Near North Side

The Driehaus Museum's Murphy Auditorium

50 E. Erie St.

Cultural/community

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Saturday

12 - 5pm

Sunday

12 - 5pm

Accessibility & Amenities

  • Photography Allowed
  • Restrooms Available
  • Wheelchair Accessible

Architect

Marshall and Fox

Year Completed

1926

OHC Appearances

2019, 2022, 2024, 2025

DETAILS:

The Driehaus Museum, established in 2008 in the historic Nickerson Mansion, expanded its footprint in 2022 with the acquisition of the adjacent John B. Murphy Memorial Auditorium. This six-story, French Renaissance-style building was designed by noted Chicago architecture firm Marshall and Fox, and built between 1923-1926 for the American College of Surgeons. The Murphy originally served as a center for surgical research, education, and advancement, and to develop programs for the standardization of hospitals. The building’s iconic limestone exterior is Benjamin Marshall’s interpretation of the double-columned, two-story façade and flanking the entry staircase of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation in Paris. It features a pair of cast bronze doors produced by Tiffany Studios, depicting prominent figures in the history of medicine. It also has a towering, multicolored stained-glass window inside the auditorium.

VISITOR EXPERIENCE:

Guests will enter through the Murphy Auditorium's street level entrance at 50 E Erie. Please note there are a few stairs once inside the building. An alternative accessible entrance is just west of the main entrance.

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