Visit the Block

The Block Museum is closed to the public from June 29 to July 8 as we prepare the exhibition Place and Presence: Photography from the Collection.

Address

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
Northwestern University
40 Arts Circle Drive
Evanston, Illinois 60208
847.491.4000
block-museum@northwestern.edu

Admission

Admission to the Block Museum is free. Donations are accepted.

Hours

Summer Hours (July 9–August 30)

Directions and Parking Information

The Museum is located on the southeastern portion of Northwestern University's Evanston campus, near the lake and just off Sheridan Road, which hugs the main body of the campus. Directions to the Museum from Sheridan Road and the CTA Purple Line Davis and Foster Street stations and the Metra Union Pacific North Line Davis station can be found below.

Parking is available in the university parking lot just off Sheridan Road and south of Arts Circle Drive. A parking permit is required to park in this lot weekdays until 4 pm. One-day visitor parking permits may be purchased for $7.00 at the Block Museum's gift shop or at the Northwestern University parking office, located at 1819 Hinman Avenue. Please obtain a permit before parking your vehicle in the lot. Permits should be placed on the rear view mirror of your car with the information side facing out through the windshield. Parking is free and permits are not required on weekends and after 4 PM on weekdays.

Driving Directions from Sheridan Road to the Museum

From the south:

Going north on Sheridan Road from south Evanston, you will see Sheridan curve sharply to the left (westbound) as it reaches the south end of the Northwestern University campus, one block north of Clark Street. Look for a large Northwestern University sign along the westbound stretch of Sheridan Road directing you to the South Campus Entrance. Make a slight right turn on to Campus Drive just before Sheridan curves to the west and before passing the sign. After passing a 2-story parking lot on your right (you may park there after obtaining a parking permit at the Museum), you will come to a stop sign and see another sign directing you to take a right to reach the Arts Circle. Turn right, proceeding east on Arts Circle Drive. The road will veer north up a slight hill before ending in the Arts Circle. The Museum is the glass and limestone building located on the Arts Circle.

From the north:

Going south on Sheridan Road from north Evanston, you will pass the main body of the Northwestern University campus on your left. Near the south end of campus, Sheridan Road will curve to the left (eastbound) at the Northwestern Arch as Sheridan Road meets Chicago Avenue. Follow Sheridan Road as it veers left (east). Look for a large Northwestern University sign directing you to the South Campus Entrance on the left-hand side of Sheridan Road. Enter the Northwestern campus by turning left after the sign on to Campus Drive, just before Sheridan Road curves south again. After passing a 2-story parking lot on your right (you may park there after obtaining a parking permit at the Museum), you will come to a stop sign and see another sign directing you take a right to reach the Arts Circle. The road will veer north up a slight hill before ending in the Arts Circle. The Museum is the glass and limestone building located on the Arts Circle.

From the CTA

Davis Street Station:

Take the CTA Purple Line to the Davis Street Station. Exit through the east side of the station. Turn left on Benson Avenue and proceed north ½ block to Church Street. Turn right on Church Street and walk three blocks east to Chicago Avenue. Make a left, turning north onto Chicago Avenue. Walk two blocks north to Sheridan Road. Cross over toward the Northwestern Arch, turn right and walk two blocks east on Sheridan Road to Campus Drive. You will pass a large Northwestern University sign on Sheridan Road directing you to the South Campus Entrance. Turn left on to Campus Drive and proceed north to the stop sign. Turn right and proceed east on Arts Circle Drive.* You will pass the Marshall Dance Center and the Josephine Louis Theater on your left, with a short flight of steps between the two. Just past the Louis Theater, Arts Circle Drive will turn north (to your left) up a hill. Proceed up a second short flight of steps and then pass by the Ethel M. Barber Theater. The Museum is the glass and limestone building located immediately past the Barber Theater.

*Visitors who cannot take stairs will want to continue straight on Campus Drive at the stop sign, past John J. Louis Hall. Follow Campus Drive north, passing the Theatre and Interpretation Center (1949 Campus Drive) on your right and the Block Museum's Outdoor Sculpture Garden on your left. Turn right at Virginio Ferrari’s Prism in Two Elements, a massive bronze sculpture that is also part of the Museum's Sculpture Garden, and follow the path toward a flight of steps. You will see a wing of the Block Museum above you as you proceed down this path. Turn left when you reach the stairs to access the ramp up to the Arts Circle area. Take a right at the top of the ramp to reach the Museum’s entrance.  

Foster Street Station:

Take the CTA Purple Line to the Foster Street Station. Exit the station, turning right onto Foster Street and proceed east toward Sherman Avenue. Walk two blocks past Sherman Avenue and enter the Northwestern University campus at Sheridan Road. You will pass the Kellogg School of Management’s Donald P. Jacobs Center on your left and Deering Meadow on your right. Proceed toward Nathaniel Leverone Hall and pass through the building’s walkway.** Continue straight on the path from Leverone Hall, with the south side of the Gothic-looking Deering Library on your right. Just past Deering Library, turn right onto a ramp leading to the University Library Plaza. Turn left at the top of the ramp, proceeding east across the Plaza toward Norris University Center. Take the steps down from the Plaza and turn right onto Campus Drive, toward Virginio Ferrari’s Prism in Two Elements, a massive bronze sculpture that is part of the Block Museum’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden. Turn left at the sculpture and follow the path to a flight of stairs. You will see a wing of the Block Museum above you as you walk down this path. Proceed up the stairs and turn right to reach the Museum’s entrance.

**Visitors who cannot take stairs will want to turn right after exiting Leverone Hall’s walkway. Proceed south down the pathway, with the front of the Gothic-looking Deering Library on your left and Deering Meadow on your right. Veer to the left as you pass the corner of Deering Library and take the path that hugs the south side of Deering Library and the more modern looking University Library (1970 Campus Drive). Follow this path around the University Library until you come to a fork in the road. Take the third path from the left, which will go up and down a few slight slopes before ending at Campus Drive. As you proceed down this path you will see three large bronze sculptures on your right (two by Barbara Hepworth and one by Jean Ipousteguy) and one sculpture (by Joan Miró) on your left; all are part of the Block Museum’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden. Cross Campus Drive and take the path to the immediate right of Virginio Ferrari’s Prism in Two Elements, another monumental bronze work in the Block’s Sculpture Garden. You will see a wing of the Block Museum above you as you proceed down this path. Turn left when you reach the stairs to access the ramp up to the Arts Circle area. Take a right at the top of the ramp to reach the Museum’s entrance.  

From Metra

Take the Metra Union Pacific North Line to the Davis Street Station. Walk to the north end of the platform and exit toward Church Street and Maple Avenue. Turn right onto Church Street and walk four blocks east to Chicago Avenue. Make a left, turning north onto Chicago Avenue. Walk two blocks north on Chicago Avenue to Sheridan Road. Cross over toward the Northwestern Arch, then turn right and walk two blocks east on Sheridan Road to Campus Drive. You will pass a large Northwestern University sign directing you to the South Campus Entrance. Turn left on to Campus Drive and proceed north to the stop sign. You will notice another sign directing you to turn right to reach the Arts Circle. Turn right and proceed east on Arts Circle Drive. You will pass the Marshall Dance Center and the Josephine Louis Theater on your left, with a short flight of steps in between the two. Just past the Louis Theater, Arts Circle Drive will turn north (to your left) up a hill. Proceed up a second short flight of steps and then pass by the Ethel M. Barber Theater. The Museum is the glass and limestone building located immediately past the Barber Theater.

More detailed information about reaching the Northwestern University campus can be found on the Northwestern web site. A pdf map of the Northwestern University campus is available here.