City: Chicago, IL

Category: Spectator Sports

Telephone: (312) 455-4000

Address: 1901 W. Madison St.

Description: Entering the NBA for the 1966 to ’67 season, the Bulls were a struggling-to-fair and occasionally top team that won a couple of Division titles. Then came the mid-1980s and all that changed with a rookie named Michael Jordan. Almost immediately, Jordan became the team’s greatest player—and soon acknowledged as arguably the greatest of all time. Together with fellow Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Scottie Pippen, Jordan led the Bulls to three consecutive NBA championships before he retired from basketball and tried his athletic prowess at pro baseball instead. Chicago gave him a mammoth send-off, then welcomed him back with equal enthusiasm when he decided to return to his first love. He proved himself again with three more titles before saying good-bye for good—and leaving a legacy that includes a retired jersey number (23, which also appears on a grand gate outside his suburban Chicago residence), a mile-long list of records and firsts, and a mystique that continues to follow him and the team he put on the global sports map. While the Bulls may not have that much “air” anymore, it still has players that impress and still puts up a high-energy game at the vast United Center, the largest arena in the US and also home to the Chicago Blackhawks. Besides the 20,000-plus stadium seats, there are a slew of swanky suites, including day-of-event rental and executive suites. Score a shot (of the photograph kind, that is) with the b-ball god himself at the Michael Jordan statue. Tickets range from as low as $10 on up to about $950 (children under 36 inches tall are free, but must sit on a lap), with an average being about $50 to $70—prices fluctuate depending on the opponent. During the season, the box office is open Mon through Sat from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and through halftime on all game days. Paid parking is available at United Center lots; #19 United Center Express CTA buses can also take you from downtown to the stadium, and some bars offer shuttle service.