Auditorium Building, Roosevelt University
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Rising ten stories with a seventeen-story tower, the Auditorium Building occupies a large site in Chicago at Michigan Avenue and Congress Street, running through to Wabash Street. Designed by Adler and Sullivan, it originally held a hotel, an office building and a great theater seating about 4,200, expandable to 7,000. The lower three stories are rusticated granite and the upper floors Indiana limestone, while the interior uses iron framing and trusses. Adler loaded the tower with pig iron to force settlement of its foundations. At a cost of $3,145,291, it was the most expensive building enterprise in Chicago at the time and established the firm's later success. It served as the center of the city's musical, cultural and social life for nearly two generations. The theater had hydraulic stage platforms, electric lighting and an early cooling system, and Sullivan's ornament enriches its interiors. Now home to Roosevelt University, its principal rooms have been restored.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it was one of the largest and most complex buildings of Chicago's 1880s business boom, combining hotel, office and theater at a record cost of $3,145,291. It was the cultural and social center of Chicago for nearly two generations and an engineering feat by Dankmar Adler. Louis Sullivan's ornament in the theater is cited as an outstanding expression of his organic theory of architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000230, listed April 17, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 430 Michigan Ave. and Congress St., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | April 17, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000230 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan (Adler and Sullivan) |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated May 15, 1975 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; altered; the main interiors have been restored and are used by Roosevelt University. |
| Coordinates | 41.87559, -87.64875 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000230.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q546009
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.