Campus Attractions

These institutions offer theatrical, musical, and other performances by Chicago-based or traveling groups, and are located conveniently on campus. Most of the University buildings can also be rented by student performances or student organization guest performances.

• Bond Chapel. On the Main Quadrangles across from Cobb Hall. A quaint Gothic revival chapel and venue for reflection, performances, ceremonies, and worship.
• Botany Pond. 57th Street at Hull Gate. A peaceful oasis near Hull Gate with a variety of species including goldfish, lily pads, and turtles.
• Harper Memorial Library Reading Room. 1116 East 59th Street (3rd floor). Part of the University’s first library, this Gothic reading room is a favorite of students and visitors alike.
• Main Quadrangles. 57th Street to 59th Street. The undeniable heart of campus is a botanic garden and the location of most undergraduate courses.
• The Midway Plaisance. Between 59th and 60th Streets. A mile long park dating from the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, now the site of intramural sports, sculpture, and an ice-skating rink.
• Reynolds Club and University Seal. 5706 South University Avenue. The Reynolds Club is the center for student activities and the location of the University Seal.
• Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. 5850 South Woodlawn Avenue. The tower of this Gothic chapel is the highest point on campus and home to the largest instrument ever built: the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carillon.

These institutions offer theatrical, musical, and other performances by Chicago-based or traveling groups, and are located conveniently on campus. Most of the University buildings can also be rented for student performances or student organization guest performances.

• Court Theatre. 5535 South Ellis Avenue. A professional, award-winning theater affiliated with the University of Chicago, which puts on five plays a year.
• DOC Films. 1212 East 59th Street. The longest continuously running student film society in the nation; screenings nightly.
• International House. 1414 East 59th Street. Both a cultural center and student residence hall, which hosts a vibrant performing arts series.
• Nuclear Energy Sculpture. Just north of Mansueto Library on Ellis Avenue. Henry Moore’s bronze sculpture commemorating the site of the world’s first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear reaction.
• Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. 915 East 60th Street. The vibrant hub for arts on campus, which houses a performance hall, café, theaters, a gallery, and exhibition space, as well as unbeatable views of campus.
• The Richard and Mary L. Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry. 929 E. 60th St., Ste 112. A forum for experimental collaborations between artists and scholars, the center features a flexible 1000 square foot work space that can be configured as a studio, lab, or classroom, as well as an installation, exhibition and performance space.

These Museums are affiliated with the University and located on campus grounds.

• Arts Incubator. 301 East Garfield Boulevard. A space for exhibitions, performances, community-based arts projects, and artist residencies, as well as arts education programs.
• Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. 5757 South Woodlawn Avenue. A National Historic Landmark and one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School style gems. See website for daily tour information.
• Oriental Institute Museum. 1155 East 58th Street. A research institution and museum dedicated to the study of the ancient Near East and housing the greatest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo.
• The Renaissance Society. 5811 South Ellis Avenue. One of the oldest contemporary art museums in the country, presenting cutting edge exhibitions, performances, films, and talks.
• Smart Museum of Art. 5550 South Greenwood Avenue. UChicago’s main art museum, featuring special exhibitions as well as a permanent collection that spans 5,000 years of artistic creation.
• Special Collections Research Center Gallery. 1100 East 57th Street (inside of Regenstein Library). Home to the University’s rare books, manuscript collections, archives, and rotating exhibitions.

The University campus is home to some of the worlds finest libraries and bookstores.

• Joe and Rika Mansueto Library. 1100 East 57th Street. An all-glass reading room with a 3.5 million-book capacity in its underground robotic storage and retrieval system.
• Joseph Regenstein Library. 1100 East 57th Street. The University’s main library, home to more than 11.9 million volumes.
• Seminary Co-Op Bookstore. 5751 South Woodlawn Avenue. An independent bookstore and centerpiece of intellectual and cultural life in Hyde Park. 57th Street Books, another Seminary Co-Op location is at 57th Street and Kimbark Avenue.
• University Bookstore. 970 East 58th Street. The official campus bookstore, which sells UChicago textbooks, dorm necessities, apparel, and gifts.