Tours
The Murphy Auditorium at Open House Chicago
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Located at 50 E. Erie Street, the six-story, 32,193-square-foot Murphy Auditorium was built between 1923 and 1926 by the American College of Surgeons. It was added to the Driehaus Museum’s footprint in 2022 and will make it possible for the Museum to expand its programmatic activities and capacity while carrying forward the tradition of creativity, innovation and education embedded in these historic spaces and their profound impact on society in and around them.
Designed by noted Chicago architects Benjamin Marshall and Charles E. Fox of Marshall and Fox, the Murphy originally served as a center for surgical research, education, and advancement and to develop programs for the standardization of hospitals. Erected as a monument to Dr. John B. Murphy (1857-1916), the building has become an artistic landmark for all who come to see great architecture in Chicago. Dr. Murphy was a founding member of the American College of Surgeons and is regarded worldwide as the greatest clinical educator of his generation. He is known for pioneering appendectomies and for performing a life-saving surgery on President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, amongst other medical achievements.
Its iconic limestone exterior is Marshall’s interpretation of the double-columned, two-story façade and flanking entry staircase of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Consolation (1900) in Paris which memorializes the victims of a fire. The building features a pair of cast bronze doors produced by Tiffany Studios at the front entrance, comprised of six panels depicting prominent figures in the history of medicine: Aesculapius, Pasteur, Osler, Lister, McDowell, and Gorgas. It also has a towering, multicolored stained-glass window inside the auditorium.
Visitors can download our app before or during their visit to learn more about the Murphy.
There will be live music throughout the day. From 10:30-12:45 pm, the Chicago Cellar Boys will play, followed by Access Contemporary Music from 1:00-4:00 PM.
About Our Performers
The Chicago Cellar Boys are a six-piece group specializing in the jazz and hot dance music of the 1920s and 1930s. Led by Andy Schumm on piano, with John Otto on clarinet and Dave Bock on bass, the Chicago Cellar Boys will get your toes tapping, your hands clapping, and your head bobbing with their rousing and period-inspired tunes.
Access Contemporary Music presents a special performance of a piece of music by Seth Boustead inspired by the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. The piece was written for a project called Songs About Buildings and Moods, a video series exploring the intersection of music and architecture.
This event is free and no reservations are required. This event does not include admission to the Museum.