Enjoying its beauty and stunning free public events, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the Chicago Cultural Center each year, making it one of Chicago's most visited attractions. The stunning building features two magnificent stained glass domes, as well as free music, dance and theater events, films, lectures, art exhibitions and family events.
Built in 1897 as Chicago's first central public library, the building was designed to make an impression and prove that Chicago had become a sophisticated metropolis. The country's finest architects and artisans used the most luxurious materials such as rare imported marbles, polished brass, fine hardwood and Favrile glass mosaics, mother of pearl and colored stone to create an architectural site. Located on the south side of the building, the world's largest Tiffany stained glass window—38 feet in diameter and approximately 30,000 pieces of glass—was restored to its original splendor in 2008. On the north side of the building is 40-diameter, approximately 50,000 pieces of glass in an intricate Renaissance model designed by Healy and Millais.
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