All Episodes
Curious City — 404 episodes
Why is the island in Washington Park behind a locked gate?
School lunch used to ace the test
Shipwrecks, mussels and sponges: Chicago is a scuba diving destination
Chicago has many block club signs. What are block clubs and what do they do?
“Like getting paid to party”: The life of cover bands on the Chicago festival circuit
Is that a lobster in the Chicago River?
‘Give while you live’: Who is Museum of Science and Industry founder Julius Rosenwald?
A good lake, not a Great Lake
Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
Is This Your Card? A Brief History Of Chicago-style Magic
Where did the term 'Chicagoland' come from?
How did Hollywood Beach become Chicago’s ‘gay beach’?
Why does Chicago use Comic Sans on some elevator inspection certificates?
Does Chicago have a Filipino neighborhood?
Why are there helicopters flying over my neighborhood every night?
Why does Chicago have a monument named for fascist leader Italo Balbo?
Standing on history: Who built Chicago’s WPA sidewalks?
‘This is how I speak’: The influence of the Black Chicago accent
How has the Black Chicago accent retained its Southern roots?
The story of the Lady Elgin, the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history
What are Chicago area lighthouses used for?
How early Black Chicagoans used photography to redefine their image
What was Chicago's first art gallery?
Chicago came under martial law after the Great Fire. Did it help?
The ‘windmill capital of the world’ used to be down the road from Chicago
Why aren’t there wind turbines in Lake Michigan?
No cars, no road salt: How one Midwestern community avoids salt all winter
How does a mild winter affect Chicago’s economy?
What was it like for women working in Hoover’s FBI?
Why did the FBI recruit girls from Catholic high schools?
How Ella Jenkins’ Chicago childhood shaped her iconic children’s music
What's the first Chicago public school named in honor of a Black person?
Why did Chicago widen Ashland Avenue?
Why is Ashland Avenue sometimes Ashland Boulevard?
We can’t name ‘em all, but here are some of Chicago’s greatest films
From ‘The Fugitive’ to ‘The Dark Knight,’ what’s the best movie filmed in Chicago?
‘Weather is cool’: Weird Chicago weather, from northern lights to water spouts
When is it no longer ‘cooler by the lake’?
‘It felt like a secret’: Remembering Chicago’s Berlin nightclub
What’s the story behind Berlin nightclub’s huge mural?
Krampus is coming: The Christmas demon’s Chicago connection
“A Christmas Carol”: An amateur actor’s journey into a Chicago holiday tradition
The first Black-owned airport in the U.S. was in Robbins, Illinois
A museum, a mayor and a road: How Lake Shore Drive became a runway ... intentionally
How one organization is transforming Englewood’s vacant lots
Want to buy the vacant lot next door? It might take awhile
Does your iguana need x-rays? A local exotic animal hospital can help
A monkey on the loose: Odd animal sightings in Chicago
Beyond the settlement: Helping Chicago’s many survivors of police torture
What impact do big payouts have on survivors of police torture and misconduct?
Two-and-a-half minutes: Pilot John Ginley’s dance with disaster
‘Mayday, mayday, mayday’: How many planes have landed on Lake Shore Drive?
A Curious City Halloween: Scary stories from spooked Chicagoans
Gone and nearly forgotten: Lincoln Park’s High Bridge
The unsung legacy of Margaret Burroughs: ‘We called her mama’
Chicago is a jazz city, but where are the jazz radio stations?
How a group of volunteers saved a rare Illinois wildflower
What’s that dead zone in the 19th Ward?
The tale of the two-flat
‘Women adrift’: How single women lived independently in early Chicago
‘Friendship set to music’: Curious City goes square dancing on the South Side
Square dance clubs used to be bumping on the weekends
Is your local mall dying, thriving or evolving?
What was Ford City Mall like in its heyday?
What happened after a dangerous year inside Cook County Jail
What is that supply tent outside of Cook County Jail?
