Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) Chicago, IL

Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) in Chicago, IL is a restaurant in a subterranean location associated with Michigan Avenue. Michigan Avenue is a north-south street in Chicago, making the tavern part of one of the city's most recognisable urban corridors.

What is Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) in Chicago?

Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) is defined by its underground setting. The tavern is associated with Michigan Avenue, which runs north-south through Chicago at 100 east on the city grid. Its location is not just a detail of the venue's identity: the subterranean restaurant is the result of a move that shaped the tavern's history.

Why is Billy Goat Tavern famous?

Billy Goat Tavern became famous through its move into the subterranean location in 1964. The tavern first opened in 1937 near the United Center stadium, but its original spot was destroyed to make room for a bigger stadium. The business then moved underground, giving Billy Goat Tavern the physical setting associated with it today.

What is the Billy Goat Curse?

The Billy Goat Curse is the story of how owner Billy Sianis connected the tavern to the Chicago Cubs in 1945. Sianis brought his goat, Murphy, to Wrigley Field, but the goat was not allowed into the ballpark because, as the story puts it, “the goat stinks.”

Sianis then declared that the Cubs would not win another World Series while the goat was not allowed into Wrigley Field. The tour material distinguishes the 71 years attributed to the Goat Curse from the Cubs' 108-year World Series drought. In 2016, Billy's nephew Sam Sianis broke the curse by bringing a goat to enjoy the World Series with the fans.

What can you see inside Billy Goat Tavern?

The tour material identifies Sam Sianis as running the tavern and says legendary sports photos are displayed around its walls. Those photos connect the restaurant's interior with the sports story that made Billy Goat Tavern a Chicago landmark.

The venue also has a specific place in Chicago's comedy scene. Famous comedians perfected jokes and got their starts at the tavern, while John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Loraine Newman immortalized Billy Goat Tavern in a Saturday Night Live sketch that aired in 1978.

How can you find Billy Goat Tavern (The Original)?

Billy Goat Tavern (The Original) appears as stop 8 of 16 on the Michigan Avenue Rendezvous route. That route offers a sourced way to encounter the subterranean venue in the context of Michigan Avenue while keeping the tavern's own history—its 1964 move, the Goat Curse, and its comedy connection—at the centre.