Hyde Park Attractions

Cultural attractions

After the downtown Museum Campus, Hyde Park has the largest concentration of cultural organizations in the city; several are part of the University. For more museums in or near Hyde Park, see Museums and exhibitions.

Court Theatre
Web: CourtTheatre.uchicago.edu
Address: 5535 South Ellis Avenue
Box office: 3-4472

The University is home to one of the city's best professional theaters, located right on campus. Even better, University students can get tickets for $10, whether purchased in advance or within one hour of the show.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House
Web: www.wrightplus.org
Address: 5757 South Woodlawn Avenue
Phone: 4-1361

Tours of this masterpiece are given by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, which also conducts walking tours of campus and the Hyde Park neighborhood.

The Oriental Institute Museum

Web: http://oi.uchicago.edu

Address: 1155 East 58th Street

Phone: 2-9514

Tuesday: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

Thursday–Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Sunday: noon–6:00 p.m.

Monday: Closed

Suggested donation: $7

New! iPod tours of the permanent collection!  

 

 A glimpse into the University's collection of ancient Near Eastern artifacts. Exhibitions focus on the ancient cultures of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey.

Upcoming Oriental Institute exhibits
  • The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt
    Through December 6, 2009
  • Pioneers to the Past: American Archaeologists in the Middle East, 1919–1920
    January 7–August 30, 2010
  • The Birth of Writing in the Middle East
    September 2010–February 2011

Dates are subject to change—call first or check the Web site.



Smart Museum of Art
Web: smartmuseum.uchicago.edu
Address: 5550 South Greenwood Avenue
Phone: 2-0200
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Free admission, café and shop open daily

The Smart Museum of Art is home to acclaimed special exhibitions and a permanent collection that spans five thousand years of artistic creation, with strengths in European and American modern and contemporary works, East Asian art, and works on paper from all periods. Students can get involved through the docent program, the Smart Museum Activities Committee, attending events, class projects, or just hanging out at the café.

Upcoming Smart Museum exhibitions
  • Heartland
    October 1, 2009–January 17, 2010
  • Sites to Behold: Travels in 18th-Century Rome
    November 3, 2009–April 24, 2010
  • The Darker Side of Light: Arts of Privacy, 1850–1900
    February 11–June 13, 2010
  • Mid-Century Design: European and American Modernisms, 1850–1950
    July–September 2010
  • Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan
    October 2010–January 2011
Dates are subject to change—call first or check the Web site.

The Renaissance Society
Web: www.renaissancesociety.org
Address: Bergman Gallery, Cobb, Room 418
Phone: 2-8670
Tuesday–Friday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: noon–5:00 p.m.
Free admission, closed Mondays

Established in 1915, The Renaissance Society is Chicago's oldest contemporary art museum and maintains an international reputation as one of the finest resources for contemporary art. It also sponsors concerts, performances, film and video screenings, and talks by noted artists and critics.

Upcoming Renaissance Society exhibits
  • Allan Sekula
    September–December 2009
    Photography about Polish culture and its diaspora.
  • Matt Saunders
    January–February 2010
    Paintings, drawings, photographs, and short films based on historical avant-garde cinema.
  • Anna Shteynshleyger
    March–April 2010
    Photos of contemporary Jewish Orthodox cultural identity in Chicago and Moscow.

 

Dates are subject to change—call first or check the Web site.



Annual Hyde Park events

57th Street Art Fair

Every June, 500+ exhibitors show their handiwork during the Midwest's oldest outdoor juried art fair.

Boulevard Lakefront Tour

A bike tour of Chicago's historic boulevards and scenic neighborhoods starts and finishes on the Midway Plaisance. Thousands of bicyclists participate each September. See www.chibikefed.org/blt/ for more info.

4th on 53rd Parade

In this annual Fourth of July celebration, a parade of citizens and community groups winds through Hyde Park and ends up in Nichols Park, where family activities are held.

57th Street Children's Book Fair

Each September, books come to life for children and their families through storytelling, singing, bookmaking, and make-believe.

Chicago Half Marathon

Every September nearly more than 17,000 runners take part in the 13.1-mile run, which starts and finishes in Jackson Park.

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

In late September, 20,000 music lovers come to hear more than 30 jazz acts in 13 venues around the campus and the neighborhood.

Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service

A project of the Hyde Park/Kenwood Interfaith Council in partnership with Rockefeller Chapel; the community service is oriented toward children..

Music in Hyde Park

University of Chicago Presents
Web: chicagopresents.uchicago.edu
Tickets and information: 2-8068

Professional classical music series feature world-renowned guest performers, plus resident ensembles eighth blackbird and the Pacifica Quartet. Many performances include pre-concert lectures by University professors. Most student tickets cost $5 (or even less if you subscribe). Concerts take place in Mandel Hall unless otherwise noted. To sign up for the email list, write chicagopresents@uchicago.edu.

Rockefeller Chapel events
Web: rockefeller.uchicago.edu
Phone: 2-2100

 The chapel is a spectacular venue for music, theater, art, and film (with live organ accompaniment). This year's performances include a jazz organ concert, Hunchback with Redmoon Theater, a medieval mummers’ play, and Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Most events are not free, but there are generous student discounts. Check the chapel's Web site for details.

Other Hyde Park attractions

DuSable Museum of African American History
Web: www.dusablemuseum.org
Address: 740 East 56th Place
Phone: 947-0600
Student Admission: $2

The DuSable Museum is devoted to the history and culture of Africans and African Americans. For more information, City Life Museums and exhibitions.

Hyde Park Art Center
Web: www.hydeparkart.org
Address: 5020 South Cornell Avenue
Phone: 324-5520
The center features galleries that showcase new and emerging Chicago-area artists, as well as classrooms and studios for students of all ages. For more information, see City Life, Art in Chicago.

Midway Plaisance Park Ice Skating
Web: www.chicagoparkdistrict.com
Address: 59th Street between University and Ellis Avenues
Recreational ice skating, ice skating classes, and ice hockey in the winter. Skate rental is available. Inline skating, outdoor movies, and concerts in the summer. Check the Web site for times and fees.

Museum of Science and Industry
Web: www.msichicago.org
Address: 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
Phone: 684-1414
One of the most visited museums in the U.S. For more information, go to City Life, Museums and exhibitions.

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