Things to Do

The Second City

The improv theater that launched Belushi, Fey, and Colbert — how to book a show and what to expect from a set.

By the Extra Chicago editorial team·Updated Oct 20262 min read·2 sections

Performers on a lit stage during a comedy show

The short version

✓A legendary improv comedy theater in Old Town, running mainstage revues and improv sets most nights.
✓Alumni over the decades include John Belushi, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Bill Murray — a genuine pipeline into American comedy's biggest names, not a loose claim.
✓The mainstage runs scripted, sketch-based revues built from the company's own material; separate improv sets are made up entirely on the spot from audience suggestions.
✓Weekend shows book up well ahead — earlier weeknight sets are the easier ticket if your dates are flexible.
✓Located in Old Town, a short trip from Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast, so it pairs naturally with an evening in either neighborhood.

The theater that trained a generation of American comedy

The Second City's reputation isn't inflated for tourism copy: its alumni roster genuinely includes John Belushi, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray and a long list of other names who went on to anchor Saturday Night Live, late-night television and American film comedy more broadly. Seeing a show here is, in a real sense, watching the same training ground and the same format that shaped decades of comedy you've probably already seen elsewhere — the theater isn't resting on that history, it's still actively running the pipeline.

A typical night mixes two different things: a mainstage revue, built from scripted sketches the company has developed and rehearsed, and separate improv sets, invented entirely in the moment from audience suggestions. The two formats reward different expectations — the mainstage is polished and tightly paced, while an improv set lives or dies on a given night's chemistry and the crowd's own suggestions, which is exactly the appeal for people who come back repeatedly.

A bicycle parked beside a lamppost with the CTA 'L' train in Chicago's Old Town

Old Town, Chicago

The historic neighborhood The Second City calls home.

Families enjoying the Crown Fountain video screens at Millennium Park

Chicago With Kids: Things to Do

Note on which Second City sets suit families and which skew adult.

Booking a show, and pairing it with Old Town

Weekend shows are the busiest and book up furthest ahead, so if you have a specific Friday or Saturday night in mind, reserve early rather than assuming walk-up availability. Earlier evening and weeknight sets are consistently the easier ticket, and they're a reasonable trade if your schedule allows some flexibility — the quality of a given night's set has more to do with the cast and the crowd than the day of the week.

Old Town itself is one of Chicago's oldest surviving neighborhoods, with rows of pre-fire cottages a few blocks from the theater, and it sits within easy reach of both Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast. A Second City evening pairs naturally with dinner in either neighborhood beforehand, turning a single show into a full night out rather than a quick in-and-out stop.

Mainstage: scripted, rehearsed sketch revues built from the company's own material.
Improv sets: entirely audience-suggested and made up on the spot, a different experience each night.
Book weekend shows ahead; earlier weeknight sets are the easier ticket — verify current showtimes and prices.

A wet Chicago city street with car light reflections on a rainy day

Rainy Day Chicago Itinerary

A Second City evening is a natural anchor for a plan built around indoor options.