The Cliff Dwellers is a private club for members who are either professionally engaged in literature, painting, music, architecture, sculpture, or one of the allied arts, or who support the fine arts and the performing arts.
We are located in the heart of the city
The Club, located in the 22nd floor penthouse of the former BorgWarner building at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue at Adams Street, is next door to Symphony Center and overlooks Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Our lounge, dining room, bar and terrace all offer stunning views of Grant Park, Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.
Members can reserve Club space for private parties and dinners.
We are located in the heart of the city
The Club, located in the 22nd floor penthouse of the former BorgWarner building at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue at Adams Street, is next door to Symphony Center and overlooks Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Our lounge, dining room, bar and terrace all offer stunning views of Grant Park, Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.
Members can reserve Club space for private parties and dinners.
We provide a place to converse, exchange ideas, participate in programs, and enjoy each other’s company.
The Cliff Dwellers hosts an exciting schedule of events, with programming focused on art, literature, architecture, & music.
The Club houses a distinguished permanent art collection, as well as a gallery space for temporary exhibits.
The club provides a place to converse, exchange ideas, participate in programs, and enjoy each other’s company.
Recent Art Exhibits, Events & Programs
April 24, 2024
Prize Homes: Chicago’s Forgotten Architectural Competition
Siobhan Moroney, Associate Professor of Politics and Chair of American Studies at Lake Forest College, presented a talk on her book, Chicagoland Dream Houses: How a Mid-Century Architecture Competition Reimagined the American Home.
April 23, 2024
The Ghost Army of World War II
Club members hear from documentarian and author Rick Beyer about the brave combat con-men of World War II, the soldiers of The Ghost Army
In 1907, Chicago author Hamlin Garland and friends founded the Attic Club, which two years later was re-named The Cliff Dwellers.
It was the purpose of the founders of The Cliff Dwellers to establish a place where people seriously interested in the arts, both professionally and, so to speak as committed observers, could come together in a congenial and friendly way. The moving spirit was the writer Hamlin Garland, who is remembered for such books as Main-Travelled Roads and Son of the Middle Border. He hoped, he said, to bring to Chicago something of the spirit he had found in the New York Players Club.
Trial
Non-resident membership is also available for those who live 75 miles from Chicago Loop.
Are you are interested in exploring membership options?