Uncover the Most Exclusive Private Clubs in Chicago
Updated: July 15, 2026
Among America's great cities, Chicago rises as a gleaming metropolis on the shores of Lake Michigan. Often referred to as the NYC of the Midwest, Chicago’s status as a luxury destination can be seen in its variety of exclusive hotels, charming country clubs, Michelin-starred restaurants, and private, invite-only members clubs designed for networking and quiet business deals away from the public eye.
If this sounds like your kind of scene, this guide gives you a look inside Chicago’s most exclusive private clubs, and gives you the lowdown on what to expect, and most importantly, how to get in.
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What are the most exclusive clubs in Chicago?
Private clubs in Chicago offer members exclusivity and discretion, and reflect the city's mix of old-money and modern ambition. Some places are storied institutions located in the city’s iconic Loop, while others offer a luxurious experience with private pools, curated art, and one-of-a-kind cocktails.
Astor Club
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About Astor Club
Astor Club is an exclusive member’s only private club in Chicago that’s located in the former space of Maxim's de Paris, a legendary, lavish Art Nouveau restaurant that operated from 1963 to 1983 in the Astor Tower, once the only 5-star restaurant in Chicago. In 2023, the space re-opened as the exclusive members club we have today.
Building on that legacy, Astor owners Victoria and Adam Bilter plan to open a Gilded Age mansion on Lake Shore Drive. Known as "the Blair," this location now serves as Astor Club's new daytime clubhouse, and is one of only seven remaining Gilded Age mansions on Lake Shore Drive. The daytime clubhouse is expected to open in Fall 2026.
Inside Astor Club
The club has kept the Art Nouveau aesthetic from its former life, with lots of moody lighting, deep burgundy walls, plush furniture, mirrors, and ornate wood trim. At its centre is a grand, dramatic staircase which spirals down into the space, much as it did decades ago.
The Bilters deliberately kept the original bones of the building, giving the space the feeling of stepping into a preserved, atmospheric 1960s Parisian-inspired supper club. They even kept the original grand piano from Maxim's de Paris, which still sits in the club today.
Astor Club is the only private members' club in Chicago with a Michelin Star-awarded executive chef, and the first private club to be recommended in the Michelin Guide.
What makes Astor Club so exclusive?
One of the main reasons Astor Club is so exclusive is that its member list is kept secret, and the club operates on an invitation-to-apply basis rather than open enrollment. It’s reported that around 70% of members live within four blocks of the club, making Astor a neighborhood institution.
If you are admitted to join, membership fees start at $2,400 upfront and $200 per month thereafter. To gain full access to the club and everything it has to offer, the highest membership tier will set you back $100,000 just to get your foot in the door.
Despite never having spent any money on advertising, the club claims that membership inquiries are at record levels.
The Chicago Club
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About the Chicago Club
One of Chicago’s longest running and most elite member clubs, the Chicago Club boasts itself as the gathering place for Chicago’s entrepreneurial, cultural, financial and business elite.
Founded in 1869, membership to the Chicago Club is by invitation only. It only ever has 1,200 members at any one time, making it one of Chicago’s most exclusive private clubs. If you wish to visit the club, you’ll need to adhere to a strict dress code and phone use is limited to phone booths, private meeting rooms, and guest rooms—at the Chicago Club, discretion is not optional.
Inside the Chicago Club
The current clubhouse lies within an eight-story granite building in the Romanesque Revival style in the heart of Chicago’s Loop district, just a mere block from the Art Institute. Completed in 1929, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Little is known about the interior, but one rare Tribune article from 1982 described it as “as private as an English stately home”, with matching décor, and so private that few passers by would even realize what power resides within its walls.
Parts of the club can be booked for special events. These include the elegant lounge, a spacious ballroom, and terrace with panoramic views of Grant Park and Lake Michigan.
What makes the Chicago Club so exclusive?
The Chicago Club’s by-laws specifically forbid working members of the press from entering the building, which means very little is known about what happens here.
Membership has historically excluded everyone except roughly 1,200 carefully selected members, and (until relatively recently) excluded women entirely. To become a member, you need a sponsoring member, a seconder, letters of support, and a lot of patience.
Little is known about membership fees, but if you’re selected to become a full-fledged member, you can expect that the access to Chicago’s elite is well worth the fee they charge.
