This guided tour into the history of Chicago's culture and architecture invites you to explore the hidden wonders of the downtown (Loop) area, Bronzeville, Old Town, Wrigleyville, Garfield Park, and many more. Written and hosted by WTTW11 producer Geoffrey Baer.
Host and writer Geoffrey Baer explores the history, architecture and little-known stories of Chicago's famous shoreline suburbs. The documentary covers communities from Evanston north to the Wisconsin border, including Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Northbrook, Glenview, Skokie and more.
In the region South of Chicago, everything seems bigger than life - the heroes and villains, the bridges, boats and buildings, and even people's dreams. In this Chicagoland tour program, host and writer Geoffrey Baer takes you on a tour along the waterways, highways and railways of Chicago's South Suburbs and Northwest Indiana.
In the style of his hit programs, Geoffrey Baer takes his viewers on a journey through the Northwest suburbs. The tour begins in Park Ridge and follows I-90 and the historic Northwest Highway through neighborhoods like Mt. Prospect, Schaumburg, and Barrington.
Host and writer Geoffrey Baer travels by train, tugboat and 1958 Edsel as he takes viewers on a journey through the Southwest Suburbs.
Some are mysterious, some are beautiful and some are just plain bizarre! Geoffrey Baer takes you all over the Chicago region in search of often-overlooked fragments of our history. Many are in places you pass by every day. But when you learn their hidden stories you're sure to say "I never knew that!"
Join Geoffrey Baer on this engaging tour program, covering Chicago's historic Western suburbs. Highlights include Brookfield Zoo, Frank Lloyd Wright architectural treasures, and much more He takes you on a fascinating trek through 25 communities including Naperville, Cicero, and Wheaton. So sit back, relax, and ride along with Geoffery Baer as he explores the Western suburbs.
The eyes of the world were on Chicago's Lakefront on election night 2008 as tens of thousands of people gathered there to celebrate with President-Elect Barack Obama. Chicago's lakefront is unique in the world. It's a seventeen-mile-long people's paradise that belongs to all of us.
Join Geoffrey Baer as he eats his way through Chicago's rich history.
In this sequel to WTTW's popular Hidden Chicago special, Geoffrey Baer explores dusty attics, deep tunnels and the candy aisle at Walgreen's in search of fascinating fragments of Chicago's past and little-known stories behind things we see and use every day.
WTTW11 producer, host, and Chicago Architecture Foundation docent Geoffrey Baer returns to the Chicago River for a tour highlighting the changes along the river since Chicago by Boat, his very first "tour" show, aired on Channel 11 in 1995.
Come along with Geoffrey Baer to seven of Chicago's wonders. Geoffrey takes you on a riveting tour laced with history and humor of Chicago's most indelible sights.
In Biking the Boulevards, Geoffrey Baer bikes his way across Chicago, using the city's network of boulevards. The boulevards are wide, tree-lined streets, which connect Chicago's largest parks.
Geoffrey Baer presents "Architect Robert A.M. Stern: Presence of the Past" a new documentary focused on one of America's most successful and influential architects.
Geoffrey Baer takes viewers on a trip along the historic Fox River from the Chain O' Lakes in far northern Illinois, all of the way south to Aurora.
Geoffrey Baer traces the entire history of the skyscraper in the city where it was born.
In Architect Michael Graves: A Grand Tour, host Geoffrey Baer takes us on a voyage through Graves' career and the influences that shaped him, from his early days studying in Rome to the life-altering events of 2003 - events that changed his personal perspective and brought about a new kind of professional achievement.
Geoffrey Baer profiles architect David M. Schwarz, the 2015 winner of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame. The success of Schwarz's work in Texas has given way to urban master plans, concert halls, ballparks, and stadiums around the country that draw on the traditions of American modernism.
In this new special, Geoffrey Baer, WTTW’s intrepid tour guide, takes us on a journey through our region’s rich history via a brand new vehicle. Aided by archival film and photographs, innovative special effects, and a found “time machine,” Geoffrey gives us a unique view of incredible moments of the past that happened in seemingly ordinary places that many of us frequent every day.
