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.

I don’t really know what to say… this certainly does look like a giant flying frog over Chicago. Any Chicagoans out there with some sort of clue about this floating amphibian?

Thanks to J Hamsa.

You would think that deciding on the world’s tallest building would be pretty simple: get a big measuring tape, measure the buildings, biggest one wins. Easy, huh? Well, apparently not.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat have defined four categories on which to measure the world’s tallest buildings. They are:

1. Height to the structural or architectural top (including spires and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles)
2. Height to the highest occupied floor
3. Height to the top of the roof
4. Height to the top of antenna

The height is measured from the street level of the main entrance (so basements aren’t included).

Kuala Lumpur’s fantastic Petronas Towers comes second place in the architectural height category at 452m, but they are the tallest twin towers in the world. You can visit the sky bridge, although tickets sell out fast.

When Taipei 101 in Taiwan was completed on April 20, 2004 it took the first three of the four tallest building titles with an architectural height of 508m, a highest occupied floor of 438m and a roof height of 448m. Make sure you click through to the Google Local map because this tower has an absolutely monstrous shadow.

Chicago’s Sears Tower once led the way in all four categories but today is only top in the category of height with antenna at 529m. However; this is the largest height overall. Tourists can visit the 103rd floor for fantastic views over Chicago.

All three towers can be compared at Sky Scraper Page.

Thanks: Kyle Gunn, jher, Marcin, wil Grundon, Steve Ransom, Kenneth, Benjamin, Paul, Stilt, Joe Chang & Tim