Second City
Second City
4.3
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
About
Enjoy the best in Chicago-style sketch and improv comedy in one of the city’s most popular comedy theaters. The Second City is six-decade-old and is where the likes of Tina Fey and Steve Carrell shot to stardom. A classic revue in the club is made up of original sketches and songs accompanied by their world-famous improv, which typically relies on audience participation. If that’s not your piece of cake, make sure you get seats at the back of the room. You might want to arrive early to grab dinner and walk around Chicago’s historic Old Town before the show. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: North Side
How to get there
- Sedgwick • 4 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
- Caitlin HKansas40 contributionsWe enjoyed the first show so much we rearranged our schedule so we could catch a second performance! Incredible job with wheelchair accessibility! You can buy ADA tickets online in any price bracket. With the tickets I reserved ahead of our trip, Second City reached out to me to inquire about how they could accommodate my needs. I've never had this happen before and the bar has now been set high for what excellence in inclusive customer service looks and feels like. The second round of tickets were ordered with a much shorter turn around time (less than 24 hours), so they did not reach out a second time and I completely understand why under the circumstances. Staff at both shows were incredibly helpful when it came to locating elevators and bathrooms, moving chairs, and making sure my husband and I were seated where we could see. Bathrooms had a handicap accessible stall.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 9, 2024
- Melissa F16 contributionsMy family had a great experience at the Second City Main Stage. We saw the show The Devil is in the Detours and we really enjoyed it. The cast was great! After the second act they announced to the audience that if we wanted to stay they would be back for an additional act, so of course we stayed. After a brief intermission they returned and presented the audience with another round of improvisation, which we are assuming was new material that they wanted to test. This was a fun night out and we would highly recommend this experience to others.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 6, 2024
- eatlocal1ofakindMinneapolis, Minnesota753 contributionsWow! This place is still fantastic. I have not been here since 1976. The sketches are still really funny, well structured and engaging. the audience involve element is just right. the wait staff is good at keeping your glass filled without being intrusive. This is still must do in Chicago.Visited January 2025Traveled with familyWritten January 27, 2025
- Gregory L3 contributionsHands down the best show in Chicago. No trip to Chicago is not complete without a show at The Second City. We saw The Devil in the Detours (10pm show) and former 2nd City alum and SNL alum Chris Kattan, joined the cast for the 3rd act. I never laughed so much, than I did during this show. My family had a great time. And 2nd City serves Old Style beer. Chicago's #1 beer.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 24, 2024
- Dana K2 contributionsMy Husband has always wanted to see a show at The Second City & since we were in Chicago, looked up tickets online & we actually managed to get two tickets for the same day before they sold out. The improv/show was super fun, with a lot of laughter. It was the last show for one of the comedians/actors, and the crew put on an "extra" show to celebrate her achievements, which was definitely a highlight.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 22, 2024
- PlaneJane123Florida28 contributionsThis was a truly outstanding experience and the highlight of our trip to Chicago. The cast was so talented (we saw “The Devil is in the Detours”) and we were excited being there knowing about the venue’s history with SNL. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. Service was great also. They do serve normal food which we didn’t realize, so FYI that you have that option. Oh, and their website suggests that you being a jacket and I do agree there. It gets chilly. All in all, a must do in Chicago.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 11, 2024
- NinaLeeYYCCalgary, Canada52 contributionsGreat comedy! We saw The Devil's in the Detours and it was a lively combo of sketches. I understand they don't do this every night, but we were there on a Sunday and they added a bonus improv set which was marvelously chaotic. No regrets on purchasing a Value ticket. We were in the back at the mainstage but it's a fairly small theatre and we could see just fine. We arrived 30 minutes early and got food and drinks before the show. The food is burgers/fries type stuff and it's solidly OK, same goes for the cocktail my date had. The craft beer was actually pretty nice.Visited October 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten October 22, 2024
- KrazMontreal, Canada14 contributionsSecond City is a Chicago icon that’s simply a must-see! The talent and energy here are unmatched, with sharp, hilarious performances that keep the audience laughing non-stop. The blend of improv and sketch comedy is brilliant, showcasing top-notch comedic timing and creativity. This historic venue has launched the careers of countless comedy legends, and it’s easy to see why. An unforgettable experience for anyone visiting Chicago—don’t miss it!Visited November 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten November 11, 2024
- chasinUpstateNewYorkRomulus, New York707 contributionsThis was suggested by one of our group, and it was excellent. I don't much watch TV, but I am aware of at least a bit of popular culture; I know that people like Gilda Radnor and Bill Murray got their start at Second City. My expectations were low. I was blown away, the evening was amazing! Five performers, doing "the best of Second City" and I laughed for two hours. Those guys (three males, two females) were GOOD. Food is served, you're not going there to eat, but if you do, remember, you're there for the show, not the food. Our server managed to pour a pint of beer on one of our group, the lady on the aisle. Made HER evening less enjoyable. They were out of Brats, so my friend had Chicago Dog (meh) and I had an Italian Beef (don't bother, at least at Second City) but the Korean Fried Chicken was good. Go for the COMEDY!Visited July 2024Traveled with friendsWritten July 20, 2024
- Luke B3 contributionsWe went to second city for the laughs, but we ended up staying for the outstanding service from our waiter, Nick. His attention to detail, attentiveness, and overall aura made me feel like second city was my second home. I under tipped him by accident and I am now writing this review to make myself feel better… please tip him more to make up for my mistake. Thank you Nick, keep serving :pVisited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 29, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
1,743 reviews
Excellent
1,118
Very good
339
Average
121
Poor
64
Terrible
102
Suzie A
2 contributions
Dec 2024 • Friends
My dental office went to the Tuesday evening performance. We were looking forward to an enjoyable evening. The performance started and were laughing as this is a comedy show and one would think laughing is allowed in this show. We were not loud in any way. Suddenly, a couple of us were tapped on the shoulder and told we were being too loud. We were shocked to discover they weren’t joking. And shortly after some of our party were given a strike 2????? She was ordering a drink when she was approached as being too loud. If you want to be scolded for laughing, this is the place for you! Buyer beware
Written December 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
moorthyr
Baltimore, MD320 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
I’ve been to Second City several times over the years, and this was the only disappointing experience I’ve had, but find it worrying.