Apple slices are a nearly forgotten piece of Chicago pastry history
Do pigs need rescuing?
What happened to Chicago’s presidential pig?
What’s the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library?
School is in session, and we put the CPS butter cookie to the test
School lunch used to pass the test
What’s the history of Chinese gangs in Chicago?
What a failed robbery from 1951 tells us about Chicago crime
The other organizations empowering Chicago’s Chinatown
What happened to Chinatown’s family associations?
Is women’s pro softball here to stay?
A league of Chicago’s Own: The other women’s pro league of the 1940s
Car, bike, public transit: What’s the best way to get around town?
Who thought traffic circles were a good idea? Do we need them?
The curious case of the Swami Vivekananda Way street sign
Chicago’s LGBTQ+ library is a space for people to ‘find themselves in the shelves’
Where are the girls? A look at early lesbian nightlife in Chicago
Yes, people really do win pledge drive giveaways at WBEZ
Do people actually donate cars to public radio?
There’s nature in Chicago. Go bathe in it.
Are healthy Chicago trees getting the ax?
‘Have you checked on your ancestors?’ This woman brings dignity to deceased Black Chicagoans
Exploring the segregated past of Chicago cemeteries
What happened to Chicago's Japanese community?
Car towed? Listen to this on your way down to Chicago’s Central Auto Pound
Lower Wacker Drive: A uniquely Chicago street
Schools, Water Plants and City Hall: We search for Chicago’s nuclear fallout shelters
Why does Chicago have a law prohibiting nuclear weapons?
Even when nothing goes wrong, moving is trash
‘Pure chaos’: Why did Chicagoans once move on the same day?
The complicated statue of labor leader Samuel Gompers
Maria Rodriguez: From fashion designer to restaurateur
Like NYC and Paris, Chicago was a hub for fashion designers
How sweet the sound: The history of Evanston folk coffeehouse Amazingrace
‘An underground subculture’: How Chicago coffeehouses shaped the folk revival movement
You May Also Like: Stories Without End
Is extremist ideology still fringe?
How much influence did white supremacist groups have on Chicago housing?
What's up with the Chicago's feral cats?
“Enemy Alien”: How Chicago photojournalist Jun Fujita avoided Japanese internment camps
Restriction and sanctuary: A look at Chicago mayors’ wildly different approaches to immigrants
The Life and Legacy of Alice Hamilton
How does honoring the dead impact the environment?
Why is there a cemetery at O’Hare Airport?
How one Midwestern community avoids road salt all winter
Could Chicago ever ditch the road salt?
The First Black-Owned And Operated Airport Was In Robbins
“It’s too complicated”: The state of cannabis record expungement in Illinois
Illinois has made a lot of money from recreational pot. How’s that money used?
There’s a delicate alchemy to overturning a wrongful conviction
Why does it take so long to free an innocent person from prison?
How Filipino food entrepreneurs’ “sense of community” help them thrive
Is there a Filipino neighborhood in Chicago?
Drama, scandal or scores: What takes a sports team down?
What happens when your team keeps losing?
What does it take to put together a traffic report?
Why telling “the proper stories” is vital to understanding the Piasa
Why is there a fire-breathing dragon in Illinois?
Chicago history is full of consequential years
What was Chicago’s most consequential year? It may not be what you think.
Winter Weather Tips: From Extra Gloves To Hot Potatoes
Who Are The Folks At The Christmas Tree Lot?
Who’s Behind The CTA Holiday Train? Santa And The Elves!
In Chicago, forget the cocktail; a beer and a shot will do
Where did the Tom & Jerry cocktail come from?
Beer, architecture and Lincoln Square: The lasting impact of German culture in Chicago
Christkindlmarket’s Forgotten Year
Why is there an aviary at O'Hare Airport?
What happens to birds stuck inside the airport?
‘Indigenous Chicago’ project shows the city has always been a Native place
Without Native Americans, Would We Have Chicago As We Know It?
