Although now a high school athletic field, in 1948 this field served as the home to the All American Girls Professional Baseball Team, the Chicago Colleens. At that time, the ballpark was known as Shewbridge Field. The This is the location of Shewbridge Field where the Chicago Colleens All American Girls Professional Baseball League team played their games in 1948. The Chicago Colleens played their first season at Shewbridge Field. The remainder of the team's history was spent as a traveling team. Although the Colleens never competed for a championship, they worked to promote the league throughout the United States while providing a credible demonstration that women could play competitive baseball.
This was the location of the original Stagg Field-famous today for its role in the nuclear experiments that ushered in the Atomic Age during World War II. As German physicists were discovering how to split a uranium atom, Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi expressed concerns to President Roosevelt that the German military might soon develop a nuclear weapon. Roosevelt responded by agreeing to gradually move forward with an ambitious research and development program that would grow to become the Manhattan Project-a top secret initiative to develop an atomic bomb. Three universities were involved in the initial stages of the research; Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of California at Berkeley. On December 2, 1942 at exactly 3:25 p.m. under the west stands of the University of Chicago’s Stagg Field, these researchers became the first to release and control the energy of the atom. Although not yet powerful enough to power a single light bulb, the success of this initial experiment inspired continued work, as well as the eventual completion of the atomic bomb. Ranging from the utilization of nuclear energy to power cities to the destructive power of nuclear weapons, a new age of science and technology began under the stands of Stagg Field.
The Negro National League was created by Rube Foster in 1920. He decided that with this new league he would attempt to make a team his own and be the coach. The third South Side Park in Chicago, Illinois would become the home of the Chicago American Giants. Their team would find success with Foster and be remembered in history.
U.S. Cellular Field on the South Side of Chicago is the home of the Major League Baseball team, the Chicago White Sox. Since 1991, the White Sox have resided in this expansive stadium that seats 40,615. Originally called New Comiskey Park, U.S. Cellular Field has seen a multitude of renovations over the years.
Comiskey Park was the home of the White Sox for over 50 years. Originally built on land purchased by Charles Comiskey, the first owner of the White Sox. The ballpark was made specifically to Comiskey’s instructions and was designed to be a pitchers’ park. From 1910 until 1990, the White Sox played their games at Park Stadium before moving to a new field in 1991, also called Comiskey Park until being renamed to Cellular Field in 2003. During its time, the park hosted a number of major events. Some examples of these events were the 1917 World Series, the first All-Star Game in 1933, a heavyweight boxing championship in 1937, and was the home of the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals from 1922 to 1925 and 1929 to 1959.
Opened in 1924, Soldier Field is the oldest active stadium in the NFL. The stadium's name is intended to honor veterans of World War I, and was selected by voters after holding a contest to name the recently completed field. Numerous college and professional teams have used Soldier Field as their home turf, but after the Chicago Bears moved from playing games at Wrigley Field to Soldier Field in 1971, the stadium has been associated as the home of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Athletic Association (CAA) opened in 1893 in congruence with the World’s Fair being held in Chicago. Designed by Henry Ives Cobb to feature crisscrossing arches that mimic the extravagant palace of the Doge in Venice, the 11-storied building is often described as Venetian Gothic. The Chicago Athletic Association catered to the city’s most elite men, such as Marshall Field, William Wrigley, Jr., AG Spaulding, and Cyrus McCormick. The CAA closed its doors in 2007 after 114 years in operation. Then in 2012, the building was purchased for $13 million by AJ Capital Partners, Agman Partners, and Geolo Capital. The partners hired Hartshorne Plunkard Architects and interior architects Roman + Williams to meticulously restore and modernize the CAA into a 241-room luxury hotel. The Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is currently one of the premier adaptive reuse projects in the city of Chicago.
Located in Chicago's "Little Italy," the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame honors important athletes of Italian descent. There are over 230 inductees enshrined in the Hall of Fame. To date, the organization has raised over $6 million for scholarships and charitable causes. In 27 years, the collection of sports memorabilia the Hall has amassed is second to none. The priceless artifacts include Mario Andretti's Indy 500 racecar, Rocky Marciano's first heavyweight championship belt, Vince Lombardi's last coat worn as coach of the Green Bay Packers, and swimmer Matt Biondi's Olympic Gold Medals.
This statue of Michael Jordan was dedicated in 1994 and is located inside gate four at the United Center. Regarded by many as the greatest player of his time, Michael Jordan began his career with the Bulls in 1984 and played all of his games with the Bulls before coming out of retirement. The base of the sculpture lists many of Michael Jordan’s awards.
Wrigley Field is home to the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball team. Built in 1914, the stadium is the second-oldest in baseball history behind Fenway Park home of the Boston Red Sox. Wrigley Field is a landmark in Chicago. Wrigley Field is the home of many baseball firsts as well as some of the greatest moments in baseball history. This field is one of the top tourist attractions i Chicago and a legendary place for teams to play at.
This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.
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This driving tour starts at Wrigley Field and includes stops at landmarks buildings such as the Chicago Athletic Association as well as stadiums and arenas. The tour includes stops at former ballparks that were home to the city's All-American Girls Professional Baseball League franchise and the Chicago American Giants of the Negro Leagues.
