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Latest episodes
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Industrial jobs left Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee. Why did it hit these cities differently?
September 30, 2026 · 22 minFor over a century, the Midwest had been defined by what we made, including cars, steel, and beer. But during 75 years of deindustrialization, Chicago lost over half a million manufacturing jobs. Milwaukee lost almost 100,000 jobs. And for…
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Chicago, Milwaukee or Detroit: Which city has the best encased meats?
September 23, 2026 · 20 minIn Chicago, it’s the Chicago dog. In Milwaukee, the bratwurst. In Detroit, the Coney dog. Each is a little different, but their origin stories are connected. In a limited series we’re calling “Curious Midwest,” Curious City teamed up…
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How Ella Jenkins’ Chicago childhood shaped her iconic children’s music
September 16, 2026 · 23 minFrom school assemblies to “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood,” Ella Jenkins was a rhythm specialist and children’s music pioneer. Her childhood in Chicago was her launching pad. Jenkins forged a path in the music industry during a time when…
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Did Chicago invent the rage room? A look inside “the Frustration Room”
September 9, 2026 · 21 minThe Frustration Room appeared in a Chicago motel in 1962 and offered visitors the opportunity to smash objects — like a lamp base, a lightbulb or an ashtray — in a space dedicated to relieving frustration. One Curious City listener…
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How did a native Chicago plant disappear forever?
September 2, 2026 · 18 minThismia americana enjoys near-cult-status among Chicago botanists, ecologists and plant enthusiasts. The tiny, bell-shaped flower hasn't been seen since the early 1900s, but that hasn't stopped believers from trying to find Chicago's most…
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Why is the island in Washington Park behind a locked gate?
August 26, 2026 · 16 minBynum Island was once a gem in Chicago’s Washington Park, but now it’s abandoned, overgrown and inaccessible to the public. Curious City looks into why, and whether the island will ever reopen.
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School lunch used to ace the test
August 19, 2026 · 19 minFormer Chicago Public Schools students say school lunch used to be delicious decades ago. That comes as a surprise to current CPS students, who give lunchroom offerings mixed reviews. Also missing from the menu is a once popular butter…
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Shipwrecks, mussels and sponges: Chicago is a scuba diving destination
August 12, 2026 · 22 minOne of the world’s largest scuba organizations was founded in the Chicago suburbs by Portage Park pool swim instructor Ralph Erickson. Decades later and Chicago still has a small but mighty scuba diving scene, driven in part by Lake…