Explore Our Historic Campus
Our Campus offers a welcoming and vibrant environment where students learn, grow, and thrive.
Located in the heart of the city, our campus blends historic architecture with modern learning spaces, creating a setting that supports both academic excellence and community life. Bright classrooms, shared gathering areas, and outdoor spaces encourage collaboration, reflection, and connection throughout the school day.
Rooted in Sacred Heart values, our campus is a place where students feel known, supported, and inspired to become confident learners and compassionate leaders.
Outdoor Learning Spaces
Students engage in multiple outdoor learning experiences throughout the day. Our campus features two dedicated playgrounds with multiple climbing structures and 3 half-courts with basketball hoops. Various sporting activities take place on our turf field. The newly designed outdoor classroom for our preschoolers includes nature-inspired play structures creating opportunities to exploring and growing.
Science/STEM Labs
Supported by a 1:1 technology program with iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, and a collaborative computer lab, students receive early science instruction through hands-on learning in our Primary and Lower School STEAM Lab, and Middle School Science Lab.
Fine Arts
Creativity is inspired in our spacious art rooms, dedicated music wing, and impressive proscenium stage with updated lighting and sound equipment.
Campbell Building, Turf Field, and Sports Courts
Recognized for being amongst the largest in private elementary schools, our gym features 2 full size basketball courts that host physical education classes and after school sports practices. Outside the gym are three half courts and a large turf field allowing for healthy and active learning.
Classrooms
Our spacious classrooms allow for students to engage in independent and collaborative learning. We strive to create warm learning environments where students feel safe as they develop their academic and social skills.
Library
Our newly renovated library is a hub for learning. Led by our full-time librarian, it features spacious study spaces overlooking Lake Michigan, and state-of-the-art research technology to set students up for academic success.
Our History in Chicago
In 1876, just five years after the Great Chicago Fire, Mother Elizabeth Tucker and three other Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ) arrived from St. Louis to open a school for young women.
They found a bustling town and moved into a small house on Dearborn Street, which their school quickly outgrew. The sisters joined the building boom, erecting a building at State Street and Chicago Avenue adjacent to Holy Name Cathedral. At this new facility, the Religious operated two schools: the Academy, which had an enrollment of approximately 100, and a parish school, known as the Cathedral School, whose enrollment soon swelled to more than 650.
In 1904, the sisters relocated the Academy to a large residence on North Clark Street and then in 1907, purchased twin houses on Pine Grove Avenue in the Lakeview neighborhood. With enrollment continuing to grow, the Religious decided in the spring of 1927 to construct a new school building at 6250 North Sheridan Road, which remains the heart of our campus.
Hardey Prep
From its founding to the opening on Sheridan Road, the Academy of the Sacred Heart was an all-girls elementary through high school. In September 1929, a few boys joined the student body. Soon, the boys’ parents began to desire a school just for them. In 1935, Reverend Mother Rosalie Hill established the elementary-only Hardey Preparatory School for Boys, named in honor of Mother Aloysia Hardey, one of the first and most influential American-born Religious of the Sacred Heart.
Sacred Heart's leadership made the strategic decision to close the high school, with the final class of 12th grade girls graduating in 1993, making both Hardey Prep and the Academy K-8 schools. Today, boys and girls learn in separate classrooms from 1st grade on, but experience other aspects of campus and community life together.
Facilities Expansion
The Campbell Building gymnasium was added in 1967. The Rosemont addition was built the following year as a residence for nuns (it is now largely office space). Having acquired the historic R.F. Conway House in 1959 (where Hardey Prep once held classes), the campus had grown to occupy the entire east side of its block of Sheridan.
In May 2004, a 33,000-square-foot academic wing, known as Sheridan South, was dedicated by Francis Cardinal George. It added science and computer labs, a new library, multi-purpose meeting room and 12 classrooms. In December 2015, the multi-purpose room was refurbished and four new 5th grade classrooms were added to the Sheridan South Wing.
