08/09/2026
While it is famous today for incredible live jazz, this legendary spot in the Uptown neighborhood was once a playground for America’s most notorious gangsters.
The story began back in 1907 when the business first opened as a peaceful neighborhood beer garden called Pop Morse's Roadhouse.
A few years later, the owners wanted to make the venue grander. They changed the name to Green Mill Gardens, taking inspiration from the world famous Moulin Rouge in Paris, which means Red Mill.
They simply switched the theme color from red to green and built a large green windmill on the roof.
During the 1920s, a strict federal ban called Prohibition made selling alcohol completely illegal across the country. This is when the regular business turned into a secret speakeasy controlled by Al Capone's criminal syndicate.
Al Capone loved this club and made it his personal North Side hangout. Inside the lounge, you can still see his favorite booth, which is curved and sits at the end of the bar.
Capone chose this exact seat because it gave him a clear view of both the front and back entrances so he could watch for rival gang members or unexpected police raids.
If federal agents ever did show up, Capone had an escape route.
Right behind the bar counter, a secret trapdoor leads down into a dark network of underground concrete tunnels. These tunnels were originally built just to haul coal for the building's boilers, but the mob quickly used them to store illegal alcohol and help gangsters sneak out to the safety of nearby streets.
The club was also a dangerous place for performers. In 1927, a popular comedian named Joe E. Lewis decided to leave the Green Mill for a higher paying gig at a rival club.
A mobster manager named Machine Gun Jack McGurn did not like that choice. Mob enforcers tracked Lewis to his hotel room and brutally attacked him, cutting his throat.
Miraculously, Lewis survived the scary attack and went on to become one of the most famous stand up comedians in the nation.After the era of gangsters and Prohibition ended, the venue completely shifted its focus to great music.
It welcomed legendary icons like Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, officially sealing its reputation as a world class jazz sanctuary.
Today, the Green Mill is a peaceful time capsule where you can sit in Al Capone's booth and listen to premier musicians. Just remember to bring paper money because this historic Chicago landmark remains strictly cash only.
