Frequently
Asked
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MIT COMMUNITY
The MIT Chapel is open via card access to all members of the MIT Community for quiet observances outside of regularly scheduled events. Groups approved by the Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life may use the Chapel for services. In addition, sororities and fraternities may use the Chapel to hold initiation ceremonies. Members of the MIT community may make special arrangements through CAC to use the MIT Chapel for personal events such as weddings, baptisms, bar/bat mitzvahs, and memorial services. Experienced organists from the MIT community may use the Chapel organ with approval from CAC. The Chapel seats 114 people, but extra folding chairs can be brought in to accommodate up to 140 people. Any request to use the Chapel is reviewed on a case-by-case basis by CAC with special care to preserve the solemnity of the Chapel.
 
GENERAL PUBLIC - Update - 1/9/23:  Visitor Hours – now in place – unlocked Monday – Friday, 10 am to 11 am and 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
 
BOOKING
For booking and special group access, please visit https://studentlife.mit.edu/cac (for MIT departments and ASA-recognized student groups, use CAC's scheduling portal to make requests) or contact CAC at campus-activities@mit.edu or by phone at (617) 253-3913.
 
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
If you are interested in learning more about the art and architecture on MIT’s campus, please visit listart.oncell.com for a GPS enabled self-guided tour of the collection.
 

Bertoia’s altarpiece screen, or reredos, was commissioned for Eero Saarinen’s early modernist, non-denominational MIT Chapel in 1955. Suspended over the main altar, his cascading, open fret screen of slim metal rods and crossplates scatters light throughout the chapel. Described as one of Bertoia’s most striking works, it is an integral part of the altar. Here, Bertoia has liberated sculpture from its base to usher in the contemporary era of spatial sculpture.

For more information, click here to listen to a presentation on the work and Bertoia.

Applications from members of the MIT community for performances in the MIT Chapel will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. To be considered for a concert in the MIT Chapel, please submit the following:

☐ A brief program proposal (description, proposed repertoire, etc.)
☐ Individual or ensemble biography and CV (if applicable)
☐ 1-2 audio or video recordings

via email or mail to:
chapelconcerts@mit.edu
MIT Office of Religious Life
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Ave. Building W11
Cambridge, MA 02139
 

If you are a member of the MIT Community, you can reserve the MIT Chapel for your wedding by filling out this form or contacting Campus Activities Complex at campus-activities@mit.edu.