The curtain has fallen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, bringing to an end one of the most beloved late-night television shows in history. But fans who still want to revisit that history can do so thanks to another charitable move by Stephen Colbert and company.
The set that served as the backdrop for nearly a decade of monologues, celebrity interviews, and political satire is headed to Chicago, where it will become part of television history. The Museum of Broadcast Communications has confirmed that it will receive the Late Show set now that Colbert has closed that chapter of his career.
The donation ensures that a significant piece of Colbert's legacy will remain accessible to fans long after the final episode aired. For anyone familiar with Colbert's career, Chicago is a fitting destination. Long before he became one of television's most influential late-night hosts, Colbert was building his comedy chops in the city. After graduating from Northwestern University, he honed his craft at The Second City and spent years living in Chicago.
The museum is no stranger to Colbert memorabilia. It already houses one of his desks, a piece that dates back to the summer of 2024 when The Late Show temporarily relocated to Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. Following that special week of broadcasts, the desk spent time on display in the lobby of CBS Chicago's Broadcast Center before eventually joining the museum's collection.
The Museum of Broadcast Communications has become one of the country's most important destinations for late-night television history. Among its most popular exhibits are displays dedicated to Johnny Carson's era of The Tonight Show and the modern incarnation hosted by Jimmy Fallon. Those exhibits trace the evolution of the genre across multiple generations of television viewers.
The acquisition is reportedly notable enough that another major institution was interested in obtaining it. According to reports, representatives from the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., inquired about the set. However, the show's producers had already committed to sending it to Chicago, ensuring that Colbert's hometown of comedy would become its permanent home.
While the set itself is being preserved intact, many of the show's props, furniture, and other artifacts have been sent out through a charity auction that raised more than $1 million. Fans bid on everything from studio signage to pieces of Colbert's wardrobe, allowing viewers to take home their own small piece of late-night history while supporting charitable causes.
The show may be over, and many of its props may now belong to devoted fans, but the place where Colbert delivered thousands of monologues and interviews will live on. For viewers looking to revisit The Late Show experience, Chicago may soon be the closest thing to stepping inside the Ed Sullivan Theater itself.
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