Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Illinois Chicago The Sullivan Center
AO Edited

The Sullivan Center

Louis Sullivan’s dark, swirling cast-iron designs envelop a popular department store in this Chicago landmark.

Chicago, Illinois

Added By
dibbiejane
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Exterior.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Close up of exterior window details.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Interior.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque by the escalators.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Department store interior with column detail.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque by the escalators.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Building exterior.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Department store interior with column detail.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque by the escalators.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Column details.   dibbiejane / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Sullivan Center building seamlessly blends architectural history, unique design, and Bullseye-branded shopping. Once home to the Schlesinger & Mayer Department Store, the cast-iron-fronted building is now best known for its uniquely designed Target.

Ornate cast iron wraps around the shop's entrance with dramatic dark colors and details that are often described as goth. Flowing shapes and twisting metal details frame the doors and windows, opening onto a wooden entryway that’s equally striking. The result is a stark and even humorous contrast to Target’s bright ads and products located within this historic building.

Technically, the building’s architectural style isn’t Gothic at all. It reflects its namesake designer's love of organic beauty. Louis Sullivan drew inspiration from local Midwestern prairie plants, creating patterns of movement and natural splendor when he was commissioned to design the project in 1898.

Over time, as tenants have switched, the building has undergone small alterations. Today, it houses many businesses, with the ground-floor Target being a particularly notable one.

The exterior is where Sullivan’s craftsmanship truly shines. But inside the so-called "Goth Target", you can also spot small touches, like filigree details atop columns in the toiletries section and plaques about the building’s history by the escalators.

Whether you’re an architecture nerd, a fan of dark aesthetics, or just in need of some groceries, The Sullivan Center's Target has what you need. 

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture

Know Before You Go

The "Goth Target" is free to visit. It’s a regular Target inside.

Community Contributors

Added By

dibbiejane

Published

October 16, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.timeout.com/chicago/news/a-brief-history-of-goth-target-tiktoks-favorite-chicago-building-102721
  • https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/buildings-of-chicago/sullivan-center
The Sullivan Center
9 E Madison St
Chicago, Illinois, 60602
United States
41.88175, -87.627481
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chicago Temple

Chicago, Illinois

miles away

Palmer House Hilton

Chicago, Illinois

miles away

Pritzker Military Museum & Library

Chicago, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chicago

Chicago

Illinois

Places 162
Stories 55

Nearby Places

Chicago Temple

Chicago, Illinois

miles away

Palmer House Hilton

Chicago, Illinois

miles away

Pritzker Military Museum & Library

Chicago, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chicago

Chicago

Illinois

Places 162
Stories 55

Related Places

  • An aerial shot of the Kissing Hall

    Brasília, Brazil

    Darcy Ribeiro Memorial (Beijódromo)

    This building embodies the vision of Darcy Ribeiro, a renowned Brazilian educator, and founder of the University of Brasília.

  • Mériadeck’s Le Centre residential building.

    Bordeaux, France

    Mériadeck Quarter

    This modern district offers a stark contrast to Bordeaux's terrace-lined squares and waterfront façades.

  • Bratislava, Slovakia

    House Attack Bratislava

    We're not in Kansas anymore: the Strabag headquarters has a playful upside-down addition.

  • Hartford, Connecticut

    The Boat Building

    An elliptical glass tower that is known as the world’s first two-sided building.

  • Pátio Victor Malzoni (Google headquarters)

    São Paulo, Brazil

    Casa Bandeirista do Itaim

    Under the towering glass canopy of Google's headquarters in São Paulo's poshest neighborhood, hides a small, charming 18th-century house.

  • The torii arch is out on the shopping street…

    Kyoto, Japan

    Nishiki Tenmangū Shrine

    A 1000-year-old shrine in Kyoto with a poorly planned sacred arch.

  • Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design in the iconic Toronto cityscape.

    Toronto, Ontario

    Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design

    This buzzy, award-winning building hovers 85 feet above the ground on a dozen colorful stilts.

  • West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Lansing, West Virginia

    Bridge Walk

    In West Virginia, you can walk across the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Sponsored By West Virginia Department of Tourism
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.