Local groups · Open play & lessons

The Mahjong Society Chicago

Also called TMS; The Mahjong Society; Chicago Mahjong Society

Local groups · Open play & lessons Checked 2026-09-21

Chicago, IL metro — rotating partner venues (Park & Field, Midwest Coast Brewing, Dovetail Brewery, Half Acre, Miru / St. Regis, Hotel 55 / River North, and others listed on the calendar).

Official URL

Category: Local groups · Open play & lessons
Also called: TMS; The Mahjong Society; Chicago Mahjong Society
Last checked: 2026-09-21

What it is

The Mahjong Society (TMS) is a Chicago first-party American Mahjong community that publishes a standing public event calendar: Open Play / Lucky League drop-ins, Mahjong 101 beginner classes, Mahjong 102 guided play, private lessons, and occasional tournaments. Tickets and venue partners are listed on themahjongsociety.com — not a MahjongFinder scrape.

Who it’s for

Chicago-area players who want ticketed open play or structured 101/102 lessons at partner restaurants, breweries, and hotels, including solo players who need table-matching, rather than a private home game or a directory aggregator listing.

Why it’s listed

Plaza needs a citeable first-party local-group calendar in a metro that is not already thick with Plaza pages (Chicago has Lily Pad parlor coverage; TMS is a separate lessons + open-play events org). Not MahjongFinder.

  • Event calendar (https://themahjongsociety.com/event-calendar) and hub (https://themahjongsociety.com/) returned 200 on 2026-09-21 with a dense forward calendar through late 2026.
  • Open Play / Lucky League samples printed that day: Thu Sep 24, 2026 and recurring Thu Oct 1 / Oct 8 6:30–8:30 PM at Park & Field — Lucky League Drop-In Open Play (experience required; no instruction; open seating; weekly prizes; food/drinks for purchase). Thu Oct 29 Mahj-o-ween Open Play at Half Acre Beer Co. 6:30–8:30pm (ticket includes a Half Acre beer). Thu Nov 19 Mahj & Merlot Open Play at BottlesUp! 6:30–8:30pm, tickets $55 including wine tasting.
  • Mahjong 101 samples: Mon Sep 28 and Mon Oct 26 at Miru / The St. Regis Hotel 5:30–8:00pm, ticket $90 including a glass of rosé, 2.5-hour guided lesson, and a 2026 NMJL card; Wed Oct 14 and Wed Nov 18 at Dovetail Brewery 6:30–9:00pm, ticket $85 including one beer + 2026 NMJL card; Sun Oct 18 at Burning Bush Brewery 2:00–4:30pm; Tue Dec 15 at Sushi-San Lincoln Park 6:00–8:30pm, ticket $100 including NMJL card + maki/edamame framing.
  • Mahjong 102 samples: Wed Sep 30 and Tue Nov 10 / Tue Dec 8 at Midwest Coast Brewing 6:30–8:30pm, tickets $70 including a beer; Tue Oct 13 Mahjong 102 & Open Play choice night at Summer House Santa Monica.
  • Tournament stamp: Sun Sep 27, 2026 The Lucky Tile Classic 9:45 AM–4:15 PM at Hotel 55 (soon The Rivvy Hotel) in River North — TMS’s first annual American mahjong tournament; tickets $125 including lunch.
  • Hub frames private lessons (groups of 4–12, instructor brings materials), custom events, and TMS ticketed public events. Contact email stamped on calendar: hello@themahjongsociety.com.

Ticket prices, venues, and dates can change. Confirm the live calendar before showing up.

Official URL

Event calendar: https://themahjongsociety.com/event-calendar

Hub: https://themahjongsociety.com/

Location

Chicago, IL metro. Events rotate across partner venues named on the calendar (Park & Field, Midwest Coast Brewing, Dovetail Brewery, Half Acre Beer Co., Miru at The St. Regis, Hotel 55 / River North, BottlesUp!, Sushi-San Lincoln Park, and others). No single permanent clubhouse is claimed as the only address on the pages checked.

Notes

  • Local groups / American Mahjong open play and lessons (NMJL card referenced on 101 tickets). Not Japanese Riichi as the primary identity.
  • First-party Chicago events org with a public calendar. Distinct from Lily Pad Mahjong Parlor (already listed).
  • Not affiliated with Mahjong Plaza.

FAQ

Q: Does The Mahjong Society publish a public open-play calendar?
A: Yes. On 2026-09-21 themahjongsociety.com/event-calendar listed recurring Lucky League / Open Play nights (e.g. Park & Field Thursdays 6:30–8:30 PM), plus 101/102 classes and a Sep 27 tournament.

Q: Do I need experience for open play?
A: Lucky League Drop-In copy on the check date said mahjong experience is required and no instruction is provided. Beginners are pointed to Mahjong 101 ticketed classes (often including a 2026 NMJL card).

Q: Is this a MahjongFinder listing?
A: No. Events, prices, and venues are published on The Mahjong Society’s own site.

Mahjong Plaza · all things Mahjong