Geoffrey Baer travels to Parma, Italy to visit the studio and showcase the work of architect Pier Carlo Bontempi, this year’s winner of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame.
In his first-ever quiz show, Geoffrey Baer poses Chicago history and trivia questions to a lively and diverse group of locals. Visit the website and take quizzes to see how well you know Chicago. "http://interactive.wttw.com/whereinchicago"
Explore Chicago's South Side neighborhoods with the people who call them home. This new WTTW documentary hosted by Geoffrey Baer traces the history and culture of neighborhoods south of I-55. From Ashburn to Auburn, Hyde Park to Hegewisch, Woodlawn to Washington Park, you'll learn about the events that shaped communities and meet the people who created the true identity of Chicago's South Side.
Join Geoffrey Baer as we explore iconic Navy Pier’s story. Since it opened as Municipal Pier in 1916, Navy Pier has been evolving in response to the changing needs of a city on a Great Lake – Chicago.
Geoffrey Baer introduces us to this year's winner of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame, Robert Adam, a London-based architect who has devoted his life and career to persuading Britain’s architectural establishment to recognize the importance of the traditional in modern British architectural practice.
In the epic drama that is Chicago’s history, the Chicago River has played many roles, by turns hero, villain, and underdog. The most iconic river scenes lie near the river’s confluence with Lake Michigan, the junction that gave rise to the city itself, where skyscrapers now exalt the river’s banks and form a spectacular canyon of stunning architecture.
Geoffrey Baer introduces us to this year's winner of the Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame, Scott Merrill, a Florida-based architect whose work with traditional building types and town planning points to a belief in creating a fair society. "http://interactive.wttw.com/merrill"
Marc and Nada Breitman believe in towns. In this new film, Geoffrey Baer introduces us to the Paris-based husband-and-wife architects. Together, they lead Geoffrey through the streets of their beloved Paris, northern France, and Amsterdam, explaining how they use their art to celebrate diversity and bland suburbs and forgotten areas into livable, walkable neighborhoods.
Geoffrey Baer takes you on a nostalgic journey by car to iconic vacation spots that Chicagoans have cherished for generations, and discovers some secret hideaways, too!
Geoffrey Baer hops on the CTA's famous Red, Blue, Green, Brown, Orange, Yellow, Pink, and Purple Lines to bring you a fascinating exploration of the colorful and diverse neighborhoods that Chicagoans access via the city's storied elevated train system.
Imagine if you could soar, swoop, dive, and spiral through and around Chicago’s landmarks, neighborhoods, and suburbs – with a familiar voice providing engaging commentary along the way. Chicago from the Air, a new special filmed entirely with a drone camera and narrated by WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer, makes this dream a reality.
Geoffrey Baer takes to the skies to see the Chicago region and beyond like never before.
Creators and enthusiasts tell the stories of how these innovative and uniquely magnificent places across the many neighborhoods of Chicago came to be, why they are meaningful to the people who live and work nearby, and why we should all know their histories.
Discover the stories and people behind more eye-popping spaces and places around Chicago, from sparkling mosaics and historic homes to public parks and gardens to intricate facades and architectural marvels.
Did a UFO fly over O’Hare Airport? How did the alligator later named “Chance the Snapper” suddenly appear in Chicago’s Humboldt Lagoon? Is Hull House haunted? Why don’t Chicagoans put ketchup on their hot dogs? WTTW award-winning host/writer/producer Geoffrey Baer sets out to solve these and other puzzlers in Chicago Mysteries.
The roots and development of the skyline.
Come sail along with Geoffrey Baer and the crew of Radiance as they trek across Lake Michigan in the annual Race to Mackinac.
Web Exclusive
narrated by Ken Nordine
This was an extra on the Fox River Valley and Chain o' Lakes tour DVD
with host John Callaway. Extra on the Hidden Chicago DVD
Narrator Rich Samuels. Civil War POW Camp on the south side of Chicago
Narrated by Jay Shefsky. Extra on the Hidden Chicago DVD
