Old Town School of Folk Music

The Old Town School of Folk Music opened in December of 1957 with its first home at 333 North Avenue in Chicago. The School developed a special atmosphere of community and camaraderie, and helped to launch some of the brightest artists on the folk music scene: Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Bob Gibson, John Prine, Bonnie Koloc, and the late Steve Goodman all studied at the Old Town School. In 1968, the School purchased and moved into a 13,000 square foot building at 909 West Armitage Avenue. With funds raised from a $10 million capital campaign, the School expanded its programs to a much larger Lincoln Avenue facility, and maintained its music education programs at the Armitage building in Lincoln Park. The new Old Town School building was dedicated on September 18, 1998, with a concert by Joni Mitchell and Peter Yarrow. Today enrollment in Old Town School tuition programs averages close to 6,600 students per week, 2,700 of them children.