Fancy, Cubs-Inspired Man Cave is Dream Realized for Suburban Man

Photos caption: Stewart McVicar poses with former Cubs player Kerry Wood following a recent fund-raising event in his man cave. Photo credit: Submitted photo

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Stewart McVicar first started planning for his Cubs-inspired man cave when he was 15 years old.

That dream became a reality in August 2013 when the finishing touches were completed on his “cave,” which includes theater seating, several big screen TVs, a 92-inch projection screen that can be pulled down, fully-stocked bars with beer on tap and an arcade with pinball machines, an air hockey table, foosball table and old-school video games, according to a Mashable.com article.

The 2,500-square foot space is located in the walk-out basement of his McHenry County home. McVicar hires a bartender for parties and other events.

The long-time Cubs fan started collecting memorabilia when he was 10. That memorabilia can now be found throughout his cave, but he is careful in what gets displayed. He spent countless hours researching man caves and decided he wanted his to be classy-looking and not ”just filled with junk.”

“I found a lot of people tried to fit 10 pounds of junk in a five-pound bag,” McVicar said. “If it’s out there, it is good. Less is sometimes more ... it’s tastefully done.”

Recently, the man cave, got an outdoor bar addition. A friend of his bartender, who McVicar told could “stop by for a beer whenever he wants,” in turn offered to build him the bar. The bar has a TV behind it for watching the games.

“Now we can utilize the back yard as well,” he said.

Parties in the Cave

Word has gotten out about the man cave.

In the wild card game between the Cubs and Pirates Wednesday, CBS 2 in Chicago provided live updates from McVicar’s basement. An enthused McVicar can be seen in CBS’s video below following the Cubs win.

In organizing his parties, McVicar will typically put an invite on his personal Facebook page, telling friends and family they were welcome to the man cave. Prior to Wednesday’s game, McVicar told Patch his focus would be on the game, which meant he might not make the best host.

“Tonight, I am going to be the worst host ever because I want to watch the game. We are in the wild card...” McVicar said. “I feel confident they are going to win. I was telling a Packers fan, ‘I feel like how a Packers fan must have felt when the Packers played the Bears ... the Cubs are going to win.”

Sharing the Man Cave

When it comes to his man cave, McVicar loves to share the joy it has given him with others. He said he still gets a kick out of the reaction people have when they see it for the first time.

“What is the point of having a great man cave if it just sits there and no one gets to see it,” he said.” So I want to share it with people.”

With that thought in mind, McVicar in the past year has begun to host huge fund-raising events in his man cave with the proceeds going to a friend in need or a charitable organization he supports. In 2014, he hosted a fundraiser for a longtime friend, Nick Sheridan, who was in need of prosthetic limbs after bacterial meningitis lead to him losing parts of both his legs and arms, according to the Daily Herald. Cubs chairman Tom Rickerts came to the event and more than $30,000 was raised for Sheridan.

This past August, former Cubs player Kerry Wood was the honored guest and more then $35,000 was raised for the Kerry Wood Family Foundation, which supports children’s programs and charities. Sheridan was there and threw out a ceremonial first pitch with his new, prosthetic arm, the Daily Herald reports.

McVicar is now starting to think and plan for his next big fund-raiser.

“I am looking to do one big event a year -- something where we are raising between $30,000 and $40,000,” he said.

How Much?

McVicar is not quick to name off the price tag on his man cave. For one, he has lost track over the years, he said. And another major reason: “If my wife found out, she would probably divorce me,” McVicar said with a laugh.

But, the man cave is also used for family time. McVicar, his wife and 3-year-old girl will have family movie nights in the theater area. There is a popcorn and soda machine to help add to that experience. The amazing stereo system also helps provide awesome dance sessions for his daughter.

For McVicar, his man cave has been a long-time coming but worth the wait.

“Some people have a boat, some people have a winter home in Arizona, this is what I wanted. This was my thing. This was my dream,” he said. “I have been thinking about this man cave since I was 15 years old and was hoping to get it some day.”

And the fact that he got it, still amazes him.

“I still go down there at night to get a Coke from the pop machine and look around and say to myself, ‘holy shit, this is mine,’” McVicar said. “This is not something I take for granted.”

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