The Charnel House
The Charnel House is a Chicago Logan Square multi-arts venue occupying a repurposed 1928 Gothic funeral chapel, renting its 99-seat space to independent performing artists, production companies, and private event organizers for theatre, dance, music, burlesque, and corporate events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Charnel House does
The Charnel House is a privately operated multi-arts event venue located at 3421 W. Fullerton Avenue in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The space occupies approximately 2,500 square feet within a Gothic chapel originally built in 1928 as a funeral parlor and repurposed into a performance venue featuring a 16'x19' raised stage, professional lighting and sound systems, dressing rooms, two bathrooms, and a lobby with a full licensed bar; reception seating capacity is 99. The venue serves independent performing artists and production companies — including dance troupes (dropshift dance), theatre companies (Sweetback Productions, Labyrinth Projects), and variety/burlesque producers (Haus of Bad Taste/MO LESS, The Conspirators) — as well as individuals and organizations seeking distinctive spaces for private parties, corporate events, and video/film production shoots. Audience members attend theatre, dance, music, burlesque, comedy, and variety performances.
Underlying infrastructure is purely physical rather than technological; there is no proprietary software, app, API, SDK, or data platform. Marketing and distribution rely on a WordPress website, a Facebook page, an email newsletter (~1,032 subscribers as of 2019), and consumer ticketing via third-party platforms Brown Paper Tickets, Eventbrite, BPT.me, and Artful.ly. The business is small (1-10 employees) and is operated on a day-to-day basis by Victoria Szilagyi, who is the primary rental contact and author of all website content.
The revenue model is venue rental — a one-time license per event booking — supplemented by ticketed consumer admissions for hosted productions. Rental rates are not publicly disclosed (handled directly via [email protected]), while consumer ticket prices observed in 2019 ranged from $15 online to $20 at the door for variety shows and a tiered $16-$28 structure for dance performances. Programming is driven entirely by third-party producers; The Charnel House does not appear to produce or underwrite its own content beyond space provision. Customer segments split horizontally between performing artists/production companies and event organizers, with a separate geographic audience segment of Chicago arts consumers; no named corporate/enterprise anchor tenants or logos are disclosed.
The Charnel House firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Charnel House
- Legal name
- The Charnel House
- Website
- https://thecharnelhousechicago.wordpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Charnel House is a Chicago Logan Square multi-arts venue occupying a repurposed 1928 Gothic funeral chapel, renting its 99-seat space to independent performing artists, production companies, and private event organizers for theatre, dance, music, burlesque, and corporate events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Charnel House industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Venue Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)
Keywords
Where The Charnel House is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Charnel House business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Venue Rental: The Charnel House generates revenue primarily through renting out its unique Gothic Chapel space for live performances, theatre, dance, music events, video/film shoots, corporate events, and private parties. The venue serves as a host venue for third-party organizers and production companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General admission tickets for events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tiered seating options for dance performances |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Charnel House product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Charnel House rents its 2,500 square-foot repurposed Gothic Chapel (originally built in 1928 as a funeral chapel) as a multi-arts venue in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The venue is offered to third-party producers and event organizers for live theatre, dance, music, burlesque, drag, comedy, and variety performances, as well as private parties, corporate events, and video/film shoots. It comes equipped with a raised stage, professional lighting and sound, dressing room, full licensed bar lobby, and seating for up to 99.
Product overview
The Charnel House is a multiarts venue rental business, not a technology product company. It offers a single core service: renting its repurposed Gothic Chapel space (formerly a funeral parlor) for events. The venue features 2,500 ft² of event space with a raised stage, lighting/sound system, dressing rooms, and bar facilities, hosting theatre productions, dance performances, music events, private parties, corporate events, and film shoots.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Venue Rental Rental of the 2,500 ft² Gothic Chapel space for live performances (theatre, dance, music, burlesque, drag, comedy, variety), corporate events, private parties, and video/film shoots. The space accommodates up to 99 seated reception guests and includes a 16'x19' raised stage, professional lighting and sound, two bathrooms, a dressing room, and a lobby with a full licensed bar. Rentals are handled directly by Victoria Szilagyi.
Companies that use The Charnel House
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Charnel House technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Charnel House partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- dropshift dancecoredropshift dance, celebrating its 9th Anniversary Season in 2019, presented the dance work 'NOOK' at The Charnel House in June 2019. The production was described as an evening-length culmination of the 'At Our Edges' dance work, offering audiences dance, dance film, and participatory-guided physical experience. The partnership leveraged the venue's unique gothic atmosphere and intimate design.
