Entry No. 82 — the Chicago file — filed under: roadside-oddity

Monument to the Great Northern Migration

A 15-foot bronze man built entirely from cast, worn-out shoe soles — his suit, the mound he rises from, even the ground texture all rendered as hundreds of hole-punched soles — points north with a battered suitcase at the historic gateway to Bronzeville. Surrounding bollards are textured like vintage travel trunks.

The move: Walk the median between 25th and 26th and count individual carved soles in the bronze before circling the trunk-textured bollards ringing the statue.

• 📍 Bronzeville
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at 26th Place (median), Chicago, IL 60616

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Roadside America · Time Out · chicago.gov

last checked: 2026-07-19