Great place, very clean, beautiful finishes and design downstairs, well organized, tons of food options.. Really the only downside is that it seems either there are not enough elevators or they're not quick enough. My group and I opted to take the stairs up every time, even up to the 11th floor, because the elevator wait was ridiculous. read more

A Chicago architectural masterpiece, Merchandise Mart was built during the Depression and stood as the largest commercial building in the world until some flower market in the Netherlands usurped that title a few years ago (thank you, Wikipedia). I have worked around the mart for years now and always shudder when I think of how many hours I've spent in or around the building. In terms of merchandise, the only things I've brought here were from the restaurants (there is a food court on the second floor), a convenience store on the first floor and second floor, a post office on the first floor, and Walden Books and Jamba Juice on the second floor. Outside of the first two floors I have taken the elevator around and have only found interior decorating shops for things like custom designed kitchens and home furnishings. Meh. read more

The art deco Merchandise Mart is somewhat an illusion in its grandeur size, since the windows are miniscule, and the larger part of the building is the front side facing the river. It can look really shabby after a rainy day. Still, it does have its own zip code. If you have a lot of moolah to be putting modern stand-alone bathtubs from Kohler in your renovated condo, you can actually do some shopping here. The first floor is an aesthetic home design junkie's haven; I love walking through the marble hallway looking at clean-cut displays and blue-printing my dream home in my head. The rest is mostly office space, I happen to work in one of them and the diverse food court is very convenient. Very easy access right from the L stop. Includes Potbelly's, Quizno's, Sbarro, Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, and Lai Lai Oriental Express. read more

I've visited this place a couple times to pick up various items, walk around and visit friends in the building. I've always managed to get lost in here. The outside is an architecture spectacle. I love walking by this building and just looking at how massive it is. The interior design shops are awesome to look around in if you're fortunate enough to be allowed in to some of the show rooms. The number one showroom that I've had a great time in is the Sherill Collection showroom. It's huge but not overwhelming. read more

Motorola's new home! Place is AWESOME! They have a great food court and all the different coffee spots. The place is clean and overlooks the river. read more

Hats off to Madalyn Mrozek at the desk of Yelp! Merchandise Mart, at 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza Suite 470, in the heart of sunny and windy Chicago, IL. Marvelous! I am battling a pervasive cancer and so help me, I will make a comeback with my business and sign up for an advertising contract for my new artworks. The next few months ahead of us will determine how it will go. Madalyn is an asset to the telemarketing department at Yelp! Indeed, Steve Selpal read more

Absolutely the best place to meet with friends. Possibly one of the and impressive building of Chicago alongside Chicago river and has a spectacular view of the river and city. Love the architecture and the huge space. Great place to visit if you want to get free ideas for your dream home. read more

All-In-One! I came here for an interview and was astounded by what was encompassed inside this great place. There were small stores and eateries on the first level and business on the upper levels. I didn't have much time to look around at the small stores downstairs, but lets say the upstairs is confusing! I was lost for a second trying to figure out this ginormous building but in the end, I was able to find my way around. Great place. I would stop by here to check out the stores at a later time. read more

I've worked in this building for the past four years and have come to call this place home. The security guards are super nice. The building is beautiful, inside and out. And there is a wide variety of over-priced fast food restaurants in the food court on the second floor. The escalators are somewhat of an enigma. Who designs a building that only has up escalators?!?! Reminds me of the CTA train stations. The Merchandise Mart is a great place if you are in the market for home furnishings/fixtures but other than that there is very little reason to ever go there. Fun fact - The Merchandise Mart is so large it has it's own zip code! Merchandise Mart: architecturally beautiful. read more

This is the designers, architects and developers to go to for high end projects. I find inspiration in Merchandise mart it keeps me updated with the trends in the interior design world. read more

The Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friends & I came here on a Sunday afternoon hoping to visit some shops, have some coffee, & people-watch while in town. None of that really happened. There are only countless furniture displays behind glass, the cute independently owned coffee/tea shop was closed, and pretty much every other floor & store was closed too. The security guards gave us negative vibes, & there were barely any people there. I'm not really sure what the hype is all about, or what the purpose of the building is. read more

