Congress Theater in Chicago is not as grave a place as it sounds. Its concerts have nothing to do with senates and lawyers. On the contrary, the place is a favorite haunt for hip-hop fans, cool teens and music lovers from various cultural and professional backgrounds.

As a music lover, you would be interested in finding a great number of concerts at Congress Theater and they come in various forms - from world music to jazz and electro Latin stuff. Also remain informed that the place hosts wresting shows as well.

Congress Theater has had a reputation of hosting some of the most famous artistes. Prince has been one of the performers at Congress Theater. Artistes like Nine Inch Nails, Evanescence, Paul Van Dyke, Billy Idol, Pogues and Los Fabulous Cadillacs have been the earlier performers to have shared the stage at Congress Theater in Chicago.

Congress Theater is a popular place for events rental. Its highly sophisticated sound and entertainment equipments allow visitors to experience a great ambience, quality sound production and lights with the most modern upgrades. However, as many believe, too much in the band's sound backend can spoil the show, as the hall is not equipped for handling complicated sound effects.

For reaching the venue, you will need to take Milwaukee Avenue (north), the Kennedy Expressway if you are coming from the southern neighborhoods. W. North Avenue can be a great option to reach the Bucktown Chicago neighborhood. Congress Theater is located right at its heart, only a few miles away from Lincoln Park Zoo and Humboldt Park.

Congress Theater is a grand live show venue in the city of Chicago. Past artists who have performed at Congress Theater include The Shins, Nine Inch Nails, Evanescence, The Killers, Ludacris and many more. Want to know what's new on the calendar of the Congress Theater? Check it out at the following sites:

Congress Theater Events

http://www.congresschicago.com/index.php?section=1

How's it going? Why not making a schedule to spend a terrific night at the Congress Theater if you have found your favorite show? Actually, there are various ways for you to get to the Congress Theater. Public transit is strongly suggested by the management of Congress Theater out of the consideration for environment and traffic burden in the community.

As Congress Theater is conveniently located at 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave, you can get there easily via CTA or METRA. The theater is within walking distances from the train stations at California & Milwaukee and Western & Milwaukee. You can take Blue Line. Bus 52, 56, 73 and 49 will also lead you to theater. If take METRA train, you can get off at the station of Clybourn & Ashland. For more info, please visit:

Chicago Transit

http://www.transitchicago.com

Chicago METRA

http://www.metrarail.com

If you insist on driving by yourself, the following parking info might be helpful. Official Congress Parking is available outside and around the theater. They are respectively the Talman/Milwaukee Ave. lot and the Chase School lot. You can conveniently enter the Talman/Milwaukee Ave. lot from Milwaukee Ave. The entrance of the Chase School lot is a little bit tricky. It is on the left of your hand when you head for the school. And it's about one block from the T junction.

It is noteworthy that Official Congress Parking should be reserved in advance generally. You need to exit your car an hour after the show. Don't park in the alleys around the theater, your car might get towed. Valet parking is not available there. Parking tickets can be purchased here:

Purchase Parking

http://congresschicago.com/index.php?section=6

If the official congress parking lots have been filled to capacity, you might consider some parking lots in the neighborhood:

- The CVS lot (Parking at the nearby CVS store garage is available. The address of CVS nearby is 4777 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago.)

- Washout Inn lot (Washout Inn is in the neighborhood of Logan Square. The accurate address 2110 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago. You can call 773-235-3371 for more info.)

- The Rockwell/Milwaukee lot (You can find the lot at Milwaukee Ave. and Rockwell St.)

Originally open to the public on October 26, 1921, the Chicago Theatre used to be the first lavish movie palace of the United States. With wonderful murals on the ceiling and above the stage, it is an elegant, grand and majestic building constructed in French Baroque style. This seven-storey auditorium is capable of seating 3,600 spectators and turns out to be a landmark erected at State Street.

Chicago has long been a popular destination for tourists from everywhere. So does the Chicago Theatre. Every year, the Theatre hosts various stage events and concerts which draw a number of world's brightest stars and plenty of visitors. If you're planning trips to Chicago, make the Chicago Theatre be one of you destinations.

Located at 175 N. State Street, it is easily accessible via car and public transportation. If driving is preferred, the most important thing you need to consider counts as parking. As the Chicago Theatre does not own or operate any Parking Lots, visitors have to park their vehicles in parking garages situated around the Theatre.

Among a number of nearby parking lots and garages, the closest and most convenient one is the Randolph Wabash Self-Park. It's next to the entrance of the Theatre. And you can get into this garage from both Wabash Avenue and Randolph Street. Parking after 5 pm only costs you 14 dollar and no validation is required.

Another parking garage you can take advantage of is the one operated by Impark. It's situated at 60 E Randolph Street, just around the corner from the entrance of the Theatre. Visitors driving from south and east can enter this garage without retrograding as it offers an entrance on the north of Randolph Street and the other on the east of Wabash Avenue. However, you can only get out of this garage from the exit located on Wabash Avenue.

