Downtown

University Club of Chicago

76 E. Monroe St.

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Saturday

10am - 2pm

Sunday

10am - 3pm

Accessibility & Amenities

  • Family Friendly
  • Photography Allowed
  • Restrooms Available
  • Wheelchair Accessible

Architect

Martin Roche

Year Completed

1909

DETAILS:

Officially chartered in 1887, the University Club is a 3,300-member private social club fostering an appreciation of arts and literature. The club was established by a group of Ivy League alumni for "the promotion of literature and art." Among the founding members were Cyrus Hall McCormick Jr., President of International Harvester and Frederic Clay Bartlett, an avant-garde painter and art collector. Martin Roche completed the club's current building in 1909. With its spires, trefoiled panels, two-story gabled roof and gargoyles, many believe this to be the first gothic skyscraper. On the ninth floor is one of Chicago's most magnificent spaces: Cathedral Hall. Based off of London's Crosby Hall, Cathedral Hall features soaring stained glass windows by Frederic Clay Bartlett, and an intricately carved vaulted wooden ceiling. It is home to just one of the club's four dining venues. The University Club maintains a library, reading room, business center, guest rooms, outdoor terrace, squash courts, indoor pool and art gallery.

VISITOR EXPERIENCE:

Visitors will enjoy a self-guided tour of the opulent Cathedral Hall, the heart and soul of the club. The space features Neo-Gothic painted glass windows depicting fields of endeavor: law, music, science, literature and commerce, as well as 65 symbols of colleges.

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