Most intimate venue for big personalities. Every seat is close up.Great neighborhood with plenty of parking and dining.

I love this place for seeing music and i know the people helping out today are volunteers but some of them were far from pleasant or helpful. Its ok not to know or for things not to go perfect but to take it out on the customers is just not a good idea.

Had specialized items I was looking for. Nice.

Saw Peter Asher. Wonderful show, great intimate space to see a show in.

You can pretty much try out any guitar or bass in small, private, soundproofed rooms. The staff were great, constantly walking around, asking questions, offering to help, and so on.I found it particularly cool to view the framed band photos of awesome musicians posing with various instruments at Old Town School Music Store.

This place is legendary. My first time at a live show and it was awesome. My GF and I watched Pokey LaFarge and he was on fire! The sound was perfect.

Saw The Lone Bellow in this intimate venue. Great place to see bands. Comfortable seating and every seat in the balcony was great. The staff was helpful and courteous. See a show here!

The Old Town School of Folk Music is a cultural institution in Chicago, carrying on the tradition of American folk music in a comfortable, joyous and enthusiastic way. The instruments are as modern and old as the practitioners.

We loved this place. A small, intimate theatre with comfortable chairs. They also offer a bar during shows. The school is in a beautiful neighborhood and the parking lot is very close to the building.

We stopped in during the annual Folk Festival which is also highly recommended. The store and the the school where it is house is an experience. There is so much history there and weather sheet music guitar or ukulele a violin or another instrument youre interested in, they have a great selection. You can also get lessons there for whatever instrument you buy.

Went for a theater event and was fantastic.

They guy working was super friendly and very helpful. He even offered to do a special order for us. Such a great place!

Wonderful small venue. Great sound. Respectful crowd.

I rented a guitar and did curbside pickup. The person in the shop was great! They were friendly, helpful and accommodating with scheduling a time to pick up my instrument. Pick up was fast and simple!

Incredible music store with some really eclectic instruments

Rented an acoustic guitar here for a month ($45/mo) because Im in between guitars and needed a quick solution. Gotta keep those fingers moving and the music flowing for the sake of my own sanity. Rental is nothing fancy but plays well and sounds just fine.

Socially-distanced, great selection, and helpful staff.

Great service and a good selection. Even though the Old Town Music Store is small they have a good selection of instruments. I bought my banjo during their banjo sale and was very satisfied. Definitely recommend for abut purchase like an instrument or just some strings. The only thing they don’t have is in-house repairs. They can send your instrument out but it will never be same day.

Way less scary than I thought. Taking guitar for the first time. First class, but teacher is great, class was fun and everyone has been super nice and helpful. Seems like a really cool scene to be around.

The old town school music store is inside the school, enter and take a right; youll see the entrance on your right. If you like folk music you gotta check it out. They have a great selection of acoustic and electric stringed instruments. They also have a small percussion section. Everyone working there was very helpful, answering any questions I had. They will also re string instruments you bring in. If you love music you should check it out.

The Old Town School of Folk Music is an amazing venue showcasing an astounding array of musicians. Personally I love them for the true folk, Americana, and bluegrass bands they bring to Chicago. Its wonderful to see world famous musicians in such a close up intimate environment. Whoever does the sound for their concerts is at the top of his game. Bluegrass bands sound even better live than on CD.

Great place with VERY helpful, experienced music loving volunteers, and great talent! This is the third time I have seen Peter and Jeremy, the second time here. I sat with a friend and his friend upstairs in the upper balcony, which did still have good views and sound. Unfortunately, though, there is a metal fence at each end of the balcony, and it should be a little wider, since it makes it harder to get to the seats, if youre well endowed, as I am.

Who knew???This venue has so much to offer! Visited World Music Wednesday and enjoyed myself immensely!!!Dedicated, passionate people, expressing themselves through music!!!There is a $10 donation. Maybe that should be mentioned ahead of time.Great place to enjoy, explore, release and express!Ill be back!

This music store is located within the old town school of folk music. Actually the school has two locations that are directly across Lincoln Street from each other. This music store features both new and used string instruments and many unique Products and music relating to folk music. Over the years I have come to appreciate the employees who are not only product knowledgeable but are accomplished musicians in their own areas. Im often inspired to try something new. The school is known for both classes and performances. There are letters and memorabilia lining the walls of the new building. And dont let the Folk Music name turn you off before you try it. My friends and I have found the performances highly entertaining and the classes perfect for my level of play. Theres too much to put in this short description so go online, including YouTube, and check it out for yourself. I highly recommend it!

