Chicago’s about to pull a serious rabbit out of its hat. The city’s newest magic venue, The Hand & The Eye, will open next spring inside the storied McCormick Mansion, a Gilded Age landmark that’s hosted everything from a puppet theater to Lawry’s The Prime Rib. Now, the 36,000-square-foot estate on Ontario and Rush Streets is being transformed into what’s billed as the world’s most dazzling home for modern magic.
Designed by Rockwell Group—the firm behind some of Broadway’s most imaginative sets—the reimagined mansion will house seven performance spaces, secret passages and more than a few architectural tricks up its velvet sleeves. Founder David Rockwell, a Chicago native and lifelong magic fan, says the project was personal. “We wanted this to feel like a love letter to the city: rooted in its history but alive with discovery, something only Chicago could inspire,” he told Galerie.
Renderings reveal an atmosphere of old-world opulence, complete with ornate staircases, marble fireplaces and embroidered textiles worthy of a stage illusion. Visitors will encounter lounges, parlors and theaters of varying moods—some intimate, some grand—all designed to heighten anticipation. “Magic thrives on anticipation and the unexpected, so we approached the architecture almost like designing a series of illusions,” Rockwell explained. Portraits open into hidden corridors, staircases conceal carvings and rooms seem to shift in tone as you move through them.
The project is backed by a reported $50 million investment from healthcare entrepreneur Glen Tullman, who’s helping realize Rockwell’s vision of a living, breathing magic house. Jeff Kaylor, EVP of Magic at The Hand & The Eye, said the collaboration between designers and magicians was key: “Every room, passage, and detail has been conceived to heighten what close-up magic does best—create wonder in proximity.”
When it opens in spring 2026, The Hand & The Eye will feature multiple theaters, a members-only dining room, rooftop bar and enough secret doors to keep Houdini busy for a weekend. “It is a once in a lifetime honor to design a building that celebrates Chicago’s contribution to the history of magic and the legacy of the McCormick Mansion,” Rockwell said in a statement.
Until then, consider this your first glimpse into the illusion—and start practicing your sleight of hand.