Monument Moment
CHICAGO - There's certainly no shortage of history to be discovered around the Chicago area, and much of that history is marked by monuments, markers, and signs.
Each week, we're going to explore a little bit of that history with the help of our Fox 32 Drone Team - Ed Flynn and Todd Gaertner.
Click on the interactive map above to explore each location we've visited, or scroll down to learn more about the history and significance of each monument.
Check back weekly as we continue adding new sites!
Chicago's Baseball Roots
Address: 912 South Wood Street and 324 West 35th Street
About: You can find a piece of Chicago baseball history hidden in the West Side medical district, where a plaque marks the site of the West Side Grounds—the Cubs’ home before Wrigley Field. The team played there from 1893 to 1915, winning World Series titles in 1907 and 1908. Meanwhile, across town, a marker in a parking lot near 35th Street marks home plate from old Comiskey Park, built in 1910 and home to the White Sox until 1990. It hosted four World Series—including one played by the Cubs—and was the backdrop to the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Monument
Address: 2045 North Lincoln Park West
About: At the western edge of Lincoln Park stands a statue honoring German writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe—though it looks nothing like him. Unveiled in 1913, the 18-foot bronze sculpture was designed to embody Goethe’s spirit rather than his likeness, depicting a god-like figure with an eagle symbolizing his "Olympian achievements." Initially mocked by newspapers, the statue has endured, even surviving a lightning strike in 1951 that required its lower leg to be recast. A nearby wall features a more realistic portrait of Goethe and a quote from his famous play Faust: "Let him who believes in immortality enjoy his happiness in silence."
Alexander Hamilton Monument
Address: 2732 North Cannon Drive
About: A 13-foot-tall statue of Alexander Hamilton stands at the north end of Lincoln Park, commissioned by philanthropist Kate Sturges Buckingham, who believed he was historically underappreciated. Delayed by the Great Depression, war, and Buckingham’s death, the statue was finally unveiled in 1952. Interest in Hamilton surged again in 2015 with the Broadway musical, just as the statue was undergoing restoration. Chicago once had a second Hamilton statue in Grant Park, but it was removed in the 1990s for Millennium Park construction and remains in storage. To see Hamilton in Chicago, visit 2732 North Cannon Drive—you won’t be throwing away your shot.
S.S. Eastland Memorial
Address: 144 West Wacker Drive
About: A plaque on the Chicago River marks the site of the Eastland disaster, the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history. On July 24, 1915, the Eastland, a steamship carrying more than 2,500 Western Electric employees and their families to a company picnic, capsized while still docked, trapping passengers inside. Despite rapid rescue efforts, 844 people—most under 25—lost their lives. The ship was later repurposed for naval training before being scrapped in 1947. Today, thousands pass by the site daily, often unaware of the tragedy that claimed more lives than the Great Chicago Fire.
Grosse Pointe Lighthouse
Address: 2601 Sheridan Road
About: The Grosse Point Lighthouse in Evanston stands as a historic North Shore landmark, built in response to deadly shipwrecks on Lake Michigan, including the 1860 sinking of the Lady Elgin. First lit in 1874, the 119-foot tower features a powerful light visible 21 miles out and houses the largest Fresnel lens on the Great Lakes. After decades of service, it was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1941 and turned over to Evanston, which still operates it today. Now a National Historic Landmark, the lighthouse offers public access to its grounds and limited summer tours.
Oldest surviving White Castle
Address: 49 East Cermak Road
About: At Wabash and Cermak, a castle-like building marks a slice of Chicago’s hamburger history. Originally a White Castle restaurant in 1930, it was part of one of the first fast-food chains in the U.S., known for its small, onion-grilled burgers sold for just a nickel. Designed by Chicago architect Lewis Russell, the building’s white-glazed brick and castle-like features set it apart. Now a Cajun eatery, it remains the oldest surviving White Castle structure and was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2011, preserving its place in the city’s fast-food legacy.
