Big Monster Toys
Near West Side/West Loop

When you design toys for a living, you know how to make life fun. So it's no surprise that the folks behind West Loop's Big Monster Toys (21 S. Racine Ave.), created a piece of public art that delights everyone who chances upon it. 

The giant yellow "door" that decorates BMT's offices doesn't actually open, but it does dwarf anyone who poses beneath it—even the tallest visitors will have to jump to reach the "knob."

But the real delight is the looming monster peeking overhead, offering a silent warning to anyone who dares enter his lair. His full name is Monster McScary, and according to BMT's website, he studied at Juilliard until he learned that "the best scare comes from the heart." (Guess he should have gone to Monsters University instead.) 

Though the rest of Big Monster Toys isn't open to the public, it features some pretty remarkable decor, from a caboose-shaped kitchen to a 25-foot stuffed giraffe. There's also a wall of toys BMT has created, including bestsellers like TMX Elmo, Little Live Pets Puppy, Jenga Shake, and Uno Extreme.

If you want to see behind the big yellow door, mark your calendar for October, when BMT opens its workshop to visitors for the annual Open House Chicago event. Otherwise, bring a friend and a camera for one of the best photo-ops in town, then watch the Instagram likes roll in over a scoop at nearby Cone Gourmet Ice Cream.