Chicago's NPR News Source

Curious City

Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.

WBEZ’s Curious City series is an ongoing news experiment at WBEZ, online and on the radio dial around Chicago at 91.5 FM. Our mission is to include the public in editorial decision-making, make journalism more transparent and strengthen multimedia coverage about Chicago, the surrounding region and its people (past or present).

Curious City airs on Thursdays during All Things Considered on WBEZ

Recent
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 turned Chicago from a destination to a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Chicago’s geological history stretches back more than 400 million years. The region was once an underwater reef and, later, covered in ice.
Native Americans have always lived in Chicago, but in the mid-20th century they established a cultural enclave in Uptown, anchored by community centers and social connections.