Second City
ExperienceOld Town#37 of 50

Second City

Chicago, Illinois

Photo: Alper Ekmekçi

The comedy theater that launched Belushi, Fey, Murray, and half the SNL cast for the last fifty years. The mainstage show is consistently strong, but the real move is the late-night improv set — rawer, riskier, and often funnier than the polished production. This is where American comedy was invented, and the room still crackles with that energy.

Insider tip

The late-night improv set after the mainstage show. It's cheaper, looser, and sometimes transcendent. Sit in the first three rows.

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