Friendly, knowledgeable staff and great prices on high-quality musical instruments and supplies, which is why theyre always my first choice.

Fantastic venue.

I am fortunate enough to have a spouse that appreciates weirdness and is musically inclined. That led him down a multi year quest of stalking the Tuban throat singers. We missed them year after year but 2020 was gonna be our opportunity. We got in, woo hoo! Great show, enjoyed it much more than I expected.

Best musical selection The BEST most knowledgeable and customer friendly staff. They bend over backwards to help you, giving tips, servicing your musical instruments. Highly recommend!

Great place to take music classes. Amazingly, they have a great dance program. Also available are classes for young children. They bring musicians from around the world. Wednesday is Global Music Night, they have regular concerts all year around -- a Chicago institution and true national treasure. Oh, and they have a great music store too!

Lovely nonprofit music store. Nice selection of acoustic guitars, banjos, ukuleles, and mandolins. They also have a few electric guitars and keyboards.

Great show Cherish the Ladies we had balcony seats and the draft up there was terrible. I thought it was just me with my hood on and my husbands coat over my legs. When I looked around everyone was fully bundled up. Everyone had their coats on, earmuffs, mufflers. several of us asked that they turn down the fans but it never happened.

What an awesome place! I decided after many years of loving bluegrass music, and admiring my musician friends talents, that it was time for me to look into a course. I found an Intro to Banjo class, it fit my schedule, and started in late June. One gets a real sense of community at Old Town. Everyone is welcome, and everyone is very friendly and there to learn and enjoy music. A North Side institution that must be tried!!!

They have a good deal of used instruments. All appear to be in good condition. Rarely does anyone ask if they can assist you. Prices are clearly marked.

A fantastic little acoustic shop with a surprising selection of beginner, intermediate, and high-end instruments. Guitars, mandolins, banjos, etc. They carry quality brands that you can trust. Very friendly and accommodating staff. They also stock accordions (and violins, I think) and Irish percussion and wind instruments. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area, and you can also shop online and through Reverb. They even have a well-stocked corner full of children’s instruments and toys. My kids ended up getting finger puppets while I was banjo shopping!

Awesome little shop with a great layout and great service. The perfect place to go whether you know what type of instrument you want, or not!

This is a wonderful place to help educate yourself with musical culture in all its forms.Anyone trying to learn. This is the place to start. If thats not enough the well known live performances are diverse and intimate

What an incredible venue. I live 4 hours away but if I ever see a band I love playing here, I will go. The crowd is always so engaged and attentive. I love the neighborhood as well. Parking right across the street.

One of my favorite venues in Chicago for music of all types. Great Christmas presentations, too. Easy to get to, lots of nearby parking, lots of great restaurants near by as well - and reasonably priced.

Old town music is an awesome place for sure. I love going here for shows and to hang out. I have been at old town a couple times. The store has a town of instruments. I hear the music lessons are really great here as well. I am glad thay old town is still around for people to enjoy. I saw the band Television here last month and its one of my favorite venues. It is more relaxed and chill than other spaces and you dont have to fight the crowds. The sound system is good as well.

My daughter loves her voice lessons. She is gaining confidence in her musical skills amd having fun at the same time. I take adult piano here and enjoy the group classes. Teachers are friendly and encouraging. Worth the time and price for learning more about music.

I enjoyed the venue. It has an intimate feel without being crowded. The bar is fairly small, but has good prices. Would definitely consider this venue when looking for a concert again.

Cozy little place to see a concert. I dont think there is a bad seat in this place.Good acoustics. Would definitely go back.

Old Town School of Folk Music is a wonderful place for many things. I took voice and guitar lessons there when I was a kid which was very fun and helpful. Now Ive brought my niece and nephew for Wiggle Worms, and just took my niece for Little Strummers. The teachers they have are very nice and helpful, which makes it fun.

Great for Americana music supplies like guitar slides finger picks and mandolin strings! Martin Fender are represented along with various ukulele and banjo brands. They fully support any activity at the school.

My 2 year old loves the music classes here. The instructors are all so passionate and gifted. This place is a gem.

Was lovely, wish i had known there were 2 locations before i started driving though. I went to the wrong one first. Glad we found the right one.

Nice place to find instruments with good quality. The price is always reasonable.

Really enjoyed my first class tonight. Tatiana is a good teacher! Ole!

Very helpful staff that you can try to strike up a conversation with and will try to answer any question you may have. Even let us try out the more exotic instruments probably knowing we werent going to buy them.

Great show. Lovely venue. Cant wait to go back!

The staff was extremely helpful & its located not far from my house.

