The Chicago suburb of Niles is home to the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. No, wait, that can’t be right! This must be the Leaning Tower of Niles, a 1/2 size recreation of the Pisa bell tower, however there’s no bell as Niles’ version is a water tower.

More info and a ground-level shot on Roadside America.

Thanks: Mike Zeidler

Morton Salt is apparently North America’s leading producer of salt and have been based in Chicago since being founded in 1848. The roof of the factory has the company name, along with their slogan “When it Rains It Pours” and the “Morton Salt Girl”, a drawing of a young girl waking in the rain, accidentally dropping salt behind her.

It took me a while to work out the meaning of the logo and slogan (the salt will pour even when there’s moisture in the air) but during my Googling I found this bizarre tattoo of a dedicated Morton Salt fan.

Thanks: Steve, El Warren & Doug

A caricature of Harry Caray, the legendary announcer for the Chicago Cubs, looks up at us from the roof of his Chicago restaurant.

Caray was famous for his frequent use of “Holy Cow!” and for leading the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”. There is a good biography on Wikipedia and you can read more about the restaurant building, and its secret chambers on the Harry Caray’s Homepage.

Thanks: C. A. Daw

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is home to many exhibits including a coal mine, a 3,500 square foot model railway and the U-505, which can be seen in the middle of the thumbnail below.

Captured off the coast of West Africa in 1944, the U-505 is the only WWII German submarine that was successfully captured by the United States. This was apparently quite a feat as the departing crew had, as they were trained to do, set timebombs and opened up water holes in an attempt to scuttle the sub.

Thanks: Chris, The Peter Files, Chad, Denis & Ross Wirth.

Could you break your brother out of here? Joliet Correctional Center was closed in 2002 and now plays the part of Fox River State Penitentiary in the compulsive watching stupidity that is Prison Break.

The prison also featured in another story of brotherly love, as it’s where Jake is released from at the beginning of The Blues Brothers.