Congress Theater
- Architect
- Fridstein & Co.
- Year
- 1925
- Style
- Renaissance Revival
- City
- Chicago, IL
- Collection
- movie palaces
The Congress Theater is a 1925 movie palace at 2117-39 North Milwaukee Avenue, designed by Fridstein and Company for the movie theater operator Lubliner and Trinz in a combination of Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance styles. It could seat more than 2,904 moviegoers, and the same theater block held 17 retail storefronts with 56 apartments above.
the building
A movie palace's second life. After decades as a cinema, the Congress Theater became a live music venue with a capacity of about 3,500, before city safety-code violations led to its liquor license being revoked and the building closing in April 2013.
the style
Fridstein and Company combined Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance detailing across the theater's ornate exterior and interior design.
More on Renaissance Revivalsignificance
Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, the Congress Theater sat vacant and controversial for over a decade after its 2013 closure. In February 2026, financing and approvals were announced for a complete renovation of the complex, with construction set to begin almost immediately.
nearby
- (Former) Schlitz BreweryTied-House@1944 N.Oakley
- John Rath House
- All Saints Cathedral, Chicago
- Humboldt Park Boathouse Pavilion
- St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago
- Northwestern Terra Cotta Company Building