Rent a mansion in Chicago, IL

There are numerous reasons to rent a Chicago mansion or other luxury house by the hour. You might need to rent a mansion for a party in Chicago, or perhaps you’re planning a creative project like a photo or video shoot, a company offsite, an important business meeting, or some other type of gathering. Whatever the reason for your rental, using a beautiful mansion as the location of your gathering automatically elevates it—just by virtue of being surrounded by incredible architectural features, stunning designer furnishings, and fabulous views of the surrounding city or countryside. Chicago has an amazing and highly influential history that extends to its diverse architecture, with buildings dating back to the 19th century—and from every era since then, through Art Deco, then midcentury style, all the way up to modern and postmodern designs. There are also mansions from across these eras, some of which you can even rent out by the hour for yourself. Read on as we provide all the info you need to prepare yourself to rent a mansion in Chicago by the hour. We’ll give you a quick overview of Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs, including descriptions of which CTA train lines, buses, and Metra services can get you there. From here, we’ll jump into the logistics: budgeting for a mansion rental (including their average hourly cost) and seasonal considerations to account for as you plan your rental.

Every neighborhood in the Windy City has its own unique feel, which can be credited to its distinct history and culture. To help you get a sense of what some of these look like, here are a few of the Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs where you might be searching for mansions you can rent by the hour for events and creative productions: Chicago NeighborhoodsThe Loop With cultural landmarks such as the Art Institute of Chicago and renowned architecture from across eras, this is Chicago’s main business district. Transportation options include many Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train lines as well as bus routes and Metra services. Lincoln Park The neighborhood is named for its park and also offers attractions like the Lincoln Park Zoo, great shopping options, and delicious eateries. Public transport options for getting to Lincoln Park include the CTA’s Red, Brown, and Purple lines and several bus routes. Bucktown & Wicker Park These neighborhoods are known for their bohemian, eclectic feel, thanks to their array of indie cafes, music venues, and shops. To get to Bucktown or Wicker Park, hop on the Blue CTA line or the bus. River North Home to many high-end restaurants, art galleries, and bustling nightlife, River North can be reached on the Brown and Red CTA lines as well as by bus. Chicago SuburbsOak Park This is a destination for diverse cultural offerings that include Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture, and it’s easy to access via the Metra’s Union Pacific West Line or the CTA’s Green line. Evanston Best known as the location of Northwestern University, this quaint, beautiful, and historic lakefront suburb can be reached on the Metra’s Union Pacific North Line or the CTA’s Purple line. Naperville Find entertainment for the whole family in this suburb, which has a lively downtown area. Although it’s a bit further from the city than Oak Park and Evanston, you can get to Naperville on the Metra’s BNSF Railway Line.

In general, mansions are all about luxury, which means you can expect them to be fairly costly to rent by the hour. But Chicago is also less expensive than other cities. To be more specific, Chicago’s cost of living is 120 percent of the United States national average, meaning that it is significantly more affordable than comparable cities. It’s the third most populous city in the United States, and compared to the second and first (Los Angeles and New York City, respectively), it is significantly less expensive. That means that a mansion in Chicago will likely cost much less to rent by the hour than the same mansion in other U.S. cities. But this can vary quite a bit depending on the specific features of the mansion in question. For instance, the hourly price can be higher or lower for different mansion types (e.g., a lake house in Chicago might cost more than a conventional mansion), sizes, locations (a mansion in the city will generally be more expensive than a mansion in the suburbs), amenities, and so forth. On Peerspace, mansion rentals in Chicago can range from about $300 (like this Wicker Park mansion with an open floor plan and five roof decks) to $950 per hour (like this exclusive mansion event space in the Chicago suburb of Barrington, IL). Accounting for this wide range, an estimated average price for Chicago mansion rentals would be about $400 per hour.

In addition to their luxurious interiors, mansions tend to be situated on larger plots of land that have been landscaped and designed with beautiful gardens and other outdoor features. If you’re planning to rent a mansion in Chicago by the hour, you’ll probably want to enjoy the outdoor elements of the home as well as the indoor features. But unless the outdoor spaces include heating (which some do!), you may not be able to make the most of them if you’re renting in the winter. Keep in mind that Chicago geets very cold and snowy, particularly in the months of January and February, which could impede your enjoyment of outdoor areas like gardens. If this isn’t a priority for you and your event plans, feel free to rent at any time of the year, as you’ll be warm and cozy in the mansion rental of your choice either way.

Check out our top picks for those looking to rent a mansion for a day in Chicago:

• This Wicker Park mansion has an open floor plan that adds up to 4,596 square feet, a home theater, and a modern design with thoughtful and comfortable furnishings. On the wide-open main level, there’s a pool table, a foosball table, and even a pinball machine. Natural light floods in the 20 foot windows on the front and back of the house, which are north- and south-facing. There are also five roof decks, with the top deck measuring more than 1,500 square feet and offering a fabulous view of the city, in addition to a large outdoor kitchen, heaters, and speakers for playing your favorite music. If you’re renting this mansion out for an event, you can expect to comfortably host about 30 people maximum. Reviews are uniformly glowing and describe the hosts as helpful and attentive.
• This unique, secluded mansion in the northern Chicago suburb of Riverwoods is available to rent out for film and photo shoots as well as events. There are no neighbors directly nearby, which means there’s no need for soundproofing. It contains more than 6,000 square feet of available space, which includes the main first floor, the pool house, the lounge-style basement (with a bar, pool table, and game area), the pool area, and the master bed and bathroom. (Note that some parts of the house, such as bedrooms, are off-limits to renters because it is the hosts’ main residence.) Conveniently, there’s free on-site parking—a driveway that can accommodate up to twelve cars—as well as plenty of available street parking.
• This beautiful Italian mansion is a waterfront estate situated on seven acres in a highly desirable area of Barrington Hill, a lovely Chicago suburb. It’s no surprise that the home has been the location of numerous photoshoots for major brands. The luxurious amenities here are practically endless, including six fireplaces, a first floor master suite, two kitchens, a theater room, exercise and steam rooms, a cherry bar, a designer laundry room, a wine cellar—and that’s just indoors! Outdoors, there’s an in-ground pool, a dining pergola with its own pizza oven, multiple terraces and gardens, mature trees, and even a chicken coop. The driveway accommodates up to ten cars, and the garage has plenty of space for storing equipment overnight.
• This exclusive mansion event space in the northwest Chicago suburb of Barrington is the largest of all our recommendations, measuring 11,000 square feet and situated on an almost 13-acre estate. It has two kitchens, a movie theater, a home gym, a game room, eight bathrooms, and an elevator, with state-of-the-art smart home technology throughout. There are both outdoor and indoor event spaces on multiple levels of this home, so you’ll have numerous options of where to hold your event here. This massive venue can accommodate up to 100 guests at a time. The hosts also offer setup and breakdown services as add-ons to your venue rental.