Bodegas, ‘The Bear’ and why family business is the ‘backbone of the economy’
What’s The Oldest Family Business in Chicago?
‘So many connections:’ Chicago indicator species are trying to tell us something
“It’s Not Easy Being Green”: The Decline Of Frogs In Chicago
“Spooky and salacious:” Do we need to rethink prison tourism?
Who Or What Haunts The Old Joliet Prison?
What Does "Chicagoland" Mean, And Where Did It Come From?
This Episode Is Garbage
The Legacy Of Margaret Burroughs
Cardinal Club Was Polish Rock 'N' Roll Heaven In Chicago
What Was Schwinn's Legacy In Chicago?
Not Their First "Roadeo"
The Case Of The Chicago Mothman
How Does Sound Travel In The City?
Chicago Once Had An “Ugly Law”
"Radium Girls" Had A Tragic Glow
How Did Malört Become Chicago's Drink?
What Lessons Were Learned From The '68 DNC In Chicago?
Did Soccer Have A Golden Age In Chicago?
What's Up With All The Fake Lakes?
Why Are There So Many Irish Pubs In Chicago?
Why Is The Only North American Baháʼí Temple In Wilmette?
Reflecting On More Than 10 Years Of Curious City
What’s The Oldest Book In Circulation At The Chicago Public Library?
The Underground Railroad Existed Throughout Illinois, Including In Chicago
Did Dinosaurs Ever Live In Chicago?
What Happened To Chicago’s Native American Neighborhood?
Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery: History, Hauntings, and Preservation
The Curious Case Of The Swami Vivekananda Way Street Sign
Is This Your Card? A Brief History Of Chicago-style Magic
The Mayor, The Prince, and the Gift That Invaded Japan’s Biggest Lake
Who’s A Good Boy: A Look At Chicago’s Top Dog Breeds
What's That Dead Zone In The 19th Ward?
What Happened To The Crows?
From Desegregation To Teen Angst: Inside CPS’s Selective Enrollment System
Apple Slices: A Nostalgic Piece Of Chicago Pastry History
Sign Stealing: A Petty Piece Of Chicago Political History
Two For Women’s History Month
The Windy Kitty: How Chicago Became A Haven For Feral Cats
For Street Artist Joos, All The City's A Gallery
Chicago's Key Role In The Creation Of Black History Month
What Was The American Negro Exposition Of 1940?
Chicago Is Where Black Cinema Took Root
What’s The Impact Of Storefront Churches On A Community?
Bumper-to-Bumper With Some Questions About Chicago Traffic
What It’s Like To Drive A Snow Plow
The Curious City Team Answers Five Wintery Questions
The History Of The Walnut Room And Why It’s Not Nostalgic For Everyone
Are News Boxes A Thing Of The Past?
The First Black-Owned And Operated Airport Was In Robbins
Who’s Behind The CTA Holiday Train? Santa And The Elves!
How Did Indian Boundary Park Get Its Name?
Two Tasty Treats For Thanksgiving Feasts
Spare Rooms And Shared Spaces; Migrants Scramble To Find Housing Ahead Of Winter
What Happened To Chicago’s Cuban Community?
Bar Culture on the Big and Small Screen: Curious City Live from Goose Island Barrelhouse
The Haunting Of East Pilsen
How Can We Keep Chicago And Our Basements Above Water?
What’s It Like To Be a Rail Operator?
Putting on a Chicago race requires fees, permits and patience
What’s the History of the Medinah Temple and Its Original Owners?
Who Enforces the Rules at Dog Parks?
The Fireside Bowl: An Unlikely Place For Punks Of All Ages
This Episode Is Garbage
Are the suburbs taking the “Little India” title away from Devon Avenue?
Traveling Parties: A Queer Chicago Culture Of Partying As Resistance
Soul Train: How Chicago birthed the “hippest trip in America”
Is That A Lobster In The Chicago River?
When And Why did The West Ridge Neighborhood Become Such An Orthodox Jewish Enclave?
