Medinah Temple

Medinah Temple in Chicago is an impressive example of Moorish Revival architecture. The building stands on North Wabash Avenue in the Near North Side neighborhood and stretches from Ohio Street to Ontario Street. It was built in 1912 by the architects Huehl and Schmid to serve as the home of the Medinah Shriners. The structure originally housed a magnificent auditorium with a capacity of about 4,200 seats on three levels. The seating was arranged in a U-shaped layout around a stage that projected far into the room. By the time the building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2001, it was already a historic landmark of the city.

The auditorium was famous for its outstanding acoustics, which made it a popular venue for recordings. Numerous legendary recordings by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra were made here, including works conducted by Jean Martinon and Sir Georg Solti. The soundtrack to Fantasia 2000 was also recorded here. Another highlight was the large pipe organ built by the Austin Organ Company, which was installed in 1915. The instrument had five manuals and 92 stops. After the auditorium closed, the organ was donated to a church, but because of the high cost of reassembly it could not be installed there, and it no longer exists today.

After the Shriners left the building in the late 2000s, the interior was remodeled. From 2003 to 2020, the building housed a Bloomingdale's home furnishings and housewares store. Since September 2023, Medinah Temple has served as the temporary home of Bally's Chicago Casino. This use is expected to continue until 2026, when the permanent gaming venue in the River West neighborhood is completed. During this interim period, the building's historic exterior remains intact, while the interior has been adapted to the requirements of modern gambling operations.