Pretty amazing. Walking into this building felt like walking into a European site! Beautiful staircase that leads to an amazing glass dome with lots of history. We really enjoyed this quick stop.

Can you believe I’ve lived here 30 years and saw the CCC for the first time yesterday?! Breathtaking! Every inch is a site to behold. Skip the Bean….this is a must see! (Or, at least go across the street to see this building after you’re at the Bean!) The store selling all Chicago designed things was great! Also the employees were all very friendly and helpful!

This is the former Chicago public library building, now the Chicago Cultural Center. It's the home base of the Chicago Greeter Program. The building is beautiful and well worth a visit. I am so glad that this building has been saved for the public to enjoy. Admission is free.

Chicago Cultural Center is located on East Washington Street in the Loop area of the city close to Millennium Park. The only exhibition on during our visit was Exquisite Canvas : Mural Takeover. This was a collection of works by Cecilia Beaven, Miguel A. Del Real and Anna Murphy, which were quite thought provoking. The star of the show, however, was the building itself. Constructed in the late 19th century, it was formerly the city’s public library. The decor and fittings are beautifully ornate especially the dome. Admission is free and although there is currently not much to see, the beauty of the building makes a brief visit worthwhile.

This is the site of the former Chicago Public Library. It’s more of an event center for the city of Chicago. There may be a Chicago themed exhibit here or there, or a festival or dinner (a Japanese festival was this weekend), but it isn’t really a museum. I gave this site four stars mainly for the architecture. The cultural center has the largest Tiffany glass dome (third floor) as well as another pretty stained glass dome (second floor). There are also some impressive staircases, windows, ceilings. Not a must see, but worth a stop. Would be easy to do, as it’s close to tourist attractions like Navy Pier and the American Writer’s Museum. Not terribly far from the Art Institute of Chicago either.

We stopped here unplanned. It is a nice, free place to explore. A lot of the art exhibits were closed, but they did have a vending machine that sold local artists creations (pins, keychains, etc.) Even with the closed art exhibits, there is a lot to see and read.

This place is astonishing and yet many people who live in Chicago and almost everyone who visits Chicago doesn't know about it! It sits right off Michigan Avenue so it's easy to visit when you're at the Art Institute or the Bean so go, go, go! The two glass domes and the mosaics transport you to a different time and place. Next time I'm in Chicago I'm going to carve out several hours on a weekday to visit this gem!

Beautiful building . Take a walk up the stair case to view at all the exquisite elements of the interior design. Be careful if you are sensitive to smells right now. There is an art installation of some type of plastic/ rubbery covered hoses that his covered some of the beauty of the staircase. There is an out-gassing which stinks. I feel sorry for the staff and concerned for their health. You may need to check to learn if this has been removed.