Chicago. Third largest city in the US, famed for its architecture, birthplace of Walt Disney and home to “da bears.” Impress your friends with these crazy facts! 

1. Famous Roots It’s the birthplace of many famous individuals. The list of icons with Chicago roots includes Walt Disney, Michelle Obama, Betty White, Harrison Ford and Hugh Hefner.

2. Home of the Twinkie In 1930 the Twinkie was invented. Would you believe it was originally filled with banana cream??

3. Worlds First (And Only) Reverse Flowing River The Chicago River was engineered to flow backwards so sewage wouldn’t flow into Lake Michigan.

4. I Heart You The nations first open heart surgery was successfully completed in 1893 by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams.

5. Seeing Stars The Adler Planetarium was America’s first planetarium opened in 1930. Its Granger Sky Theater offers the most immersive technologically enhanced theater experience created to date. While you’re there, enjoy some of the best views of the Chicago Skyline!

6. Dino Bones The skeletal remains of the T-Rex, named Sue, are on display in the Field Museum. Don’t miss a chance to see the world’s most complete and well preserved Tyrannosaurus skeleton.

7. Forget To Tip! In 1918, over 100 waiters were arrested for poisoning people who were apparently too stingy on tips

8. Scarface Al Capone, also known as Scarface, was one of America’s most notorious mobsters. His Chicago Bootleg operation in the 1920’s made millions of dollars annually. He was eventually imprisoned in Alcatraz for tax evasion, of all things!

9. The Chicago Wheel The first Ferris Wheel in the world made its debut at the Worlds Fair in 1893. The enormous wheel could hold over 2,100 people at a time!

10. Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 lasted 36 hours, burning down a third of the city. Approximately 300 people lost their lives and more than 100,000 residents were left homeless.

11. Road Trip The famed Route 66 starts in Chicago. If you’re from the Midwest you know where to start!

12. Ducky Derby To raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics, thousands of rubber ducks are dumped into The Chicago River for a race to the finish line. You can purchase a yellow rubber duck for $5 for a chance to win one of many fabulous prizes (all the ducks are collected and reused for the next years race).

13. Nicknames I’m sure you’ve all heard Chicago referred to as The Windy City. Some other lesser known nicknames include The Second City, The White City and The City of Big Shoulders.

14. Murder Mansion H. H. Holmes is considered the first serial killer in US history. In 1887 he began constructing a 100 room mansion filled with soundproof rooms, mazes of hallways, chutes, trap doors, acid vats and a crematorium. The official death toll remains unknown, however, it could be as high as 200 people.

15. Science & History The Museum of Science and Industry is housed in the only building remaining from the 1893 World’s Fair. You can visit the museum, and the last remaining building from the World’s Fair, with the Chicago City Pass. It’s worth the visit!

16. Get Your Peanuts Wrigley Field, originally named Weeghman Park, is the second oldest ballpark in MLB. It first opened in 1914 and has been home to the Chicago Cubs since 1916.

17. So, so High The worlds first Skyscraper was the Home Insurance Building. Completed in 1885, it stood a whopping 138 feet tall in all its 10 story glory.

18. Da Bears The Chicago Bears have been around 100 years. They were originally called the Decatur Staley’s. When the NFL was formed, the Decater Staley’s and the Arizona Cardinals were the first two teams!

19. Afraid of Heights? Atop the Willis Tower (Formerly the Sears Tower), you can step out into a glass box that hovers 103 floors high! Take a step out and peer below if you dare!

20. Death Ally One of the most haunted places in Chicago is the ally behind the Nederlander Theater. Formerly known as the Iroquois Theater, a devastating fire broke out in 1903 trapping 2,000 people. When the fire subsided, 602 people were pronounced dead.  The ally behind the theater served as a temporary morgue while they sorted through the debris. Rumor has it you can hear cries, see apparitions or even feel yourself being touched by the ghosts who linger in this area.

21. Lights, Camera, Action! Dozens of movies have been filmed in the Windy City. Some fan favorites include My Best Friends Wedding, Home Alone, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Dark Night.

How many Chicago facts did you know? If you loved this quirky content, share the love!