This is probably the biggest building I've ever been in. I've come in a few times for lunch, and this place has almost everything! For a time, I stopped at the Merchandise Mart CTA station often. It isn't the most important CTA station, but it does allow you to go straight to the food court after getting off the train, which after a long day is very nice! These days when I have to go inside, I usually use the park whiz app on my smartphone, which saves me money. There is a wide selection of restaurants, from fast food to the kind of fare you would get at a fern bar. There's a bunch of other shops too, but either not much of it is of interest to me or it is super-expensive! The architecture of the building is top-notch, and it's not surprising that it has been used for multiple purposes over the decade. I think a TV station was there at some point. They also have some cool statues of giant heads, so you can have a staring contest with Aaron Montgomery Ward. I'm pretty sure he won, but then again he is a giant head that stares off into the distance. It's pretty boss. read more

Are you remodeling you home? This is your playground. They have extravagant things here that will blow your mind. It is like PIRCH ten times more! Minus the beer tastings and stuff. Conveniently located off the brown line. It is also connected to the Holiday Inn. If you like home stuff, you will love it here. read more

Fun spot to visit. Food court offers some good lunch choices. Convenient access to the CTA read more

Fantastic!!!! It was super nice and enjoyable the Basketball game was on the big screen and it was great to just relax and enjoy the game!!

This is such a large and awesome looking buidling. There are a few local radio stations and the Sun Times located inside as well other industry giants. read more

The Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A little more extravagant home design than Ikea, this is a great place to come and eyeshop for ideas for your home, whether it be decor, remodeling, redoing the kitchen, or looking to purchase a home. It's a collection of shops that have top notch appliances (like Miele), furniture, curtains, tiles, and unique bathroom fixtures. I like to walk and look and be inspired (and get house envy). Though everything is def out of my price range. But one can dream! read more

Lots of design eye candy. Fast food and coffee. An indoor walk and bathrooms for the CTA station. Fantastic art and design events. Awesome Christmas lights on top. Pretty much the only thing it doesn't have is a verb. read more

There's a lot of little stores in here! If you need a Starbucks or some free wifi around the area...this is the place to go! Other than this, I don't know very much about the building. New to the are and looking to explore more and go here a few more times! :) read more

Unless you work here, it's tough to keep track of how many new businesses and restaurants open up in the Mart. A few years ago, the food court was just like one you'd find at a suburban shopping mall. Today, the court has the level of quality and variety that you'd find in a place like Revival Food Hall. read more

Drool pool. I love this place. You will find unique textiles here but you need a vendor's license to buy. I like browsing all the fabric companies and then looking online for them :) read more

I love this place...Visited Luxe Home's Interior Design Home & Garden Event Opening. Sweet time. Also, great beautiful building at the Mart. Eateries, design shops, and other little shops...xo read more

There are a lot of great shops in this strip, but they are all rather pricey. Other than they're great.

I brought my (high school) interior design student here for a class field trip. To say that they had an amazing time would be an understatement. I had students squealing with joy that "this is like heaven" as we walked from show room to show room on the first floor. All of the designers were incredibly helpful and really encouraging to my students about how this could be a job for them. We toured a few designers on the third floor and continued to have the same experience. To finish our day we walked through the freshly remodeled Dream Home - it truely is dreamy. I will definitely be back with another group for more "inspiration" from the incredible designers that are housed here. read more

I've been here for random events, and it's very spacious. Architecturally, it is gorgeous and a worthwhile place to check out in Chicago. Most recently, I've been here to pick up my registration materials for the Chicago Half Marathon. It's a great place to host something, because it's so conveniently located to the brown and purple line trains. It's does have a lot of interior design stores, and they have a cooking class in there as well. It's neat to pass by and watch this go on. They do also have some other small shops like a Starbucks, Potbelly's, etc. I was disappointed to hear that I could do some major shopping in here, but I didn't really see where. The elevators are really confusing, because some of them go to certain floors. I also didn't see a directory. I have gotten lost, and luckily re-directed by some helpful people. I'd say this is more of a place for trade shows and events as opposed to real shopping. read more

Seriously cool place... and it's hard to appreciate just how big it is. As a mere mortal, I've never been able to experience the top floors that are available only to commercial retailers, but there is still plenty to experience as a member of the public. The first two floors offer a handful of cafes and restaurants, as well as a number of fun stores. If you're moving into a new place or considering redecorating, I would definitely recommend checking out what the Merchandise Mart stores have to offer. read more

Love working at the Mart. Hate taking the elevator with YELP employees. Corporate heads, please offer some etiquette workshops for your employees. read more

