Petrillo Music Shell facts for kids
Aerial view of venue (c.2010)
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| Full name | James C. Petrillo Music Shell |
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| Former names | Grant Park Band Shell (1931-78) |
| Address | 235 S Columbus Dr Chicago, IL 60604 |
| Location | Grant Park |
| Owner | City of Chicago |
| Capacity | ~35,000
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| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 11, 1931 |
| Opened | August 24, 1931 |
| Renovated | 1978 |
| Construction cost | $15,000 ($289 thousand in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | E.V. Buchsbaum |
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Building details
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| General information | |
| Relocated | July 24, 1978 |
| Renovation cost | $2.6 million ($11.7 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | C.F. Murphy Associates |
| Other designers | Klepper, Marshall & Kings Associates |
The Petrillo Music Shell is an outdoor stage in Grant Park, Chicago. It's a famous spot for big music events and festivals. You might hear it called the Petrillo Bandshell or the James C. Petrillo Music Shell.
Many popular annual festivals happen here. These include the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Taste of Chicago, and Lollapalooza.
Some smaller events used to be held here. They have now moved to the newer Jay Pritzker Pavilion. These include the Grant Park Music Festival and the Chicago Gospel Music Festival.
There have actually been two different Petrillo Music Shell structures. The first one stood from 1931 to 1975. The current one opened in 1978. It is located in a different part of the park.
The original bandshell was built in 1931. This was during the Great Depression. The mayor at the time, Anton Cermak, wanted to cheer people up. He thought free concerts would help. In 1975, the music shell was named after James C. Petrillo. He was a leader of musicians' groups. Petrillo started a free concert series in Grant Park in 1935.
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Where Is the Petrillo Music Shell?
The Petrillo Music Shell is located in Grant Park in Chicago. Its official address is 235 S. Columbus Drive. It sits between Lake Shore Drive and Columbus Drive.
It is also between East Monroe Drive and East Jackson Drive. This puts it near some other famous Chicago spots. It's a block east of the Art Institute of Chicago. It's also a block north of Buckingham Fountain. The Music Shell is southeast of Millennium Park.
The stage and seating area are in the southwest part of its block. This area has been a main stage for the Lollapalooza festival.
Building the First Music Shell
In 1915, a temporary wooden bandshell was set up in Grant Park. It hosted large events for several years. In 1931, Mayor Cermak suggested free concerts. This was to help people during the Great Depression. Many musicians were losing their jobs. This was because new technologies like radio and movies were becoming popular.
A group called the Chicago Concert Band Association offered to help. They would organize a band for free summer concerts. But only if the park built a proper band shell. This new shell needed electric lights and dressing rooms.
Construction began on August 24, 1931. It was made of wood and fiber. The cost was about $12,500. The building was finished very quickly, in just three weeks! Free concerts started right away.
On July 1, 1935, James C. Petrillo started free concerts in Grant Park. These were held at the original bandshell. It was located on the south side of the park. It was across Lake Shore Drive from the Field Museum of Natural History. This bandshell was first called the Grant Park Band Shell. It was renamed in honor of Petrillo in 1975.
Over the years, there were many ideas to replace the original band shell. By the 1970s, it was in bad shape. Stagehands and even a grand piano had fallen through the floor! Musicians joked that they needed hard hats to perform. Even with repairs, performers thought about canceling the 1978 season.
The New Music Shell
Rules from Chicago's early history limit buildings in Grant Park. The park was meant to be "forever open, clear and free." This was decided in 1836. A man named Aaron Montgomery Ward helped protect the park. He sued the city to keep it free of buildings. Because of this, there are height limits on structures in Grant Park.
In 1972, plans for a new concrete and fiberglass band shell came up. But community groups wanted to protect the park rules. So, a compromise was reached. They built an inexpensive, "semi-permanent" band shell. This new structure cost about $3 million. It opened in 1978. This design allowed them to follow the park's building rules.
A Look Back in Time at the Music Shell
Concerts at the first band shell began in August 1931. In July 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited the bandshell. He was campaigning to become president.
In 1934, Chicago's parks joined together. This helped them get money from the government's New Deal program. Mayor Edward Kelley appointed James Petrillo to the Chicago Park District board. Petrillo suggested a free concert series in Grant Park.
The first Grant Park Music Festival began on July 1, 1935. It ran until Labor Day. There were 65 concerts in total. Famous orchestras performed many times. Large concert bands also played. By the end of the summer, up to 35,000 people attended concerts each night. About 1.9 million people came that summer. This was a huge success! The Park District decided to pay for the annual concert series from then on. The first season's concerts were even broadcast on nationwide radio.
The bandshell was also used for important events during World War II. In July 1942, the city celebrated its 10,000th United States Navy recruit there. In 1944, a public address system was added. After the war, Grant Park became even more popular.
In 1958, a famous pianist named Van Cliburn performed at the Grant Park Music Festival. Before his performance, he won a major music competition in Moscow. This made him internationally famous. When he came to Chicago, he had a big celebration. It included a ticker tape parade down Michigan Avenue. His concert at the Music Shell was a huge event. The next year, the band shell hosted three concerts for the opening of the 1959 Pan American Games.
Since 1978, the new band shell has hosted many events. These include Taste of Chicago and the annual Independence Day fireworks celebration. It also hosts the Chicago Blues, Jazz, and Gospel Festivals. In October 1979, Pope John Paul II held the largest public mass ever in Chicago there. The Dalai Lama has also held an event at the band shell.
Rallies celebrating the National Basketball Association championships by the Chicago Bulls happened at the band shell. It was also where Harold Washington had his second mayoral inauguration in 1987. Since 2005, the Music Shell has been a main stage for the annual Lollapalooza festival.
