Chicago Fire crews are busy prepping for a big scene to be filmed this week at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge.
The historic landmark theater, designed by the firm of Zook & McCaughey, opened in 1928 as a vaudeville and movie house. Its five-story tower serves as an iconic image for Park Ridge, a Chicago suburb.
The theater has gone through several renovations, the most recent in 2012, when the auditorium was returned to its original Art Deco style and the marquee was repainted in black, white and red, to return it to its original colors.
The true acclaim came when the Pickwick’s facade was used as the backdrop for the opening sequence of Siskel and Ebert’s At the Movies in the 1980’s. The marquee and 100-foot tower appeared in the opening credits.
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The City of Park Ridge issued the following announcement on their website:
“Parking and Street Closures for Uptown Filming Event”
The City of Park Ridge has been selected as the filming site for an episode of the NBC television show Chicago Fire. Production will take place in the Uptown area.
Beginning Thursday, August 11 parking will be restricted on both sides of Prospect Avenue from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (see map below). This parking closure will continue on Friday, August 12 and Sunday, August 14 through Thursday, August 18.
Additional parking restrictions and street closure information will be posted in the coming days.
Please exercise caution when traveling in the Uptown area.
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The Chicago Fire premiere episode will air on September 21, 2022, at 8 CST.
