Globe Theatre (original site), London

If you wander down Park Street today, you’ll find a humble plaque and a few story panels marking the original spot where the Globe Theatre opened its doors in 1599. Back then, this stretch was called Maiden Lane, tucked inside The Liberty of the Clink—basically a medieval no-man’s-land just outside the City’s rules. At one point, the Bishop of Winchester took charge, and instead of banning the local theaters, animal fights, and brothels, he simply taxed them. A solid business model, really.

Shakespeare’s company flourished here, and about 15 of his plays—including some of the biggest hits—first hit the stage on this very ground.

Of course, no great story is complete without a little fire. On June 29, 1613, during a performance of Henry VIII, a prop cannon misfired and set the place ablaze. The Globe, made of good old flammable wood and thatch, went up like a tinderbox. Miraculously, nobody was hurt—except for one poor guy whose flaming trousers were put out with a well-aimed bottle of ale. (Talk about happy hour.)

The Globe was rebuilt the next year, but sadly, by 1644 it was demolished to make way for housing. Fast forward to our days: Shakespeare’s Globe, the modern reconstruction, opened its doors in 1997—with Henry V, naturally—proving that not even a fire, a bishop, or centuries of urban sprawl could keep Shakespeare’s spirit off the stage...