The Closing of the Last Human Operated Elevators in Chicago

by Sophie Goodwin

The last human-operated elevator in Chicago, Illinois, is keeping a long-gone tradition alive. While you won’t find the old ashtrays of the past in these elevators, the manually operated Otis elevators are believed to be the original elevators of the Fine Arts Building on South Michigan Avenue, dating back to 1898. Jacob Harvey, managing artistic director of the theater, explained the charm of the outdated vertical-transportation devices, saying:

“What’s really kind of remarkable about it is the human-to-human interaction that comes with that. And the elevator operators are very much part of the fabric and the community of a building like the Fine Arts Building, because they have personal relationships with all of us.”

While the elevator operators have become an integral part of the building’s staff and no doubt added to the experience of the theater, it was announced in 2023 that the building would retire the man-powered elevators in favor of more modern models. Harvey said that not only are the parts becoming too expensive to maintain the antique elevators, but the last working elevator mechanic that services the Fine Arts Building’s elevators is retiring. The elevators were supposed to be replaced by mid-2025, but due to delays, the human-operated elevators are still in operation and will be through the end of 2026. Harvey is sad to see the charming relics of the past go, saying:

“For all of its ups and downs and whatnot, you can’t be in a rush to go anywhere in the Fine Arts Building, that’s for sure. But there’s something magical that comes along with that. And as I’m sitting next to the elevator and like hearing it move around, you’re reminded of the musicality of that, too. How the gears working and that sort of manual kinetic energy around it just doesn’t exist anymore. So, it’s nice to remember something from yesteryear.”