This Garage would open at 6 AM, seven days per week. And its closing time is at 12 PM from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, it does not close until 10 PM but it always closes at 8 PM on Sundays. To get information about its availability, you can visit its official website - impark.com, or call (312)663-1490.

Driving visitors from west can park in the InterPark Garage located at 181 N Dearborn Street, just a block away from the Theatre. This garage also offers two entrances but only one exit. You can get into through Lake Street and get out from the gate on Dearborn Street. For more information about this garage, you can call at (312) 368-9090.

A website - Chicago Parking Map, offers a very clear map with all the parking areas marked. For more parking options, you can visit this website: chicagoparkingmap.com. After you type in the address of the Theatre (175 N State Street), you get a wealth of information about parking lots in this area.

Map of Parking Lots and Garages around the Theatre

http://www.chicagoparkingmap.com/map_dynamic.jsp

On the northeast of the Theatre, there are a couple of hotels that provide parking service. Visitors who need to spend a night here can choose to park in these garages. However, to make sure you can find a parking space for your vehicle upon your arrival, consider making a parking reservation. Actually, this is the most effective way to get guaranteed parking. A load of reserved parking spaces are offered on ParkWhiz.com, you can visit its page for the Chicago Theatre to get useful parking information or make reservations.

For visitors who will arrive at the Theatre after 8 PM on January 29th, 8 parking spaces are available at Lisa Lampanelli Parking. If you would go to the Theatre on February 13th, you can reserve a parking space from Franklin Self Park Garage with paying 28 dollars or from Metropolitan Valet with 11 dollars. The franklin Self Park Garage is placed at 180 N Franklin Street (0.4 miles away from the Theatre) while the Metropolitan Valet is at 358 West Ontario Street (0.8 miles).

Reserved Parking Locations next to the Chicago Theatre

http://www.parkwhiz.com/chicago/the-chicago-theatre-parking/

The Congress Theatre seating chart is a map showing how the theatre looks like and how the seats are arranged inside. The theatre, which can accommodate more than 2,800 people, is available for booking online where moviegoers can select seats they want.

http://congresschicago.com/

1. Importance of the Congress Theater seating chart

The seating chart for this theatre will help you select the best seat or the side of the theatre you want to seat when buying a ticket for a show.

http://www.gotickets.com/venues/il/congress_theatre.php

2. Events schedule for the Congress Theatre

There are online sites with information on the upcoming events at the Congress Theatre which you can use to learn the date and time of an event you want to attend. You can check the Congress Theatre event schedule on:

http://www.coasttocoasttickets.com/venues/Congress_Theatre_Chicago_IL.shtml

Most of the Chicago hotels allow free internet access hence you can use your computer to check for the event schedules online. The nearby hotels offer easy access to the theatre especially via the CTA Blue Line Train.

3. Congress Theater Tickets

Tickets for this venue for the various upcoming events can be found on many sites and some of the recommended sites are;

ticketmaster.com

http://www.ticketmaster.com/Congress-Theater-tickets-Chicago/venue/32936

razorgator.com

http://www.razorgator.com/tickets/venues/congress-theater/

teamonetickets.com

http://www.teamonetickets.com/seating-chart/congress-theatre-map.html

Two people named Bubliner as well as Trinz wanted to establish a chain of movie theatres. So, in Chicago they commission Fridstein and Co. during the year 1926 in order to build Congress Theater. Today, this theatre is existing exemple of what is known as movie palace. With a fusion of architecture styles such as Classical Revival along with Italian Renaissance, Congress Theater in Chicago can accommodate as many as 2,900 moviegoers. At present, it serves as a venue for live music and it was chosen as one Chicago Landmark in July, 2002.

Tickets

You can get show tickets minus service charges on the show nights during which a sell-out does not happen. One hour before time of 'Doors Open' available on website you can buy individual tickets for that particular show via cash. However, there are a few shows for which ticket fees are applicable.

When you buy will-call tickets, then to get in you can collect your tickets from the theatre's box office which opens an hour before door times. Carry your identity card and the credit card with which you bought tickets or any other sort of confirmation in print or a number the ticketing service gave you.

Code and Prohibited Stuff

- You are not allowed to wear baseball caps or bandanas and any sort of gang-related clothing to the Congress Theatre.

- Accessories likely to cause harm like chains, the long spikes and so on are not permissible.

- You must not carry any food item, alcohol, drugs as well as cigarette lighters inside the theatre.

- Photography equipment is also prohibited.

Few Chicago Illinois hotels near Congress Theater include:

- House Of Two Urns, Inc

http://www.twourns.com/

- City Suites Hotel

http://www.cityinns.com/citysuites/

- Days Inn Chicago

http://www.daysinnchicago.net/

- The Belden-Stratford Hotel

http://www.beldenstratford.com/

- Best Western Hawthorne Terrace Hotel

http://www.hawthorneterrace.com/

Coat checks are done during cold months and this theater has facilities for the physically challenged.

http://www.congresschicago.com/index.php?section=1