Essanay Studios, Chicago
From 1907-17, Hollywood was in Uptown.
From 1907-17, Hollywood was in Uptown. A dizzy list of silent movie giants shot films here, Charlie Chaplin and local girl Gloria Swanson among them, and the city's awful winters played a part in shifting production to California for part of the year. When Chaplin left, the studio collapsed, and California started seeming more attractive year-round. The building is now a protected landmark, and houses the bi-lingual St Augustine College. No tours are available, but check out the grand name above the doorway.
Hours
Sun
NA
Mon
9:00
16:00
Tue
9:00
16:00
Wed
9:00
16:00
Thu
9:00
16:00
Fri
9:00
16:00
Sat
10:00
15:00
About Essanay Studios
1346 N North Branch Street, Chicago, IL, United States
+1 312-664-4400
Essanay Studios and Nearby Sights on Map
Multikulti
Multikulti is a collaborative avantgarde multi-cultural arts venue
The Polish Museum of America
Library and exhibitions on Polish heritage, both in Chicago and in Poland
The Society for Arts
This building was originally designed as a bank by Whitney & Williams when it was built in 1920
Chopin Theatre
An experimental theater complex encompassing two stages, a cafe, and a gallery
Steppenwolf
The creation of John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, and many others, Steppenwolf features cutting-edge theater and doesn't trade on the famous name, offering both original material and incisive re-stagings of classic plays (like a terrific recent production of The Crucible)
Royal George Theater
Home to the long-running Late Night Catechism and its variations, the Royal George has a couple of stages for 'cheeky' parodies and satires that go down nice with moderately wealthy white folks
Lincoln Park
Sprawling over 1208 acres on the shore of Lake Michigan, Lincoln Park is Chicago's largest public park
The Show Below
A great way to sample local comedy or catch up-and-coming acts
EC Gallery
Contemporary art
St Michael's Catholic Church
Unveiled in 1869, the walls of St Mike's were all that remained after the Chicago Fire swept through Old Town, making it one of only six structures to survive - and the tallest in the city until 1885