The Chicago Cultural Mile

The Chicago Cultural Mile is a stretch of Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River (Wacker Drive) to Roosevelt Road and includes the Museum Campus (1/22/2016 post). The Chicago Cultural Mile was named for the numerous and various cultural sites and public and private organizations along the way. These include museums, performing arts venues, parks and colleges and universities all offering cultural events throughout the year and free (or affordable) for all. 

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​1. American Writers Museum at 180 N Michigan Avenue 2nd floor is expected to open in 2017 and promises to offer “programs, exhibitions, public readings, and film presentations”. Admission fees have yet to be determined. For now you can subscribe to their newsletter and explore their website to read about their progress and at the bottom of the home page click on Online/On Tour Exhibits to learn more.
 
2. Chicago is known for its architecture and The Chicago Cultural Mile is a great place to start exploring. Most of the buildings were built in the late 19th and early 20th century. New or old so many of these buildings are worth stepping inside to see the lobbies. I suggest you introduce yourself to the security guard and explain you are visiting and there to admire the lobby. Also, ask permission to take photographs as it is not permitted in some buildings.

3. I showcased The Art Institute of Chicago at 111 South Michigan Avenue in my post on 1/15/2016. Take a look back or check out their website to find out about the free events and activities there.

4. Public Art can also be found along The Chicago Cultural Mile. In front of 150 N. Michigan Avenue (the northwest corner of Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue) is a very tall and colorful piece by artist Yaacov Agam called Communication X9. You can find out more about this piece by using the free Chicago Public Art App. Click on “tour” and select “Michigan Avenue”.
 
On the south side of the Chicago Cultural Center just outside the Washington Street entrance stands a life-size bronze cow. She is the permanent reminder of our first citywide art exhibit called “Cows On Parade”. Take a look in her eyes; what Chicago icons do you see? You may discover other cows from the exhibit still around town.
 
Finally, notice the light installation along Congress Parkway. The changing lights of this streetscape extend several blocks west and create a gateway to the city.

5. Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) is located in the Railway Exchange Building 224 S. Michigan Avenue. The gift shop is in the building's storefront but you will want to go into the lobby to see the Model City of Chicago exhibit with a scale of 1” is 50’ (2.54c is 15.24m). Off the lobby are meeting spaces where free public events are held and the LEGO® Inspiration Stations in the ArcelorMittal Design Studio. Families are welcome to drop in and play for free Monday through Friday 12 PM (12:00) to 5 PM (17:00) when the space is not reserved for a private event. Check the CAF calendar for other free family activities and programs for adults.
 
My favorite weekend all year is Open House Chicago, hosted by the CAF.  Hundreds of sites all over the city and some suburbs are open to the public for free, behind-the-scenes tours or free programs. Keep in mind, this event is attended by thousands of people and lines can be long. To get an advantage, consider joining CAF. Membership gets you in the much shorter "members only" lines at each venue and access to some sites and programs not open to the general public. In addition, if you are in the city within a year of purchasing your membership, you can take all of the dozens of CAF walking tours for free and receive discounts on their bus and boat tours. Open House Chicago will be held October 15 &16, 2016.

6. The Chicago Athletic Hotel 12 S. Michigan Avenue was the former site for the exclusive men's Chicago Athletic Club. You will want to take the free tour offered at 2:00 PM (14:00) Monday through Saturday. During the school year, the tours are guided by students from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Between terms hotel staff serve as guides.
 
If you don’t have time for the tour at least walk through the lobby and up the marble staircase to look into what was once the members’ swimming pool, now an event space. Back in the lobby take the elevator or the stairs to the 2nd floor. The hotel front desk is located in the former dining room. Ask at the front desk for print out of the building history to help you with your self-guided tour.
 
Behind the front desk is a game room open to the public, not just hotel guests. Have a game of bocce, darts or pool for free. Sign up with the Game Master since play is on a first-come, first-served basis.  

For more information, click on the arrow at the right or left on their website for a series of photos and a video of historic Chicago and the Athletic Club.

7. Located at 18 S. Michigan Avenue is the Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University. Open to the public Mondays through Saturday free of charge. This space is dedicated to "contemporary critical social photo-documentary". 
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8. The Symphony Center at 220 S Michigan Avenue is home to The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and other smaller musical ensembles. Once a month or so free concerts are performed either at Symphony Center or around Chicago. To find these events search the CSO Calendar and look for “All Access” concerts. Tickets must be obtained prior to the concert and in some cases a small handling fee is charged. For more information follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

9. Just off of Michigan Avenue at Adams Street look for a brown and white sign designating the beginning of  Rt. 66 also known as the Mother Road. One block south is a sign identifying the end of the same historic route.

10. Volunteers offer free tours of the Chicago Cultural Center every Wednesday through Saturday at 1:15 PM (13:15). See my 1/8/2016 post titled DCASE Part 1.

11. Chicago Greeters show visitors around the city every day of the year, offer 1-hour walks every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and conduct tours of Millennium Park mid-May to mid-October for free. For more detailed information and how to sign up for a free Chicago Greeter visit see my 1/1/2016 post.

12. Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra is comprised of several large and small performing groups of future professional musicians. They perform many free concerts around the city throughout the year. You will find their concert schedule on line where you can sign up for their newsletter and listen to select performances.
 
13. A number of colleges and universities are found along Michigan Avenue. They are often a place to go for free and discounted events including recitals, art exhibits, lectures, fashion shows, movie screenings etc. The schools and performing spaces are located in various locations around downtown. These schools include: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College of Chicago, East-West University, Roosevelt  University and National Louis University. Check the school's website for free events.

