Built in the 1920s FitzGerald's has always been a gathering spot, from the early days as a hunting club and watering hole through its teen years as a jazz club during the '50s and '60s, featuring acts like Bob Scobey, Turk Murphy, Lil Armstrong, and the Original Salty Dogs. The FitzGerald family bought and renovated the building in 1980, and since then its reputation for great music in a casual, comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere has grown steadily. Chicago Magazine calls it "a musical gem," and the club has consistently found itself in the top 5 in Chicago polls of favorite venues.