The Walnut Room
A historic department-store dining room inside Macy's on State Street — now restored to its Marshall Field's Walnut Room name.
The call
Worth it if you're traveling with kids and you're traveling as a couple.
Short answer
Is The Walnut Room worth it?
The Walnut Room deserves a place on most first itineraries.
The answer depends on your budget, time and travel style; the breakdown below shows who gets the most value.
Why
- 01
Old-Chicago grandeur — dark Circassian walnut paneling, a vast room, and a holiday tree tradition that draws families every December.
- 02
Macy's restored the 'Marshall Field's Walnut Room' name with a commemorative plaque in 2025, which is exactly the nostalgia people come for.
Is it a fit?
Go if
Think twice if
You're watching the budget
The Walnut Room can strain a tight budget. Go only when it is a priority.
You only have one day
Keep The Walnut Room only when it outranks a half-day elsewhere.
You're traveling solo
Solo, The Walnut Room needs the right timing and tolerance.
You care about the visual experience
The Walnut Room offers some beauty & photography, but not enough to make it the reason to go.
The plates that decide it
- Mrs. Hering's Chicken Pot Pie — the 1890s house recipe and the dish to order here
- Seasonal holiday menu items — reliable and in-keeping with the setting
- Anything ambitious — stick to the comfort classics — that's what this kitchen does
Plan it well
- Cost
- $$ — moderate American comfort fare
- Timing
- December for the tree; otherwise quiet midday
- Booking
- Reservations essential in the holiday season
- Allow
- 1–1.5 hours
- Accessibility
- Inside the State Street store; large, accessible room