Student Matinee FAQs

25% of the total cost will be due as a deposit within two weeks of confirming your reservation. Payments must be made in a single sum with credit card or check. Separate checks from individual group members cannot be accepted.

Your specific due date will be noted on the contract. A signed copy of your contract must accompany your deposit to consider your reservation final. Deposits are non-refundable.

The remaining balance must be received no later than 3 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 20% of the original number of paid seats reserved, up to four 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.

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

Due to the cost of processing, Chicago Shakespeare Theater can only issue refunds for the ticket reductions or overpayment of $30 or more.

You may add student tickets prior to the performance, when available, and only through contacting the Education Department.

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. 

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 Choose Chicago’s website and download the Motorcoach Map to bus parking.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater has its own bus turnaround to unload your bus prior to your performance. Do not unload at the front of Navy Pier (unless you’re visiting the Pier prior to the show). View the map. 

UPON ARRIVAL:

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 to Chicago Shakespeare’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.
•  We ask that any Resource Officers accompanying groups identify themselves to the House Manager upon entering the Theater Lobby.

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.

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

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

Meet your buses at the front of Navy Pier. View the map.