What Does "Chicagoland" Mean, And Where Did It Come From?
Chicago’s Steak And Lemonade Combo, And Those Structures On The Lake
The Whos And Whys Behind Chicago's So-Called Teen Takeovers
Love It Or Hate It; Malört Is Chicago’s Drink
Four Dances Invented in Chicago, Plus a Traditional One Chicagoans Keep Alive
What Happens To Unidentified Or Unclaimed Bodies in Cook County?
Chi-Town Is A Pie Town, But We Search Out The Best Single-Slice Pizza In The City
Why Is The Only North American Baháʼí Temple In Wilmette?
Chicago’s Infamous Dojo Wars Part 2: The Fall of Count Dante, the Deadliest Man Alive
Chicago’s Infamous Dojo Wars, Part 1: The Rise of John Keehan, Karate Sensei
Move Over Mayor. Adios Aldermen. Regular Citizens Can Propose Laws In Chicago And We’ll Tell You How
From Venezuela to Chicago, One Migrant’s Story
Beer and Bar Culture In Chicago: Curious City Live from Carol’s Pub
Measuring a Man: The Complicated Stature of Labor Leader Samuel Gompers
What is Swedish Egg Coffee?
A Day In Marriage and Civil Union Court
What's life like in Chicago-area trailer parks?
From Killer Hawks To A TV Takeover: Historic Chicago Pranks
When Disco Ruled Chicago’s Dance Scene
Why Aren’t There Any Federal Indian Reservations In Illinois?
Jerk Food Finds a Home in Chicago
The Life and Legacy of Alice Hamilton
Two Southside families trace their roots back to Chicago’s earliest days
Honoring Black History in Chicago: The impact of Ida B. Wells on Politics and Cadillac Baby on the Blues
Car Window Tinting Laws are Complicated (and hard to enforce)
Police accountability and the power of Chicago’s mayor
Is There A Way To Save Altgeld Gardens’ Memorial Wall?
Why once migratory geese are now permanent Chicago residents
The Avalon Regal Theater's Eclectic History And Troubled Future
What’s it like to be a snow plow driver in Chicago?
Fried Shrimp, Cricket and K Streets: The 2022 Holiday Grab Bag
Two for the Winter Season
We look at the past-and present-of tree planting in Chicago
Curious City Turns 10!
Chicago's Biodiversity, From Eastern Red Bats To Prickly Pear Cacti
Watch out, big grocery chains – co-ops are coming
How Devon Avenue Became Chicago’s Little India
Lions and tigers and Chicagoans! How we all stay warm through Chicago winters
We answer your questions about voting for judges
The Haunting of Rainbow Road in Barrington, Illinois
Chicago’s Golden Age of Pro Wrestling
Faith-based organizations often work together to support Chicago’s immigrants
Coming out later in life
Dunning Asylum A 'Tomb For The Living'
How So Many Chicago Bars Got Old Style Signs
Illinois is abuzz with bees, but their future is uncertain
Chicago teens went to dance and find connection at Medusa’s
Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain and Why the City’s Got So Many Alleys
The Underground Railroad in Chicago and Illinois
What happened to Chicago's Japanese community?
Birdwatching Off The Beaten Path In Chicago
How to Start a Community Garden in Chicago
Chicago in 1910, and the City’s Long Rivalry with New York
Florence Price and the Chicago Black Renaissance
Four Dances Invented in Chicago and One Traditional Dance Chicagoans Keep Alive
How the “Red Summer” of 1919 led to a more segregated Chicago
Traveling Parties: A Queer Chicago Culture of Partying as Resistance
Are there guardian angels at the Chicago Public Library?
Nicky's And The Big Baby: A South Side Burger Mystery
The Hard Work of Collecting Scrap Metal for a Living
The Story Behind “Go Cubs Go” And The Man Who Wrote It
Putting on a Chicago race requires fees, permits and patience
Signs of Spring: From Screechy Recorders To Sprouting Weeds
How often do judges get voted out of office?
