Showing 1-8 of 8 results
-
Biograph Theater
In 1934, the 'lady in red' betrayed gangster John Dillinger here when he took new girlfriend Polly Hamilton to a show and her roommate Anna Sage tagged along, wearing a red dress. Dillinger, a notorious bank robber, was the FBI's first 'Public Enemy Number One.' Sage also had troubles with the law and was about to be deported when she agreed to set Dillinger up. FBI agents shot him in the alley beside the theater, which now hosts plays.
-
Essanay Studios
Back before talkies made silent film obsolete, Chicago was the number one producer of movie magic in the US. In those days, Essanay churned out silent films with soon-to-be household names like WC Fields, Charlie Chaplin and Gilbert M Anderson (aka 'Bronco Billy,' the trailblazing star of the brand-new Western genre and co-founder of Essanay). Filming took place at the studio, but it also ventured out into surrounding North Side neighborhoods.
-
Harpo Studios
Accept it: tickets to The Oprah Winfrey Show are freakin' hard to obtain. So the odds on getting a Tyra Banks makeover or a brand new Pontiac are slim. But hey, the 'Harpo Studios' sign is a classic Chicago photo op. And who knows who might be arriving in that white limo coming up the street?
-
Lincoln Park Zoo
The free zoo is one of Chicago's most popular attractions. The naturalistic Regenstein African Journey is tops. The walk-through lets you get surprisingly close to animals who swim, hop and crawl in remarkably lifelike environments. Adults will love the cuddly, perpetually puzzled-looking meerkat, and kids will scream with disgusted glee at the entire room filled with hissing cockroaches. The Primate House also pleases customers.
-
Shedd Aquarium
The world's largest assortment of finned, gilled, amphibious and other aquatic creatures swims within the marble-clad confines of the John G Shedd Aquarium. Though it could simply rest on its superlative exhibits - say, beluga whales in a 4-million-gallon aquarium - the Shedd makes a point of trying to tie concepts of ecosystems, food webs and marine biology into its presentation of supercool animals.
-
Soldier Field
Built between 1922 and 1926 to pay homage to WWI soldiers, the oft-renovated edifice has been home to everything from civil rights speeches by Martin Luther King Jr to Brazilian soccer games. It got its latest UFO-landing-upon-a-Greek-ruin look in a controversial 2003 makeover. Prior to that, the stadium's architecture was so noteworthy it was named a National Historic Landmark. Unfortunately, the landmark lacked corporate skyboxes and giant bathrooms.
-
United Center
Built for around US$180 million and opened in 1992, the United Center arena is home to the Bulls and the Blackhawks and is the venue for special events such as the circus. The statue of an airborne Michael Jordan in front of the east entrance pays a lively tribute to the man whose talents financed the edifice. The area is unsafe at night unless there's a game, in which case, police are everywhere.
-
Wrigley Field
Built in 1914 and named for the chewing-gum guy, Wrigley Field - aka The Friendly Confines - is the second-oldest baseball park in the major leagues. It's filled with legendary traditions and curses, as well as a team that suffers from the longest dry spell in US sports history. The hapless Cubbies haven't won a championship since 1908, a sad record unmatched in pro football, hockey or basketball.
-
Advertisement
Showing 1-8 of 8 results
