Old Town's Big News

Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood is about to get even cooler. The much-loved Old Town School of Folk Music is opening its new two-story, 27-000-square-foot building in just a few months. The additional space will include more all-purpose classrooms, dance studios as well as soundproof rooms for electric instrument classes.

Beyond the sheer increase in class offerings, there are other reasons to welcome the expansion. Old Town will hire about 250 more employees and increase business traffic throughout the neighborhood with an additional 230,000 visits annually. Also, builders are working with locally sourced, recycled construction material and installing energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in an effort to gain LEED-certification and conserve resources.

So if you’ve been hankering to try your hand at a new instrument but just keep putting it off, there’s never been a better time to check out Old Town. Sign up for classes and learn more about the expansion project at www.oldtownschool.org.