The Story Of Chicago’s Polish Constitution Day Parade
What Happened To The Crows?
The Fight For Disability Rights In Chicago
Are Chicagoans True Midwesterners?
What's It Like To Be In A Youth Orchestra?
Chicago Teens Open Up About Race Stereotypes And Dating
What Happens When A Pothole Damages Your Car
A Quest To Find Chicago’s ‘Lizard Mound’
The History Behind Chicago's Free Theater
Do real people win WBEZ pledge drive giveaways?
Chicago's Old Morton Salt Warehouse Becomes A Music Venue
An Aldi closes and a Chicago neighborhood is reeling from the impact
The Origins of Chicago’s Rivalry With New York
People Who Quit Their Jobs During COVID Share Their Stories
What Is Life Like In Chicago-Area Trailer Parks?
Are There Any Nuclear Fallout Shelters Left in Chicago?
How Do Chicagoans Cope With Winter Stress? Especially Now?
A Day At Marriage and Civil Union Court
Chicago Rat Tales: Live at the Hideout
A Bygone Chicago Nightclub And Christmas Tree Vendors
Without Native Americans, Would We Have Chicago As We Know It?
Why Aren't There Any Federal Indian Reservations In Illinois?
Do Speed Humps Work?
What's Up With All Those Billboard Ads For Lawyers?
Chicago Movie Locations
The Making Of Polish Chicago
A Split Pea Dilemma And The Chicago-Style Hot Dog
The Halloween Episode: Munger Road
Chicago Is Where Black Cinema Took Root
The Pilsen Episode
Three Buildings That Survived The Great Chicago Fire
Lucy Parsons, The 'Goddess Of Anarchy'
What’s The History Of Religious Exemptions To Vaccines?
Why Are The Cicadas So Loud And Chicago’s Livestock
The White Sox Logo And How The Chicago Bears Got Their Nickname
How Do Chicago’s Most Tenacious Weeds Grow?
A Chicago Historian Tackles Your Questions About The City
Chicago’s Fishing Industry And Some Stargazing Spots
Chicago’s Steak And Lemonade Combo And Those Structures On The Lake
The Union Workers Who Created Those Infamous Rat Balloons
Paletas and Paleteros: The Art of the Cart
Where Did Chicagoans Go To Drink During Prohibition?
Chicago’s Tornado-Proof Delusion
How Clean Is The Water At Chicago’s Beaches?
What’s The Deal With ‘Midwest Nice?’
What’s Happening With Chicago’s Toxic Lead Service Lines?
A Gardener Pushes For Legislation To Help Extend The Growing Season
“Living In Gotham City.” How Some Musicians Survived A Shuttered Industry
What’s The History Of Chicago-Style Giardiniera?
Why Chicago Suburb Names Lie About Their Elevation
Safe At Work: The Life Of Alice Hamilton
WBEZ’s Beginnings With The Board Of Education
Can Anyone Propose Legislation To City Council?
Who Tolls The Bells In Chicago?
Art, Protest And The Trial Of The Chicago 8
Chicago's Hillbilly Heaven
How Bagels Got To Chicago And Where To Eat Them
Three Historic Chicago Hoaxes And Pranks
The Environmental Impacts Of The Chicago River Reversal
COVID-19, One Year Later
A History Of Chicago Music Venues With Musician Andrew Bird
Who Was Billy Sunday?
Why The Sweet Steak Is The “Most Chicago” Sandwich
To Chicago, With Love: What Do Transplants Love About The City?
What’s Up With All Those Billboard Ads For Lawyers?
From Plastic Bags To Hot Potatoes: Hacks For Staying Warm This Winter
Why You Should Skip Delivery Apps And Other Ways To Support Local Businesses
Why The 1992 Loop Flood Is The Most Chicago Story Ever
The Radical Existence Of Lucy Parsons, The ‘Goddess Of Anarchy’
Displaced: When The Eisenhower Expressway Moved In, Who Was Forced Out?
