Skip links

Skip to content
Water Tower Arts District WaterTowerArtsDistrict_Logo

City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower

Free
Monday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Tuesday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
dcase@cityofchicago.org

City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower

A resplendent venue showcasing the work of local photographers and artists, the City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower, is centrally located along the city’s famed Magnificent Mile.

The Chicago Water Tower is the city’s most familiar and treasured landmark. Constructed between 1867 and 1869, it was created for Chicago’s municipal water system, and originally housed a 135 foot iron standpipe used to regulate water pressure. It gained special significance as one of the few buildings to survive the destructive path of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Both the Water Tower and Pumping Station to the east were designed by William W. Boyington, one of Chicago’s most prolific architects of the mid-nineteenth century.