, dance, Broadway tours, and community programs that keep Adler and Sullivan’s masterpiece alive more than 135 years after its debut.
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Auditorium Theatre FAQs
Who designed the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago?
The Auditorium Theatre was designed by architects Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan, with a young Frank Lloyd Wright working in their office, and opened on December 9, 1889.
What is the seating capacity of the Auditorium Theatre?
The theatre originally held about 4,200 seats. After restoration work, current capacity is around 3,875, still making it one of the largest concert halls in the United States.
What famous artists have performed at the Auditorium Theatre?
The venue has hosted an enormous range of talent including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, The Who, Elton John, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and the Grateful Dead, alongside ballet companies and major Broadway productions.
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Photo: Editors2021 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.