Originally built in 1926, The Sky-Line Club sits atop a landmarked skyscraper. The “Bell Building,” as it was called, once stood alone on the east side of Michigan Avenue. In 1956, the Old Republic Insurance Company purchased the building from Herbert Bell, and it was renamed the “Old Republic Building,” which is its current name. As most of the city burned down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Old Republic Building became part of the 1909 Plan of Chicago, which was called the “New Gateway of Greater Chicago.” This plan included widening and lengthening Michigan Avenue from Randolph Street to what is now known as the Magnificent Mile. This building is an example of the city’s effort to encourage commercial development on the avenue.
Originally located in the Sussex region of southern England, the old pub was carefully dismantled and reconstructed at its present site almost 100 years ago. Many of the paintings and furnishings from the original pub grace the interior today. With these 200 years of history, The Sky-Line Club is indeed one of the oldest and most unique private membership facilities in Chicago. Capsuled within the stately décor of the Club, members and guests have watched the City’s skyline evolve into a Twenty-First Century metropolis. A Chicago reporter once described the Club as having “the dignified elegance of aged beauty, and the timeless warmth of good company.”
The Sky-Line Club has enjoyed recent renovations, and was excited to announce its reopening in the fall of 2013. Meticulous restoration with careful modernization and improvements has been crafted into a unique location and elegant dining experience.
