The venue is named in honor of former College of DuPage President Harold D. McAninch.
The Belushi Performance Hall is named after Jim Belushi, who is a notable alumnus of the College of DuPage.
The Cleve Carney Museum of Art within the center occupies 1,800 square feet of gallery space.
The center utilizes advanced acoustic design to accommodate both intimate spoken-word performances and full orchestral music.
The MAC serves as the primary performance venue for the New Philharmonic, a professional orchestra in residence.
The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) is a multi-disciplinary performing arts complex located on the College of DuPage campus in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. It houses the 780-seat Belushi Performance Hall, the 184-seat Playhouse Theatre, and the 70-seat Studio Theatre. The facility serves as a regional cultural hub, hosting professional touring Broadway productions, classical music ensembles, jazz performances, and dance companies. The on-site Cleve Carney Museum of Art features rotating contemporary exhibitions and has previously hosted major retrospectives for artists like Frida Kahlo. The center operates as a key educational and artistic resource for the Chicago suburbs. It remains fully operational as of July 2026, maintaining a rigorous schedule of seasonal programming.
The glass-walled lobby atrium during sunset provides excellent natural lighting for architecture photography.
Check the online calendar for pre-show artist talkbacks or post-performance Q&A sessions.
Arrive early to explore the rotating contemporary art exhibitions in the Cleve Carney Museum of Art.
Sign up for the venue newsletter to receive advance notice of ticket pre-sales and subscriber-only events.
Do not attempt to park in designated permit-only faculty lots; use the large visitor parking lots adjacent to the center.
The box office is typically closed on major holidays and Sundays unless there is a scheduled performance.
Business casual is recommended; silence all electronic devices before entering the theaters.
