Shakespeare in Chicago
America's largest year-round Shakespeare theater, on Navy Pier
Chicago is home to Chicago Shakespeare Theater — the largest year-round theater in the United States dedicated to Shakespeare and a Regional Theatre Tony Award winner — set on Navy Pier with the skyline behind it and Lake Michigan all around. The company performs across three spaces, including a 500-seat thrust-stage Courtyard Theater modelled on Elizabethan courtyard playhouses and the flexible, reconfigurable Yard, staging as many as twenty productions a year that pair Shakespeare and classic drama with musicals, world premieres and international touring work.
Founded in 1986, it is the foremost Shakespeare institution in the American Midwest and the city's leading presenter of international theatre. For a visitor, it combines a world-class Shakespeare programme with one of Chicago's most popular destinations — Navy Pier itself, with its lakefront views, restaurants and attractions — making an evening here an easy and memorable outing. Chicago's wider theatre scene is one of the strongest in the US, so classical and Shakespeare-related work appears across the city year-round.
Where to See Shakespeare
Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Three Stages
All three stages are in the same seven-storey complex on Navy Pier. The Courtyard is the main Shakespeare house; The Yard is the newest and most flexible space, opened in 2017.
- 1Courtyard Theater — 500 seats, thrust stage — main Shakespeare productions
- 2Theater Upstairs — 200 seats — smaller productions and new work
- 3The Yard — 150–850 seats flexible — added 2017, musicals and large-scale productions
What's On in Chicago
Live listings from Ticketmaster — updated daily.
Plan Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
Chicago Shakespeare Theater runs a year-round season across three spaces, so any time of year works — check what's on before booking. Summer adds the wider draw of Navy Pier itself.
Getting Around
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is on Navy Pier at 800 East Grand Avenue, on the lakefront. The free Navy Pier trolley, CTA buses, and rideshare all serve the Pier; the Grand Red Line 'L' station is about 15 minutes away on foot or a short bus ride. Paid parking garages are on the Pier.
Ticket Prices
Tickets typically run from around $25 to $90 depending on the production and seats, with student, under-35 and group discounts. Check the venue's what's-on page for current shows, pricing and any rush or discount options.
Also on ShakespeareGo
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