​14. The Cultural Mile Association (CMA) sponsors and supports many programs throughout the year so watch their website or sign up for email updates. A special treat offered by the CMA each month is 2nd Fridays when free and discounted events are held all along the Cultural Mile. My favorite place to visit on 2nd Fridays is at the  at 410 S Michigan Avenue. Once the Studebaker Building and Theater this building now houses artists’ studios. In the evening on 2nd Friday of each month many of these artists open their studios to the public. It is your chance to meet and talk with the artists about their work. You will find musicians, both instrumental and vocal, artists of all media, gold and silversmiths, master instrument makers, antique book and sheet music sellers and one of my favorites, a store of glass paperweights. The most studios are open on the 2nd Friday in December, but it’s worth stopping by any month.
 
In addition the Fine Arts Building is one of my favorite historic sites in the city. The Studebaker Theater has been brought back to its original glory and as far as I know is the only building in the city still using an elevator operator. Ask to go to the 10th floor and look around for the former offices of such notables as architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptor Loredo Taft. Then take the cast iron staircase down to explore each floor.

15. In my post on 1/8/2016 I showcased some of the thousands of free programs offered by The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events at the Chicago Cultural Center (on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Randolph Streets). These include art exhibits, concerts, movies and lectures just to name a few. Watch for other free DCASE events in a future post.
 
16. Harris Theater for Music and Dance is in Millennium Park (205 E Randolph). While most of the programs require a paid admission, periodically there are discounted or free performances. Check the website for these special events. Sign up online for “weekly updates and insider ticket deals” and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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17. Located in the southwest tower of the Michigan Avenue bridge at Waker Drive and Michigan Avenue is the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum. The entrance is located on the riverwalk. Take the stairs by the southwest bridgehouse one level down. Open from mid-May through Oct 31st. Admission is free on Sundays, but still a bargain at only $5.00 per person Thursday through Saturday. Children 5 years of age and under are free and members of the military receive a $1.00 discount.
 
If you would like to see how our movable bridges work, visit when they open and close the bridges for the boat runs. Usually scheduled for Wednesdays and Saturdays for several weeks each spring when the sailboats are going out to Lake Michigan for the summer and fall when boaters are returning to dry dock at the end of the season. The 2016 schedule has not been announced so check back on the City of Chicago website.
 
Please note the riverwalk is ADA accessible a few blocks west but the museum is not wheelchair friendly.

18. If you are looking for an eco-vacation there are lots of volunteer opportunities through the Friends of the Chicago River. These activities are focused on improving the Chicago River System. The annual Riverbank Day coincides with the opening of the Bridgehouse in mid-May. On this day over 1,000 people join forces to clean up the banks of the Chicago River. This and other volunteer opportunities can be found on their website.

19. Also at the River, Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive is my favorite intersection in the city because of its importance in Chicago history. It is near here that the first European explorers, Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet landed in 1673. The 4 Michigan Avenue Bridgehouses are decorated in bas-relief images depicting their expedition. Also, this crossroads was the site of Fort Dearborn, a US military outpost constructed in 1803, Take a look at the sidewalks on all four corners and you will see metal plaques that trace the outline of the Fort. Take a look above the door of the LondonHouse Hotel on the southwest corner of the intersection for a bas-relief image of the Fort.

20. Merle Reskin Theater at DePaul University 60 E. Balbo Avenue dates back to 1910, This beautifully renovated theater hosts more than 200 performances each year. Since 1992 it has been home to the Theater School at DePaul University. Most of their programs require an admission, but their Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences is a great bargain at only $10 per ticket. This program is "the oldest continually producing children’s theatre in the Midwest". Visit their website for the schedule of events and to join their mailing list.

21. Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago. The gallery is located at 600 South Michigan Avenue and is always open to the public for free. The current show is an exhibit of pieces from the permanent collection celebrating the museums’ 40th birthday. Other times exhibits include work from established analog and digital photographers as well as up and coming artists. Most lectures, opening receptions and other events are also free. Galleries are closed between shows. Subscribe to their email list for updates and look for them on Facebook, Twitter, Instangram and Vimeo.

22. Most of the Chicago Cultural Mile runs along Millennium Park and Grant Park. You can find out more about the free activities in these and other nearby parks in my 1/15/2016 post.
 
23. The Pritzker Military Museum and Library at 104 S. Michigan Avenue 2nd Floor is free for anyone with an active military ID. Admission for the general public is only $5.00 and admission to special programs is only $10 per person. Every Saturday at 1 PM (13:00) they show a military film free with paid admission to the museum. Programs stream live on their website and they broadcast 2 television programs: “Citizen Soldier” on WTTW, and “Pritzker Military Presents” on WYCC. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

24. Pritzker Pavilion also in Millennium Park is home to the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra which has been performing free, outdoor concerts in Chicago since 1935. A wide variety of other free music and dance performances are staged here during the summer months. Check back for the 2016 summer schedule of both day and evening performances. From time-to-time free events are held inside the Pavilion during the winter months.
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​25. Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership at 610 S Michigan Avenue is always open to the public free of charge. You can pick up a self-guide tour booklet at the front desk. Some public programs including films, speakers, seminars, concerts and exhibits are also free. The building is significant for its unique faceted façade and LEED certification.

You can see there are lots of things to do and see. along the Chicago Cultural Mile that is free for all.
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​All information was correct at the time of this post, but before you come, please check the websites to get the most up-to-date information.
  
If you know of a free event in Chicago you’d like me to share, email me at chicagofreeforall@gmail.com
 
Don’t forget to sign up for a free Chicago Greeter visit (1/1/2016 post) at www.chicagogreeter.com
 
Please follow me on Facebook at ChicagoFreeForAll.  Be sure to friend me to get notices of updates to my blog.
 
Next week let’s stay in the neighborhood and explore the Wabash Arts Corridor. Until then, I hope to see you in Chicago!