Video above: Top 5 Chicago attractions, according to TripAdvisor
CHICAGO (WGN) – “Hi, I’m Chucky! Want to play?”
On Nov. 9, 1988, moviegoers met one of horror’s most iconic villains when “Child’s Play” hit theaters.
The film introduced audiences to Chucky, a red-haired “Good Guy” doll with a freckled face, overalls, and a sinister secret. Billed as your friend until the end, Chucky quickly proved he was anything but cute and cuddly.
The story begins on the streets of Chicago where fictional serial killer Charles Lee Ray, nicknamed the Lake Shore Strangler, is being pursued by police. Cornered inside a toy store, Ray is gunned down by a detective, but before dying, he performs a voodoo ritual/chant that transfers his soul into a nearby Good Guy doll. Moments later, a bolt of lightning strikes the store, triggering a massive explosion.
Meanwhile, 6-year-old Andy Barclay, the son of a struggling widow named Karen, desperately wants a Good Guy doll for his birthday. Unable to afford one at retail price, Karen buys a doll from a street peddler, unknowingly bringing home the very same toy now possessed by Ray. From there, the horror unfolds.
While parts of “Child’s Play” were filmed at Culver Studios in Culver City, California, much of the movie was shot on location in Chicago, giving the film its distinctive urban grit and Midwestern atmosphere.
Here’s a look at some of the Chicago locations where “Child’s Play” came to life.
418 South Wabash Avenue
Playland Toys, the toy store where serial killer Charles Lee Ray was shot and killed by a CPD detective at the beginning of the film before transferring his soul into a Good Guy doll, was located at 418 South Wabash Avenue in The Loop.
1 South State Street
The department store where Karen Barclay worked was located at 1 South State Street, just a few blocks north of Playland Toys.
The location today is occupied by a Target.
2800 North Pine Grove Avenue
Karen and Andy lived in the Brewster Building, an apartment building located at 2800 North Pine Grove Avenue, just off Diversey Parkway, right on the border of Lakeview East and Lincoln Park.
The building is also prominently featured in the film’s poster.
249 East 37th Street
The school Andy attended was located at 249 East 37th Street in Douglas on the city’s South Side, just a few blocks from what was then Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox.
The site is currently home to Ida B. Wells Elementary School.
43rd Street Station
Remember when Chucky told Andy to leave school that day and Andy listened to him?
Once Andy left the school building with Chucky in tow, they boarded an L train and got off the train a few stops later.
The scene where Andy gets off the train was filmed at the Green Line’s 43rd Street Station in Bronzeville on the South Side.
South Calumet Avenue and East 41st Street
When Andy and Chucky got off the train at 43rd Street, they then walked two blocks north to Ray’s hideout, also in Bronzeville.
The hideout in the film was a dilapidated house, which was located at the intersection of South Calumet Avenue and East 41st Street.
3600 North Halsted Street
The Chicago Police Department District featured in this movie was located at 3600 North Halsted Street, right near where Halsted Street intersects with Addison Street.
The site is currently home to an LGBTQ friendly senior living facility and is located just a few blocks east of Wrigley Field.
CPD’s 19th District is actually just a block west on Addison Street.
3026 South California Avenue
The detention center where Andy was brought to after no one believed his Good Guy doll was alive was located at 3026 South California Avenue in Little Village.
More than three decades after its release, “Child’s Play” remains a cult classic.
The film was a box office success, grossing $44.2 million on a budget of $9 million to $13 million.
Because of this, Chucky would go on to star in multiple sequels, reboots, and even a TV series, but it all started in the city’s shadowy alleys, aging apartment buildings, and bustling downtown streets.
For fans, visiting the real-life locations used in the original film is more than a nostalgic trip. It’s a chance to walk through horror history.
And if you find yourself near the Brewster Building or wandering down Wabash Avenue, just remember to keep an eye out. You never know when Chucky might show up with a knife and a cheerful little “Hidey ho!” wanting to play again.
Ethan Illers
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