- MO LESS (Haus of Bad Taste)coreMO LESS hosts the recurring 'Bad Taste' variety show at The Charnel House every other month. This original variety show featuring burlesque, drag, stand up comedy, clowning and more is a signature recurring event for the venue.
- Sweetback ProductionscoreSweetback Productions presented 'BiPoLaR BitCH' at The Charnel House in April-June 2019, an original production featuring performers with bipolar diagnoses exploring mental health themes through theatre and live music.
- LABYRINTH PROJECTSminorCo-presenter of 'BiPoLaR BitCH' with Sweetback Productions at The Charnel House.
- The ConspiratorsminorPresented 'Jesus Christ-Do-It-Yourself-Messiah Complex' - a multi-disciplinary tribute to the album version of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' at The Charnel House in April 2019.
- Brown Paper Tickets / BPT.meminorThird-party ticketing platform used for ticket distribution for performances at The Charnel House.
- EventbriteminorThird-party ticketing platform used for ticket distribution for events at The Charnel House.
- Artful.lyminorThird-party ticketing platform used for the dropshift dance 'NOOK' performance at The Charnel House.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Charnel House competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Second City: World-renowned Chicago comedy and theatre institution with multiple performance spaces producing live shows, sketch comedy, and improvisation. Comparable as a Chicago live-performance venue operator, though with much higher brand recognition, scale, and a narrower comedy-leaning programming mix.
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Major Chicago theatrical institution operating multiple performance spaces with programming in theatre, dance, and live performance. Comparable as a Chicago venue operator for performing arts, though significantly larger, more institutionalized, and less focused on alternative/burlesque programming.
- House of Blues Chicago: Major Chicago live-music and event venue hosting concerts, private events, and corporate bookings with a full bar/restaurant operation. Comparable as a Chicago venue operator with multi-use programming (concerts, private events, corporate), though at significantly larger scale and mass-market orientation.
Regional players
- Smart Bar Chicago: Chicago nightclub and event venue adjacent to The Metro hosting DJ events, live performances, and private rentals. Comparable as a Chicago small-format venue operator serving alternative arts audiences, though primarily music/club-focused rather than theatre/dance.
Direct peers
- The Hideout: Long-running intimate Chicago venue (~150 capacity) hosting indie music, theatre, burlesque, and alternative cultural events. Closely comparable to The Charnel House in scale, programming mix, and independent-arts community positioning.
- Thalia Hall: Chicago venue housed in a historic 1892 building offering live music, performance, dining, and event rentals in a repurposed atmospheric space. Directly comparable to The Charnel House as a small, character-rich, mixed-use Chicago venue hosting indie performances, burlesque-adjacent programming, and private events.
- Sleeping Village: Small Chicago music and performance venue in Logan Square/Avondale hosting indie, experimental, and genre-spanning live events with a bar program. Comparable to The Charnel House in neighborhood, scale, alternative programming, and mixed live-event/community model.
- The Empty Bottle: Iconic small Chicago venue (~400 capacity) known for avant-garde, indie, and experimental music and performance. Comparable as a Chicago independent live-entertainment venue with a similar alternative-arts audience, though typically larger and music-focused.
Emerging players
- The Promontory: Chicago venue in Hyde Park hosting live music, dance, theatre, and private events with restaurant/bar operations. Comparable as a Chicago multi-arts venue offering live performance alongside private event rentals, though slightly larger and more recent in positioning.
- SPACE (Evanston): Intimate Evanston venue hosting live music, comedy, and special events in a small atmospheric space. Comparable to The Charnel House in scale and intimate venue operations, though in a suburban-adjacent location rather than Chicago proper.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Charnel House social profiles
Digital presenceThe Charnel House financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Charnel House leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Charnel House funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Charnel House M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Charnel House
What does The Charnel House do?
The Charnel House rents its 2,500 square-foot repurposed Gothic Chapel (originally built in 1928 as a funeral chapel) as a multi-arts venue in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The venue is offered to third-party producers and event organizers for live theatre, dance, music, burlesque, drag, comedy, and variety performances, as well as private parties, corporate events, and video/film shoots. It comes equipped with a raised stage, professional lighting and sound, dressing room, full licensed bar lobby, and seating for up to 99.
Is The Charnel House a public or private company?
The Charnel House is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Charnel House founded?
The Charnel House was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Charnel House based?
The Charnel House is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Charnel House make money?
One revenue line is on record: venue Rental.
Who are The Charnel House's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and House of Blues Chicago. Smart Bar Chicago is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are The Hideout, Thalia Hall, Sleeping Village and The Empty Bottle. Emerging players are The Promontory and SPACE (Evanston).
Does The Charnel House have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Charnel House.
What industry is The Charnel House in?
The Charnel House's product category is Event Venue Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAC, Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues). Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7900.