Performers on stage at the Harold Washington Cultural Center

Harold Washington Cultural Center

Bronzeville's Stage. Chicago's Story.

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Photo: Theon Reynolds
The Harold Washington Cultural Center  |  Bronzeville, Chicago  |  Est. 2004
Committed to children, community, and culture.

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Our In-House Production Company

Broadway in Bronzeville


Broadway in Bronzeville is the Center's own production company and the flagship of our stage. Its motto is "Off the Streets and On the Stage," and its productions train paid apprentices in performance, production, hospitality, and audience development through 15-week cycles.

The company's history runs from Black Nativity and The Color Purple to Policy: A Family Business, which sold out four Chicago Theatre Week performances in February 2025. The annual Tony Awards student trip has been a company tradition since 2013.

Explore Broadway in Bronzeville
A Broadway in Bronzeville production on the Harold Washington Cultural Center stage

Photo: Theon Reynolds

The Harold Washington Cultural Center stage at 47th Street and King Drive

Photo: Theon Reynolds


20+ Years on 47th Street

The Harold Washington Cultural Center stands on the ground of the historic Regal Theatre at 47th Street and King Drive, where Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and generations of Black artists performed. The building carries the name of Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor, and opened in August 2004 through the vision of Ald. Dorothy Tillman and the board of Tobacco Road, Inc. A 20-foot bronze statue of Mayor Washington welcomes every guest at the door, twenty-plus years after the first audience walked in.

2004Established
1,000Seats
40,000+Sq Ft
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Where the Work Happens

Young performers in training at the Harold Washington Cultural Center Photo: Theon Reynolds

Education & Community

Off the Streets and On the Stage is the Center's flagship training program, bringing young people into professional theater through paid apprentice cycles that reset every 15 weeks. Apprentices train in performance, production, hospitality, and audience development. Through its programs, the Center reaches more than 25,000 young people each year.

Explore Our Programs
M.A.D.D. Rhythms tap dancers performing at the Harold Washington Cultural Center Photo: Theon Reynolds

Arts Partners

The Center is the longtime home of M.A.D.D. Rhythms, the renowned Chicago tap ensemble founded by NEA National Heritage Fellow Bril Barrett and in residence since 2010. Resident and partner companies bring dance, theater, and production to life on our stages year round.

Meet Our Partners

Rent the Center

A 1,000-seat theater, a two-story cascading atrium and exhibition hall, private suites and corporate meeting rooms, and a recording studio with media lab, all at 47th and King Drive.

Host your event on one of Chicago's most storied stages. The Center welcomes performances and film, weddings and celebrations, corporate and community gatherings, and recording sessions.

Host Your Event

Plan Your Visit

01

Getting Here

Find us at 4701 S. King Drive in the heart of Bronzeville. A parking lot sits immediately south of the building, and the CTA Green Line 47th Street station is nearby.

02

Accessibility

Every guest deserves a comfortable visit. If you need accommodations, call us in advance at (773) 373-1900 and we will be ready for you.

Read our accessibility page
03

Box Office

Call (773) 373-1900 for tickets, group sales, and questions about any event. Box office hours: Call (773) 373-1900 for current hours.

An audience gathered at the Harold Washington Cultural Center

Support the Center

The Center is committed to children, community, and culture, and that commitment runs on the generosity of people who believe in it. Gifts fund paid Off the Streets and On the Stage apprenticeships, free community programs, and the productions that fill this stage.

Photo: Theon Reynolds
First Row

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