I am a HGTV addict so going to the Merchandise Mart is like Live HGTV for me! I love to spend an afternoon wandering in and out of the showrooms. One time, I was able to tour the Dream House exhibit, which was amazing. I even have fun playing in the Kohler store. For anyone who is a fan of interior design, this is a fun place to go. read more

Loved loved LOVED this place! Osi V, the boys and I stopped in here while downtown one Friday and it was amazing! I already loved the look of it from the outside and then walked in and just died. The interior design stores (think bathrooms, woodwork, kitchens, etc.) are to die for! Everything is perfection, the tiles, tubs, sinks...everything we looked at, I wanted right then and there! =] One day though. There were also a couple coffee/tea places to grab something light to eat and drink and plenty of little tables to sit down and relax. We also stopped in this little specialty kitchen shop that offers cooking classes, as well, (The Chopping Block) and it was awesome! They have cute little cookbooks, utensils, coffee mugs and a bunch of other items like the pink knife I bought! =] I cannot wait to get back to Merch Mart to check out some more stores and take in it's beauty! read more

Great example of beautiful yet practical American architecture. Beautiful building inside and out. This building is awe inspiring for its scale and lines, and sublime setting on the Chicago River. It is just a fantastic piece of architecture. I know it seems odd advice, but just spend some time looking at this building and putting yourself in its space rather than just tripping by it on the way to somewhere else. It is magnificent. If you go in, inside there are many shops displaying home decor items, but its commercial space is set up more for project planning than buying a lamp. The Kohler store is really cool--where else do they have the shower heads for sale working so you can see what they do? Food court is somewhat lacking, but there are other places to eat in Chicago. This one is for looking at and admiring. read more

I have been here many times for the annual NeoCon convention. The size of this building is remarkable and I enjoy coming here every time to see what the latest trends in contract furnishings are. Best way to get here is to walk. Taxi cabs or rideshares will get stuck in traffic during convention days. read more

This is where part of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology is located (4th and 13th floors), which is where I go. I don't really have anything negative to say about the building. I like that the train comes right to the building which makes standing out in the cold not so terrible. Also decent food court, wish they had a little more variety and less chain restaurants. I haven't really visited any of the other floors so I can't really comment on them, even though some of the shops look pretty cute. I also find The Mart very centrally located in Chicago, so there are a lot of fun restaurants and places to go around there and to walk along the river. read more

Great stop for all the higher-end home improvement, appliances, furniture etc. The many showrooms are immaculate, the views are great from almost every corner, lots of dining options inside, and a great place to just walk around to get that 2 miles a day done fairly quickly ;-) read more

Textiles, kitchen goods, showrooms, and all things furnishings for residential. There are also a couple fast food places upstairs such as Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Habanero Grill, and Jamba Juice. But my favorite store is Chopping Block, which holds a series of cooking classes and sells kitchenware such as my John Boos chopping block. There is also ample seating if you want to take your donuts from The Doughnut Vault, to feast on. The sheer size of this building is something to appreciate as it once held its own zip code, 60654. read more

this is truely an amazing building with an interesting history from every standpoint. Retail history, art/architecture, transportaion, engineering, import/export, wholesale trade and design. It's often taken for granted. Take a guided tour or several and you'll learn some fascinating things! If you can take the underside tour usually offered during NeoCon for about $35 and see how a city within a city operates and breathes below the mart as we know it, the tunnels, the 1992 flood line, the trains, the old A/C and some crazy old Chicago history! read more

In it's DAY and Today it's a classy building. Take a walk..."The World's Largest Commercial Building."

I've been here a few times but most recently went to the StyleMax trade show. As everyone else has mentioned this place is HUGE. I really like how the staff was helpful and courteous. We had such an awesome time here, I look forward to attending many more events. I will surely recommend that people check this place out! read more

Its a great place to go. 3/10/11 floor have all the modern furnitures.

This place is HUGE. Once the largest building in the world..walking around this place can feel overwelming. They have plenty of small stores and food places. Definitely a place to walk around and check out. However, if you're looking to buy kitchen ware, etc, better open up that wallet. It is not cheap... read more

I thought that LuxeHome was just awesome! Somehow I felt like I was walking through a magazine of homes! Just beautiful...now of course there was no shopping done here (well not for me...out of my price range) but it sure was beautiful! read more