Red Line To Your Heart: What Makes Chicago's Dating Scene Distinct?
Are Chicagoans True Midwesterners?
What’s The Deal With ‘Midwest Nice?’
Signs Of The Times: How Chicago Bars Got So Many Old Style Signs
Why Is Gambling Banned On The CTA?
Christmas Tree Lots: Who Are The Folks Who Keep The Season Bright?
The Heart Of The City: Finding Chicago’s Geographic Center
Here's Harold! (The Robot Edition)
Stories Behind CTA ‘L’ Lines’ Strange Curves, Dips and Twists
What Are Chicago’s Oldest Laws?
Tips For Hunting Chicago’s Long-lost Recipes
Steak And Lemonade: What Are The Origins Of This Chicago Food Combo?
From Stockyards To Speakeasies: A Chicago Historian Tackles 5 Questions About The City’s History
How The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition Played Into Chicago’s Rivalry With New York
Sweet Success: How Chicago's Mexican Bakeries Stay Competitive
Mold-A-Rama-Rama! The Secrets Behind Chicago's Plastic Souvenir Empire
Curious City: The Mystery Collection
Blacksmiths: The 'Plastic Surgeons' On Chicago's Payroll
Push Carts, Popsicles, And Patience: How To Be A Paletero In Chicago
Why Chicago Lightning Bugs Light Up One Neighborhood But Not the Next
How Chicago Beaches Get and Keep That Nice Fine Sand
Chicago's Best Stargazing Spots
Building Skyscrapers on Chicago's Swampy Soil
How A Rat Balloon From Suburban Chicago Became A Union Mascot
Are there fallout shelters left in Chicago?
The Swinging Times of Chicago's Revolving Doors
Don't Believe the Height! Why Chicago Suburb Names Flat Out Lie about their Elevation
Weird And Wonderful Things You Might Not Know About Chicago
Could Truant Officers Return To Chicago Public Schools?
Campus police: real deal or rent-a-cops?
We Ain't Afraid Of No (Chicago) Ghosts!
Real Estate And Religion: The Tale Of Seventeenth Church Of Christ, Scientist
Chicago Without The Fire
A Second Act For The Uptown Theater?
Two neighboring states, one big financial gap
A Shot Of History: Ingredients Of The Chicago Speakeasy
So, why did it take so long for it to be Mayor Jane Byrne's turn?
Compare: Illinois Governor Candidates' Views On Concealed Carry
How Much Road Salt Ends Up In Lake Michigan?
Just How Bad Is This Chicago Winter?
Gulp! How Chicago Gobbled Its Neighbors
Hosting the enemy: Our WWII POW camps
Neon No More: Lincoln Avenue's Motel Row
Who's Behind Those Eyes?
Should We Use The 'L Word' For Jane Addams?
Where Have All The Old-School Doughnut Shops Gone?
The Sweet Spot At The Top Of Chicago
Pregnancy Tests? Pigeon Poo? What Chicago Aldermen Really Do
Working For Change On Chicago’s Sidewalks
Being A Breadwinner On $8.25 An Hour
So, What’s (Still) Made In The Chicago Area?
Chicago Diners, Side Of Extra Crispy Stories
The Story Of Dunning, A 'Tomb For The Living'
Did a WWII nuclear experiment make the U of C radioactive?
Laugh Your Troubles Away
Hmmm ... If Only Our Curiosity Had An Anthem
What Happened to Nike Missile Sites Around Chicago?
Is Construction Work A Boon For Chicago's Urban Archaeologists?
Who settles refugees on Chicago's North Side?
How Much Of The Field Museum’s Collection Is Actually On Display?
Why Ban Pickups from Lake Shore Drive? Where Can They Park in Chicago?
How Has Chicago’s Coastline Changed Over The Decades?
Where’s Chicago's Biodiversity Hotspot?
Chuh Kaw Go, What Do You Really Sound Like?