We saw The Best of Second City: Chicago Style and it was anything but the best… certainly some overload of humor at the expense of the hapless Bears, but most of the humor was weak. The (planned) skits that started the show were terrible for the first 10 minutes, and transitioned to a mediocre mix of improv and overextended jokes (example: three sequential jokes about forgetting a baby in various spots were funny in round 1 and tired by round 3).
There was also a 15-20 minute “live auction” where the audience kept outbidding each other to have the right to define the scope of a round of improv. It escalated to a $40 bid with no provided context beyond what seemed to be a money grab. It wasn’t terribly funny, and if the bidders were plants, it wasn’t evident. It needed a better setup.
The sound wasn’t great too. It was hard to hear/understand at times.
Not sure if Second City now finds themselves tired and overextended given their expansion and multiple shows nationally. But we were genuinely looking forward to seeing the show, and it was very disappointing at a $51 per head cost.
We saw The Best of Second City: Chicago Style and it was anything but the best… certainly some overload of humor at the expense of the hapless Bears, but most of the humor was weak. The (planned) skits that started the show were terrible for the first 10 minutes, and transitioned to a mediocre mix of improv and overextended jokes (example: three sequential jokes about forgetting a baby in various spots were funny in round 1 and tired by round 3).
There was also a 15-20 minute “live auction” where the audience kept outbidding each other to have the right to define the scope of a round of improv. It escalated to a $40 bid with no provided context beyond what seemed to be a money grab. It wasn’t terribly funny, and if the bidders were plants, it wasn’t evident. It needed a better setup.
The sound wasn’t great too. It was hard to hear/understand at times.
Not sure if Second City now finds themselves tired and overextended given their expansion and multiple shows nationally. But we were genuinely looking forward to seeing the show, and it was very disappointing at a $51 per head cost.
Written November 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jake S
Alexandria, VA225 contributions
Jun 2022
There were 4 of us for a Saturday evening performance. The venue is smallish so there won't be a bad seat. We like to interact with comedians so we paid to get 2nd row, just behind folks who were stage-side. The venue serves alcohol. There's a lobby bar, plus wait staff to take orders and serve inside the venue. The atmosphere is fun, active, but not earsplitting loud. If you have issues with people using obscenities, then don't attend a performance here. Also, don't attend if you suffer "trigger word sensitivity". The performers are not out to insult the audience, but you need to be prepared for LOTS of off-color jokes about sensitive topics. We had a great time and really enjoyed the energy of the audience.
Written July 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bret M
Syracuse, NY27 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
Being a huge SNL fan I have always wanted to check out Second City to see where some of the most amazing comedic talent got their start. I have to say the show exceeded all expectations. I saw the show Don't Give Up Your Daydream on the main stage. To start the waitstaff, specifically, Tristan who was taking care of my section was very attentive and delivered a drink to my table when my previous one was empty. The show was constant laughs, the only other show that made me laugh more consistently was when I saw The Book of Mormon. The content was edgy, smart, and progressive, not too raunchy. The lighting cues and keyboard accompanist were spot-on and added a lot to the show. There were two acts to start, a second intermission, and then they ended with straight-up improv. I was in disbelief that people left before the third act. In my opinion, the third act was the funniest part of the show. The talented cast blew me away with their ability to keep the laughs going with creative content all made up on the spot. Stick around, you won't be disappointed!
Written March 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gnelz4399
2 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
Went to see "Oh, the places you'll glow" at the e.t.c. theater. The show starts out a little slow, until the second half, then, they come out strong and kill it. It's a funny cast and I'm sure they'll make adjustments to round out the show.
Honestly, I'd lose some of the light sabre stuff and maybe fill in with a couple "blackouts"?
I would recommend this show over the main stage's "Don't give up your day dream" which we saw the night after.
