Entry No. 26 — the Chicago file — filed under: art-immersive
Color Factory Chicago
Tucked into the lower level of Willis Tower, this 25,000-square-foot experience strings together 14-plus walk-through rooms built around color, each designed with local and international artists. You move through a mirror maze, a wind-driven balloon room, and a 2,600-square-foot ball pit filled with mint-green balls and fed by two slides. The path is sensory and playful rather than contemplative, with sweet treats and surprises tucked along the way.
The story
What started in 2017 as a short-lived San Francisco pop-up by blogger Jordan Ferney blew past its expected run when ticket servers crashed under demand [1.3.7]. By June 2022, the interactive art outfit dug permanent roots into Lower Level 2 of Willis Tower, claiming 25,000 square feet of sub-basement real estate beneath the 110-story skyscraper. If you think subterranean Chicago towers are strictly reserved for parking decks and utility vaults, you haven't seen this string of 14-plus color-saturated chambers built into the building's massive Catalog expansion.
You didn't hear it from us, but beneath corporate Chicago's feet lies an surprisingly dedicated love letter to the city's quirks. Artists Edra Soto and Akilah Townsend kick off the sequence with viewfinders mapping hyper-local neighborhood color palettes, followed by a 1,500-square-foot mirror maze designed by Camille Walala to mimic Chicago's architectural lines. In one room, CTA train voice Lee Crooks directs you through drawing your companion's aura in a booth; in another, wind-driven floating balloons drift past poetry written by local students from 826CHI.
The climax is a massive 2,600-square-foot ball pit filled with roughly 300,000 custom mint-green plastic balls—a nod to the annual St. Patrick's Day river dyeing—that you enter via twin slides. Detractors dismiss it as a glorified social-media backdrop, but the setup actively tries to keep you off your phone: mounted overhead cameras scan a custom QR code card to email your photos directly to you, while staff hand out local treats—like Kurima melon ice cream, macarons, and Pop Rocks—at checkpoints along the strict, single-direction path.
What it's like
Expect a strictly one-way route through Willis Tower's basement that takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes. You'll check in, grab a QR-coded token card to trigger the hands-free ceiling cameras, and wander through rooms that shift from disorienting mirror halls to floating balloon chambers. The catch? You cannot turn back once you cross a threshold into the next space, so take your time before exiting any room. Pro tip: bring socks (they are mandatory for the ball pit), book a weekday slot to avoid peak weekend crowds, and leave room for the free macarons and melon ice cream handed out along the walk.
The move: Race each other down the slides into the giant green ball pit, then drift through the mirror maze and balloon room.
- 📍 The Loop
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 233 S Wacker Dr, Lower Level 2, Willis Tower, Chicago, IL 60606
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Chicago Fed Money Museum — Located two short blocks away in the Loop, this free single-subject museum offers a grounding, zero-dollar security contrast to Willis Tower's sensory pop-art basement.
- Batcolumn — Walk four blocks west to see Claes Oldenburg’s 101-foot steel baseball bat, extending the pop-art motif from sub-basement rooms out into public open air.
- Three Dots and a Dash — Head north across the river into River North to swap mint-green ball pits for an underground, dimly lit tiki temple tucked down an alley off Hubbard Street.
Good to know
Where inside Willis Tower is Color Factory located?
It is situated on Lower Level 2 (LL2) of Willis Tower (233 S Wacker Dr) inside the Catalog retail extension [1.3.5].
How do photos work inside the venue?
You receive a QR-coded token card at entry. Station cameras are mounted throughout the rooms, allowing you to scan your code to capture hands-free photos that get emailed to you for free.
Are socks required for the ball pit?
Yes, while shoes are worn throughout the general exhibit, shoes must be removed and socks must be worn to enter the 2,600-square-foot mint-green ball pit.
Can you walk back to previous rooms?
No, the exhibit operates on a strict single-direction pathway; once you pass through a doorway, you cannot return to earlier installations.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · better.net · Wikipedia · fnewsmagazine.com · costar.com
last checked: 2026-06-23