OCTOBER 3 - NOVEMBER 29
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AUDITORIUM THEATRE 2014-2015
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The Auditorium Building weighs 110,000 tons, requiring a
special “raft” to provide a strong foundation.
The Auditorium Building was often referred to as
“the eighth wonder of the world.”
The theater featured 3,500 bare
carbon filament light bulbs, a
relatively new technology, only
publicly seen for the first time
in 1879.
As recorded in 1889, the theater included 55 million pieces of
mosaic tile.
The Republican
National Conven-
tion was held at the
not-yet-completed
Auditorium Building
– prior to opening to
the public – on
June 19, 1888.
Photo courtesy of the Chicago History Museum
Pre-Construction Illustration, Harper’s Weekly, July 2, 1887
In July 1889, the first tenant moved into
the Auditorium Building – the Chicago
Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art.
Including the tower, the Auditorium
Building was 17 stories high, with 10 floors
occupied by hotel rooms. At the time, it
was the largest structure in the United
States and the tallest in Chicago. Adler &
Sullivan opened their offices on the 16
th
and 17
th
floors of the building.