Honestly, I'd lose some of the light sabre stuff and maybe fill in with a couple "blackouts"?
I would recommend this show over the main stage's "Don't give up your day dream" which we saw the night after.
Written December 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Goally
Chicago, IL101 contributions
Jul 2023
So side splitting! We went for the Sunday Brunch. Booked the tickets and parked in the garage next door (park on 3 and you can enter directly without going outside). Seating is by the hostess based on arrival time. The Brunch is actually really good and the service is excellent. The show started on time and it was hilarious!! The actors take audience participation in determining the improv and we laughed so hard. These people are so Clever, so up on current events and have a wonderful way of making everyone in the room laugh. You should really go, and I will go back. You know its a good show when you leave thinking about all the people you should bring back with you next time :)
Written July 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott B
Menlo Park, CA10 contributions
Jun 2022
We haven't laughed so hard in a long time; we hope the actors can break through to the big leagues, as they were very talented. We saw the show on the main stage, and it was almost three hours, with two intermissions, so it's great value for the money. Definitely would go again next time we're in Chicago. A bonus is that it's located in an area with lots of restaurants, so you can easily grab dinner before the show. It's also just a few blocks from a CTA train station (Brown Line).
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam and Becki
Lynnwood, WA256 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
My wife and I visited Second City as we knew a lot of SNL stars got their start here. We don’t love improv normally, but when there are pros doing it, it’s so much better! The sketch comedy was even better! Combine that with the history of the place, and it’s a Chicago must visit. If you’re not from Chicago, we’d recommend the show we went to, which was one of the ‘best of second city’ shows.
Written September 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DeirdreTours
4 contributions
Oct 2022
I attended the "Best of Second City" Saturday 3pm show and was quite disappointed. It was a mix of what the description said was the "best" sketches from over the years and some improv interactions.
It is hard to imagine that these were the best sketches from over the years, they were weakly written, with only the occasional laugh.
The improv sections were better, but not great.
The cast was very weak, only one performer seemed to have much comedic skill. The rest seemed like adequate community theatre actors.
I paid $79 for a premium seat and feel that quality of the performance was more of the $15 college review level.
After the performance, the cast came out and said they were the touring company and if you attend Second City road performances you would see them again. Consider yourself forewarned.
It is hard to imagine that these were the best sketches from over the years, they were weakly written, with only the occasional laugh.
The improv sections were better, but not great.
The cast was very weak, only one performer seemed to have much comedic skill. The rest seemed like adequate community theatre actors.
I paid $79 for a premium seat and feel that quality of the performance was more of the $15 college review level.
After the performance, the cast came out and said they were the touring company and if you attend Second City road performances you would see them again. Consider yourself forewarned.
Written October 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa
Unionville, Canada9 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Went for don’t quit your daydream and it was just awful. Wasn’t funny at all. I totally wasted money. I was waiting and waiting and waiting for the show to get better but instead, got worse and worse and worse. I couldn’t even do the fake laugh…. But people were laughing so maybe I and my husband were the “wrong people”. Lol I couldn’t even do any longer so we left at the intermission. I will try “stand up comedy” next time, maybe…. It was so painful….. but the server Nick was really nice and friendly and got the order in time and quickly.
Nick told me those comedians were on the third weeks in, I don’t know how long more they will play, so maybe it’ll be funnier with other comedians…. It’s just our opinion, others found them funny.
Nick told me those comedians were on the third weeks in, I don’t know how long more they will play, so maybe it’ll be funnier with other comedians…. It’s just our opinion, others found them funny.
Written April 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How far in advance should I get tickets? My trip is on Aug31st and Sept 1st, 2025.
Written January 11, 2025
Is comedian rhapsody appropriate for a 13 year old?
Written February 9, 2024
I will be in Chicago next weekend with my husband and 2 teenage girls aged 13 and 17. Would you recommend a PG-13 show? Or do you think an R rated one is ok. Language is fine and they watch some MA shows. TIA
Written July 9, 2023
I just bought premium tickets for a Friday night 7pm show. I would prefer to be in the rail/balcony seating. Is the seating on a first come, first serve basis? Do you get to choose where you sit within your category? Any info would be much appreciated!
Written March 2, 2023
Which show did you see? We need help picking a show. Some reviews here on trip advisor are terrible but I think some depends on what they saw.
Written October 19, 2021
There is an add on for Roots Pizza dinner package. It requires reservations but neither Roots or the reservation app has this restaurant as an option to reserve. Has anyone tried this place? Would you recommend eating before a show?
Written April 4, 2021
You are seated on high tops along a rail with a narrow counter where you can place your drinks or food.
Written September 24, 2019
Hi, thanks for the Second City review on TripAdvisor. Can you tell me which show you saw? We are going on Sat, May 4th and, there are 2 different show names that night; one is called "Algorithm Nation or the Status Quo" and one is called "The Second City e.t.c.'s 43rd Revue". Which is the better one?
Thanks...Jeff
Written February 20, 2019
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