Wintrust Arena is the site of DePaul's 119th commencement ceremonies on June 9-10, 2018. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
Another new era will begin this weekend when DePaul's first commencement ceremonies are held at a new venue-Wintrust Arena. Five ceremonies will take place June 9-10, as graduates take part in the university's 119th commencement.
Because paid parking in the area is highly limited, attendees are encouraged to use public transportation or taxi and rideshare options to get to Wintrust Arena, located at 200 E. Cermak Road in Chicago's South Loop. The arena is accessible by city bus and elevated train. Directions, maps and public transportation options can be found
on the commencement website.
If you drive, expect heavy traffic when guests from one ceremony are exiting parking areas while guests for the next ceremony are arriving.
Several parking options are available. Please be aware that Lot A may reach capacity quickly.
- Lot A - 2301 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616: (8' height clearance) is a six-level garage with 2,100 parking spaces located on Martin Luther King Drive, adjacent to McCormick Place's West Building. Covered walkways from Lot A leading directly into McCormick Place, Wintrust Arena, Marriott Marquis and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Hotel also provide added convenience. The parking rate is $23 for up to 16 hours and $36 for from 16 to 24 hours.* There are no in-and-out privileges. Overnight parking is available in Lot A only. Lost tickets will pay the $36 (overnight) fee per day.
- Lot B - 3050 South Moe Drive, Chicago, IL 60616 (also known as 31st Street Lot) is an outdoor surface parking lot located at 31st Street near Lake Shore Drive South and Moe Drive. It holds over 1,800 vehicles. The parking rate is a flat fee of $15 per day with no in-and-out privileges.* This parking lot is open throughout event hours. Overnight parking is not available. A complimentary shuttle will run Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Please allow extra time if you plan to utilize this garage.
- Lot C - Fort Dearborn Drive, Chicago, IL 60616 (6'4" height clearance) is an underground garage with 1,900 parking spaces and is located on Ft. Dearborn Drive, adjacent to the Lakeside Center. The parking rate is a flat fee of $23 per day with no in-and-out privileges.* This parking lot is open throughout event hours. Overnight parking is not available. Please allow extra time if you plan to utilize this garage as it includes a significant walk.
* Credit cards are accepted at the parking pay stations.
Prepare for Wintrust Arena's Bag Policy
Much like NFL stadiums and other large venues, Wintrust Arena adheres to strict safety procedures that are enforced
without exception. Everyone entering the arena will pass through a metal detector and security bag check. In addition, graduates and their guests should become familiar ahead of time with the arena's
strict bag and purse policy, which prohibits nearly all purses and bags, and its list of
other prohibited items.
Ceremony Information
Graduating students and faculty who are participating in commencement can find information on each ceremony on the
DePaul commencement website. All ceremonies except for School of Music and The Theatre School are ticketed.