Union League Club Chicago (ULCC)
About Union League Club
The Union League Club Chicago (ULCC) is another prestigious members club which has existed in some form since 1862, with roots that date back to Abraham Lincoln and preserving the Union during the Civil War.
Unlike other private social clubs in Chicago, ULCC was built with a civic mandate, and its members are known for engaging in philanthropy, public affairs, and military support at city, state, and national levels.
Inside Union League Club
Also located in the iconic Chicago Loop, the first thing new members will notice about the ULCC clubhouse is that art is everywhere. Almost 800 works have been collected over the past 100 years, with American art—especially Midwestern 20th-century—forming the core of the collection. This makes the whole space feel like a private, curated art museum.
The club offers 160 guest rooms, more than 30,000 square feet of dining and event space, three dining venues (including the formal Wigwam and the more casual Rendezvous), a spa, and a fitness center.
The ULCC describes itself as a "neighborhood in a building"—a place where members can work and network together during the day, and relax with a delicious meal or attend social events in the evening.
What makes the Union League Club so exclusive?
Membership here is limited and subject to approval by the club's board of directors, and access is only available through member sponsorship.
While exact membership fees are unknown, it's been reported that Union League Club members paid a $1,250 initiation fee plus $210 per month, with the exact amount varying by age.
Soho House Chicago
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About Soho House Chicago
In many major cities around the world, Soho House is an institution, and the Chicago branch is no different. When it arrived in the West Loop in 2014, it upended the traditional model that had long defined the city's most exclusive clubs.
Soho House caters to a young, international, and creative community. The club features an 80ft rooftop pool, screening room, gym, spa, restaurant, and regular live music and events. One of the biggest benefits of a Soho House membership is that it gives you access to 48 Houses in 19 cities, including London, New York, and Los Angeles. There’s also a Local House Membership that gives you access to one location.
Inside Soho House Chicago
Located in the 1908 Allis Building, a former belt factory in the Fulton Market District, a 14-month long renovation turned the large factory floors into a warm and inviting space across five floors for members to relax and connect.
The interiors are still lined with concrete and worn, exposed brick, and the architects retained the high ceilings and expansive floor plan of the early-20th-century factory; but now it’ dressed up with chandeliers, a boxing gym, and a rooftop pool.
What makes Soho House Chicago so exclusive?
Getting into Soho House Chicago might not be as difficult as some of the other private clubs on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Soho House prioritizes young professionals, especially in the creative sphere—artists, actors, designers, models, musicians, writers—you’ll find them all lounging by Chicago’s rooftop pool.
If you want to get a membership, you will need to apply online with a photo and basic info about yourself, list two existing members as references, and write about why they want to join and what you’d contribute to the community.
Once selected, you will need to pay $875 quarterly, or $450 quarterly for members under 27—a deliberate move to attract young and upcoming creatives. Overall that works out to roughly $3,500/year (over 27) or $1,800/year (under 27).
BIÂN
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About BIÂN
If you’re looking for a private club in Chicago that caters to wellness, lifestyle, community, and luxury, look no further than BIÂN, a prime example of Chicago’s new money crowd looking for more than just an exclusive spot to network.
One of the newest private clubs in Chicago, BIÂN’s model combines Eastern and Western wellness philosophies to give members all the tools they need to meet their health goals.
The list of amenities is as exhaustive as it is impressive, providing members with access to 14+ daily fitness, studio, and mindfulness classes, a steam room, cold plunge, acupuncture, IV treatments, infrared sauna, life coaching, chiropractic care, personal training, nutrition, weekly social programming, a vinyl record listening room, and two restaurants—everything one might need to transform their life.
Inside BIÂN
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Located in the trendy River North district, BIÂN opened in 2020 and boasts an interior that evokes comfort and calm, featuring art from local Chicago residents, and sustainable touches like bamboo towels and cork-based yoga mats.
What makes BIÂN so exclusive?
Upon joining, each member meets with a BIÂN advisor who builds an individualized wellness plan drawing on the club's medical and fitness specialists.
As you can imagine, this kind of individualized care doesn’t come cheap—membership begins with an online application, and if selected, members can expect to pay $4,400 annually, structured in quarterly payments, plus a one-time $1,000 initiation fee upon joining.
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