From 1957 to 1967, the humble building at 2120 S Michigan Ave was Chess Records, the seminal electric blues label. It's now called Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation, named for the bassist who wrote most of Chess's hits, and it's open for tours. Free blues concerts rock the side garden on summer Thursdays at 6pm.
The Chess brothers, two Polish Jews, ran the recording studio that saw – and heard – the likes of Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor and others. Chuck Berry recorded four top-10 singles here, and the Rolling Stones named a song '2120 S Michigan Ave' after a recording session at this spot in 1964. (Rock trivia buffs will know that the Stones named themselves after the Muddy Waters song 'Rolling Stone.')
But within a few decades, the building had fallen by the wayside and was on the chopping block until Dixon's family bought it. It opens for tours most days, and small groups of hard-core blues fans trickle in for the pilgrimage through the old offices and studios. It's pretty ramshackle, with few original artifacts on display. Still, when Willie's grandson hauls out the bluesman's well-worn standup bass and lets you take a pluck, it's pretty cool...
The hours can be erratic, so it's wise to call first to make sure someone is on site. There are two types of tour: the short one ($5, which is 25 minutes and our recommendation), and the long one ($10, which adds a 45-minute video to the mix).
