Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a nonprofit ensemble theater at 1650 N. Halsted St. in Lincoln Park, half a block north of North Avenue. Its campus has three performance spaces: the Downstairs Theater, the in-the-round Ensemble Theater and the 1700 Theater.
What it’s known for
Steppenwolf took shape in 1974, when Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise decided to start a professional resident ensemble; the first production was staged in a Unitarian church in Deerfield. The company worked out of a Highland Park church basement from 1976, moved into Chicago in 1980 and opened its current theater at 1650 N. Halsted in 1991. Members who joined in its first years include John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Glenne Headly and John Mahoney.
The company received the Tony Award for Regional Theatre Excellence in 1985 and the National Medal of Arts in 1998. Its own history page counts 14 Tony Awards and two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions, and the ensemble now numbers about 50 actors, directors and playwrights. Seasons mix new plays, premieres and revivals.
Good to know
- Box office: Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on evening show days); Sunday noon to 5 p.m. on performance days; closed Monday, per the official site, October 2026. In-person service starts an hour before each show.
- Tickets: Online at steppenwolf.org or by phone at (312) 335-1650.
- CTA: The North/Clybourn Red Line station is a short walk east and north; the #8 Halsted and #72 North Avenue buses stop at or near the theater.
- Parking tip: The Steppenwolf garage at 1624 N. Halsted charges $17 (credit card only) and can fill on busy nights; valet in front is also $17 (cash or Zelle only).
For more stages nearby, see the Lincoln Park theater and live music guide and the arts and entertainment directory.
Sources: steppenwolf.org/visit, steppenwolf.org/about-us/our-history, steppenwolf.org/ensemble/timeline, steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/location-and-parking
Photo: McDuff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
