MCA - Rentals at the MCA (2023)

Yes. The MCA has a convenient public parking ramp located at Chicago and Fairbanks. All guests and vendors are offered our flat-rate parking discount during your special event. Guests can pick up a parking validation during the event at coat check. Fully paid parking vouchers are also available for purchase. Please contact us for more details. Find additional information and directions to the MCA on our Visit page.

Yes. MCA Catering is our exclusive in-house catering partner. All food and beverage (including alcohol) for your event must be purchased through MCA Catering. Tenting for events must also be provided by our approved vendor. Please contact us for more details.

Managers from the MCA rentals team and the MCA Catering team will be on site from start to finish on your event day—from setup until every vendor leaves the building. The MCA also provides security, housekeeping, and a building engineer on site during your event.

Yes. Gallery access is provided for up to three hours when you rent our main floor for an event. Galleries on the upper floors can be opened for an additional fee. Food and drink are not permitted inside of the galleries. Rental of the theater or 3rd-floor conference room do not include gallery access.

Yes. The MCA is pleased to offer complimentary use of our tables, chairs, and lounge furniture on site. We have 66-inch-round tables, high boys, café tables, silver chairs, and various lounge furniture. Please contact us for more details.

Yes. In our standard rental fee, complimentary staffed coat check services are included.

For an additional fee, the MCA can provide certain AV services for your event.

Audio

$150 each—2 Sennheiser wireless handheld or headset microphones (4-hour battery life)

$50—1 Shure Beta58 wired microphone

$200 each—6 Sennheiser wireless speakers (4-hour battery life)

$25 each—6 Ultimate speaker stands

$150—1 Apple Airport Extreme & dedicated iPad for Sennheiser wireless control

$25 each—2 adjustable tables for iPad/laptop

Visual

$250—1 Panasonic LCD projector (7000 lumens, standard or short-throw lens options)

$50—1 projector cart 3’ tall

$150—1 Da-Lite Tripod Projection screen (5’ x 6’)

$350—1 Da-Lite Fast-Fold Projection screen (10’6” x 14’; requires two AV technicians to set up & strike)

$150—1 Apple Macbook Pro laptop with HDMI video output

$150—1 HP Windows laptop with DVD player and HDMI video output

$300—1 Roland VH-40 video mixer

Stage

$150 each—3 stage riser sections (4’ x 8’ x 18”)

$50 each—3 stage railings (4’ x 4’)

$15 each—7 fabric stage dressings (4’; black with Velcro mounting attachments)

Lighting

$50 each—4 Proline ThinTri64 LED stage lights

$100—1 Proline Venue Control 16 DMX lighting mixer

DJ

$150 each—2 Pioneer PLC-100X-1000 turntables (DJ should provide their own needle cartridges)

$150 each—2 Pioneer CDJ-900 Nexus CDJs

$75—1 Pioneer DJM-750-K mixer

Band

$250—2 QSC K12 PA loudspeakers

$150—3 QSC K10 stage monitors

$300—1 QSC KSub subwoofer

$100—1 Mackie ProFX 12-channel analog mixer

$350—1 Mackie DL1608 16-channel digital mixer including dedicated iPad for wireless control

$250—1 sound processing rack (8-space)

$150 each—3 Shure Beta58 wireless microphones

$50 each—3 Shure Beta58 wired microphones

$25 each—6 microphone stands

$50–250—required power and audio cabling (based on scale)

Yes. We allow vendors to begin load in 1 1/2 hours prior to your event start time (e.g. 4:30 pm for a 6 pm start time). Set up must occur after the museum closes. We also include 1 1/2 hours of breakdown time once your event ends. If your vendors require extensive setup or breakdown times, please notify us to discuss their specific needs and we will try to accommodate them.

Yes. The MCA has accessible entrances, elevators, and restrooms.

The museum requires a 50% nonrefundable deposit with a signed facility rental contract. Your final facility rental balance is due six weeks prior to your event. MCA Catering also requires a signed catering contract and a nonrefundable deposit at the time of booking. Catering must be paid in full the week prior to your event.

Yes. The MCA is pleased to have three preferred hotel partners: the Ritz Carlton, The Whitehall Hotel, and Aloft Mag Mile. Please contact them directly for rates and availability. Be sure to mention that you are hosting your event with the MCA.

We would be happy to set up a personal site visit to show you the museum and discuss your event. Site visits typically take place Tuesday–Friday during business hours (10 am–5 pm). Visits typically take 30–45 minutes. Please contact us to set up a time.

Absolutely! The Edlis Neeson Theater is available for lectures, performances, and events. Take a look at the rental page or review the technical specifications.