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Essanay Studios

Essanay Studios
Photo: Amerique, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)

From 1907-17, Hollywood was in Uptown. A dizzy list of silent movie giants shot films here, Charlie Chaplin and local girl Gloria Swanson among them, and the city's awful winters played a part in shifting production to California for part of the year. When Chaplin left, the studio collapsed, and California started seeming more attractive year-round. The building is now a protected landmark, and houses the bi-lingual http://www.staugustine.edu/ St Augustine College]. No tours are available, but check out the grand name above the doorway.

Address
1333-45 W Argyle St
Getting there
Argyle Red Line

Listing from Wikivoyage: Chicago/Uptown, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.