This is a great place to see shows its very intimate and I think youll like it. Its convenient to the Chicago Transit Authority Brown Line Western Avenue stop. The brown line runs early morning until late in the evening. They have a lot of shows at this place and I think people will really like it because if youre in the music and you really like a lot of good music they have it here. What I like about this places its so convenient and its right in the heart of the Lincoln Square neighborhood. The 49 Western 49b Northwestern or the two big bus routes along with the 81 Lawrence and the number 78 Montrose. The 11 Lincoln goes here. And of course the CTA Brown Line Western Avenue stop.

Decent selection and prices. Staff is a bit quiet but maybe thats not a bad thing?

Happy to see how much the community supports centers like this. These establishments are the pillars of a great community

I didnt know that old Town had a music store. My son did though, so we went there to purchase his Christmas gift, a banjo. The sales people there are amazing, so patient, so knowledgeable about every instrument they sell. They talk to you about what you are looking for, bring you several instruments to try out, and never do they attempt to sell you the most expensive item. They give you all the information you need to make an informed decision. Some scruffy for walked in, and just started playing some guitars. No one accosted him out bugged him, they let him be. I really like this place and highly recommend it.

Great place to get knowledgeable help buying an acoustic guitar. Non commissioned help, too.

My favorite music venue in Chicago. Just the best, and they have a no-glow request for the concerts....no cell phone use. Which is great.

They had exactly what I was looking for. A little cramped in the store, though. Small store with the barest basics and most popular books.

This place has many different types of instruments, and the staff are very knowledgeable and kind and will give you an extremely pleasurable experience.

Old Town School is such an iconic part of Lincoln Square. Its a great place to hear good live music.

Love the variety of global music free and pay concerts (though they need to better advertise that if you are late, they make you donate $10-20 to keep your seats). Some of the volunteers were a little snooty to some people

Want to learn to play guitar? Piano? Sing? This is the perfect place. Incredible staff musicians that can do and teach

What a wonderful place. The Gary & Laura Maurer Concert Hall is very welcoming and has spectacular acoustics

I always love this venue. Would like to see more variety in their entertainment choices.

Perfect. Good price, cheap parking

A most unusual and eclectic place to find amazing music of all types.

Great service. Every time I go in, the employees know their stuff and are very helpful.

A great place for your musical instrument needs. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

Chick Corea and Bela Fleck! So amazing to hear them play together in this intimate setting

Pretty good small and had to wait for seating but thats k

My three little daughters love their classes here! Thanks Old Town!

They have really cheap harmonicas perfect for a kids birthday gift

Beautiful place with the exception of the tables in front of the seats. The people at the tables block the view of others.

Great musical offerings, the school brings music from around the world to Chicago. The staff are very friendly. The cafe has a variety of snacks, good beers, and wine.

Moderatein size but excellent in quality. inventory; knowledgeable helpful staff.

Very helpful staff, nice selection. They helped me get the right banjo for what I want to learn

Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff, in a really great store. 5 stars all round.

This place is amazing!! The concert hall is beautiful! The food is extraordinary! And the staff, is helpful and very kind!

Everything you need to get your musical career off the ground!

I love this place. Classes are fun; teachers are great; everyone is welcoming. Come for a jam!

Good selection, very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Quick turnaround for repairs.

GREAT venue, music,and table!

Lots of concerts from all over the world, decent tickets prices, very nice atmosphere and helping staff

Great venue and the group from Cuba (OKAN)) ROCKED!

Not the biggest store, but some great stuff and really nice staff.

Im going to see Earls of Leicester tomorrow!!! Great place to see a show.

Staff are very helpful and knowledgeable. Great for beginning musicians.

Awesome place to watch a live show. Intimate setting and great sound.

This is the best music shop in town for every reason under the sun.

A living museum of musical instruments from around the world and not so fat too.

This place has a nice selection of string instruments, offers lessons and shows for aspiring artists.

Amazing music venue, the best in the City! Also has a large array of music classes for all ages(starting with infancy)

I was not at the store, but we did see a performance here. Good show, nice place.

A national treasure - and right here in our back yard.

Good selection of Martin guitars, sometimes sale pricing.

If you love music (any kind) or the performing arts, this place is your heaven.

Have been coming here for many years, Wiggleworms for our daughter and now dance and piano classes. Great facility, very nice people, a Chicago jem.

Knowledgeable friendly staff, had what we needed. Reasonable prices.

Best selection of accoustic guitars Ive seen in Chicago. Very helpful low pressure employees.

Well supplied music store...attached to a great venue.