Great Northern Migration Monument
Address: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 26th Place
About: The Great Northern Migration Monument at 26th Place and King Drive in Bronzeville honors the millions of African Americans who left the South between 1915 and 1970 in search of freedom and opportunity. Created by artist Alison Saar and dedicated in 1996, the 15-foot bronze figure faces north, one hand raised in greeting, the other gripping a worn suitcase symbolizing the journey’s hardships and hopes. His suit, made of shoe soles with holes, reflects the long trek, while surrounding bollards shaped like suitcases evoke the era’s travel. The monument stands as a tribute to those who built new lives in Chicago.
Dr. Greene Vardiman Black Monument
Address: 1600 North Astor
About: At the south end of Lincoln Park, a statue honors Dr. Green Vardiman Black, the father of modern dentistry. Born in 1837, Black revolutionized the field by inventing the foot-powered drill, standardizing cavity treatments, and advancing the use of nitrous oxide for pain relief. After serving as a Union scout in the Civil War, he became dean of Northwestern’s dental school, viewing teeth as essential to overall health. Commissioned by the National Dental Association, his seated statue, sculpted by Frederick Cleveland Hibbard, was installed in 1915. Next time you pass by, give Dr. Black a smile in appreciation.
Red Gate Woods
Address: 100 Indianapolis Boulevard
About: Deep in Red Gate Woods near Willow Springs, a stone marker quietly commemorates Chicago’s role in the nuclear age. In 1942, scientists at the University of Chicago achieved the first controlled nuclear chain reaction under Stagg Field’s bleachers. For secrecy and safety, the reactor was later moved to "Site A," a hidden 19-acre facility where further research contributed to the Manhattan Project. By 1954, the reactors were decommissioned and buried. Cleanup efforts in the 1980s ensured the land’s safety, and today, the site is a recreational area—its past remembered only by the lone commemorative boulder.
The Victory Monument
Address: 3500 South Martin Luther King Drive
About: In Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, the Victory Monument at 35th and King Drive stands as a tribute to African American soldiers of World War I. Erected in 1927 after advocacy by the Chicago Defender, the bronze and granite monument honors the Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, an all-Black unit that fought in France. The names of 137 fallen soldiers are inscribed on its base, with a statue of a Black doughboy standing above. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, the site hosts an annual Memorial Day ceremony to honor those who served despite facing inequality at home.
Illinois-Indiana State Boundary Marker
Address: 100 Indianapolis Boulevard
About: Chicago’s oldest monument, the Illinois-Indiana State Boundary Marker, has stood near the state border since 1838—just a year after Chicago was founded. The 15-foot sandstone obelisk replaced an earlier wooden marker placed by surveyors mapping the official state line. Over time, industry grew around it, including the State Line Generating Station. In 1988, ComEd restored and relocated it 191 feet north while keeping it on the state line. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002, the marker remains wedged between power lines, railroad tracks, and a bike trail—a testament to its resilience through the city’s changing landscape.
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Monument
Address: 735 East Solidarity Drive
About: In the late 1880s, Chicago’s Polish community raised $30,000 for a monument honoring Revolutionary War hero Thaddeus Kosciuszko. A skilled engineer, Kosciuszko designed fortifications for key battle sites, including West Point and Saratoga. Humboldt Park was chosen for the statue due to its large Polish population, and in 1904, over 50,000 people attended its dedication. The statue was relocated to Solidarity Drive in the 1970s, with a time capsule placed beneath it. Rediscovered in 2008 during roadwork, the capsule was preserved, updated with new items, and reburied for future generations.
Wolf Lake Nike Missile Site
Address: 12701 South Avenue O
About: The Wolf Lake Nike missile monument, dedicated in 1999, stands less than two miles from Nike missile site C-44, part of the Chicago/Gary defense area, which included about 20 bases. From 1958 to 1972, the U.S. deployed surface-to-air missiles under Project Nike, the nation's first operational anti-aircraft system, to intercept potential nuclear threats. The program was decommissioned in 1974 as the Cold War wound down, but remnants of these sites remain, including site C-44 on Chicago’s southeast side, which can still be visited today.
Chicago Portage
Address: 4800 South Harlem Avenue
About: The Chicago Portage, a key link between the St. Lawrence and Mississippi River systems, was used by Native Americans and later mapped by explorers like Marquette and Joliet, becoming crucial for westward expansion and the fur trade. Despite development, this historic passage remains largely unchanged. It was officially designated a National Historic Site in 1952 and is one of only two in Illinois.