Student Matinee Terms and Conditions

25% of the total cost will be due as a deposit no later than two weeks after your phone reservation. Payments must be made in a single sum with credit card or check. Separate checks from individual group members cannot be accepted.  

A signed copy of your contract must accompany your deposit to consider your reservation final. Deposits are non-refundable. 

Your deposit of 25% of the total cost is due no later than two weeks after your contract call is complete. Your specific due date will be noted on the contract.

The balance payment must be received no later than 5 weeks prior to the reserved performance date (or as otherwise noted in the contract). Once full payment is made, there are absolutely no refunds. Chicago Shakespeare Theater reserves the right to release seats for general sale if the balance is not received by the due date.

If you are sending a payment via check, it should be mailed prior to your due date.

You may decrease the number of tickets by up to 10% of the original number of paid seats reserved, up to six weeks prior to the performance date. After the final reduction date, the number of tickets cannot be reduced further and you will be responsible for payment of the total number of tickets stated in your contract. The final number of seats cannot be less than the group minimum of 15 student tickets. Only one reduction per group per season is permitted. Once a reduction has been processed, additions cannot be made.

Your group will receive credit against the balance due for reducing tickets. No reductions are allowed below the minimum group number (15 students).

The group is responsible for the amount stated as the “Final Reduction date.” Due to the cost of processing, Chicago Shakespeare Theater can only issue refunds for the ticket reductions or overpayment of $90 or more.

You may add student tickets prior to the performance, when available, and only through contacting the Education Department (during normal business hours.) If an addition is made after the full contract balance is paid, the total payment for additional tickets will be due at the time of the ticket addition via credit card. A maximum of two ticket additions is permitted per school.

The Box Office cannot offer discounted tickets for student matinee at any time.

Once you have contracted for a performance, it is final sale. If your school is unable to attend or to host the performance date and time as indicated in your agreement, full payment of both deposit and balance will be due to Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and no refunds will be given. 

If Chicago Shakespeare Theater should cancel the scheduled performance, payments made to the theater will be refunded in full, or reservations may be transferred to another performance if tickets on an alternate date are available, and the school is in agreement. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater offers an array of accessibility accommodations including accessible seating for wheelchairs, walkers and crutches, etc, assistive listening devices, noise cancelling headphones, ASL interpretation or Spanish open-captions. Please contact the education department at [email protected] two-weeks prior to your visit to request services or learn about specific date offerings.

Navy Pier is located on Chicago’s downtown lakefront and is easily accessible from any direction. 

FROM THE NORTH 

East on I-90/94 (Kennedy Expressway) to Ohio Street. East on Ohio. Right on Fairbanks/Columbus Drive. Left on Illinois Street, driving east to Navy Pier. Or, south on Lake Shore Drive to Grand Avenue/Illinois Street exit. Left on Illinois (2nd light), driving east to Navy Pier. 

FROM THE SOUTH 

West on I-90/94 (Dan Ryan to Kennedy Expressway) to Ohio Street. East on Ohio. Right on Fairbanks/Columbus Drive. Left on Illinois Street, driving east to Navy Pier. Or, north on Lake Shore Drive to Grand Avenue/Illinois Street exit. Right on Illinois (1st light), driving east to Navy Pier. 

FROM THE WEST 

East on I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway). Continue east (expressway ends) on Congress Parkway to Columbus Drive. Left on Columbus to Illinois Street. Right on Illinois, driving east to Navy Pier. 

For more information on public transportation routes and schedules, call the RTA (Regional Transit Authority) at 312.836.7000 or CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) at 1.888.YOUR.CTA (1.888.968.7282) or visit www.transitchicago.com. 

CTA BUS SERVICE 

The following routes access Navy Pier: #29 State Street • #65 Grand Avenue  

#66 Chicago Avenue • #124 Navy Pier Express 

BUS SERVICE FROM CTA STATIONS 

State/Lake elevated stop: Serves GREEN, ORANGE, PINK and BROWN lines, plus PURPLE line (Evanston Express, rush hour weekdays only). Transfer to #29 to Navy Pier.  

Chicago/State subway stop: Serves RED line. Transfer to Bus #66 to Navy Pier.  

State/Grand subway stop: Serves RED line. Transfer to Bus #29 or #65 to Navy Pier. 

There is no bus parking or tarrying allowed on Navy Pier. Free on-street day bus parking is available at four locations approximately 10 minutes from Navy Pier. Motorcoach parking is also available at McCormick Place for a $35.00 parking fee. No reservations are needed.

Please visit www.choosechicago.com and click first 1) Travel Trade 2) Resources 3) Motorcoach, and then click the link to download a map to bus parking. For Chicago Shakespeare Theater arrival and departure details, please reference the map below.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater has its own bus turnaround for group drop-off prior to your performance. Drop-off at the front of Navy Pier is not permitted. See the map at the bottom of the page for a quick view.

Drive past the front to the north side of Navy Pier. (Only Children’s Museum buses unload in front of the Pier. Chicago Shakespeare buses pass this point to a more convenient entrance.)

• Turn right to drive along the north side of the Pier on Grand Ave. to Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s designated drop-off.
• Drive to Entrance #1—our designated Chicago Shakespeare Theater turnaround.
• Please ask your students to remain on the bus until our staff meets you.
• Please encourage your students to follow our guide to the Theater lobby.
• Inform your bus driver of the pick-up time and place—at the front of Navy Pier. Make sure to get a cell number to contact after the show.
• Remind your bus driver that buses cannot park on Navy Pier and confirm an alternate location has been found to tarry or park.
• Groups accompanied by a resource officer must notify the education department via email two-weeks prior to their visit at [email protected].

Meet your bus/es at the start of Navy Pier. See map at the bottom of the page.

1. Distribute the bus directions, drop off and pick up information to a chaperone on each bus
2. Make sure every chaperone knows:
   1. the total number of buses
   2. the total number of students and chaperones attending
   3. the pick-up time
3. Inform all drivers of the city’s free bus parking available at four locations. Visit www.choosechicago.com and click first >Travel Trade > Resources > Motorcoach, then click the link to download a map to bus parking.

Please ask your students and chaperones to remain on the bus. A member of our team will meet each bus and lead your group to the theater lobby. 

You may choose to bring bag lunches to enjoy after your performance. Chicago Shakespeare Theater does not have a designated lunch space; however, we can hold your lunches at room temperature during your performance, and you may find a place for your group in public Navy Pier areas outside the theater. 

No physical tickets are needed for student performances. A member of our team will confirm your group name and guide your group to the theater. 

Meet your buses at the front of Navy Pier. Bus Drop-off & Pick-up Map