Chicago Cultural Center

"Chicago had no public library until a group of English donors, mistakenly believing that they were replacing books that had burned in the Great Fire of 1871, furnished 8,000 titles to the rebuilding city. The books were housed in an empty iron water tank in 1872, then moved around the Loop until their first permanent home was completed in 1897. Boston architects Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge had designed the Art Institute for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, and their plans for the city’s first public library followed suit on an even grander scale. They designed an interior as lavish as the limestone exterior was restrained. Sumptuous marbles and vast, vivid mosaics marked the building’s grand spaces, some inspired by Venetian landmarks. Today, the Cultural Center’s surmounting glories are a pair of remarkable stained-glass domes. Preston Bradley Hall’s enormous Tiffany dome—the world's largest—shines with newly-restored opalescent color. "

"The Chicago Cultural Center is an iconic building in the heart of The Loop right across from Millennium Park. You can walk through the building to enjoy the stunning architecture and see mosaic patterns and stain-glassed domes. They host art exhibitions, events, and performances, all free for the public to enjoy. Daily, 10am-5pm Exhibition galleries begin closing 15 minutes prior to building closing. Tickets are not required for entry into the building or exhibitions. Admission is free. "

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