Medinah Athletic Club (Hotel InterContinental)

"The circuit I was in, at the Glass Derby and Chez Paree and the dances at Medinah Club, kept me very busy. Here what had to be established was whether I was qualified in pocket to mix with the sons of established fathers."

Located at 505 N. Michigan Ave., the Medinah Athletic Club was a premier gathering place for Chicago's social elite. Well, its male elite, anyway. Women were not permitted to use the facilities, which included a bowling alley, running track, archery range and enormous indoor swimming pool. Women were, however, allowed access to the ballroom, through a special entrance.

The building, with its lavish Art Deco details, was constructed in 1929. Today it is the Hotel InterContinental.

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