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Chicago, Cook County Open Cooling Centers Amid Extreme Heat Warnings

Science & Nature

Chicago, Cook County Open Cooling Centers Amid Extreme Heat Warnings

An extreme heat warning has been issued for Cook County from Saturday through… Read More

Want to Help Plants and Pollinators Make a Love Connection? Check Out Morton Arboretum’s New ‘Matchmaking’ Info

Science & Nature

Want to Help Plants and Pollinators Make a Love Connection? Check Out Morton Arboretum’s New ‘Matchmaking’ Info

Thanks to a recent update to the arboretum’s website, gardeners will find it… Read More

Janis Ian performing at the piano (1976).

tonight

American Masters – Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

Discover the life of singer-songwriter Janis Ian and how she rose as a folk icon and gay rights advocate. She broke ground with “Society’s Child” (1966), a bold take on interracial love, and “At Seventeen” (1975), a searing anthem about bullying.

Friday at 9:00 pm | Watch Preview

event

WTTW Presents: An Evening with Ken Burns

You’re invited to join Ken Burns and WTTW for an unforgettable evening featuring selections from the epic new six-part, 12-hour film, The American Revolution.

black voices

Chicago’s Snap Curfew and How the Approved Ordinance Could Affect Teens

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday passed the "snap curfew" ordinance by a vote of 27-22. Mayor Brandon Johnson has pledged to veto it.

arts and entertainment

Chicago's Eccentric Fine Arts Building

Chicago author Keir Graff's new book explores the fascinating stories and businesses inside Chicago's Fine Arts Building.

For parents

Why Being Funny is Good for Your Family

An infant, toddler, and elementary school student walk into a bar… Already heard this joke before?  

A man in a hat and pink shirt pours water from a plastic bottle into his mouth in front of boxes

Science & Nature

Heat Dome Will Blanket Much of the US, With Worrisome Temperatures in Midwest

This will be the first stretch of true summertime weather for many from Midwest to the East Coast, said Tom Kines, a meteorologist at the private weather company AccuWeather.

A man leans out of an antique elevator, seen from inside the elevator

Arts & Entertainment

A New Book Explores the Fascinating Stories and Businesses Inside Chicago's Eccentric Fine Arts Building

From its manually operated elevators to the master instrument builders inside, the Fine Arts Building holds numerous distinctions, which are explored in a new book. 

The stone sign for the AIDS Garden Chicago

Chicago Stories

Out in the Sunshine: AIDS Garden Chicago and the Belmont Rocks

AIDS Garden Chicago sits on the former location of the Belmont Rocks, which was once a popular location for gay men to hang out, socialize, and be themselves.
An animation of two cabs in front of an airport

WTTW News Explains

How Did Meigs Field Become Northerly Island Park?

One March morning, a little over 20 years ago, Chicago awoke to find Mayor Richard M. Daley had the airport bulldozed in the middle of the night.

Kids demonstrating their silly handshake.

For kids

Create a Silly Handshake

A high five, fist bump, or simple handshake are a few ways you can greet people. But for a special friend or family member, it can be fun to make up a one-of-a-kind silly handshake just for the two of you. Think of ways that you can use your hands, feet, legs, arms and even whole-body wiggles.
Machu Picchu

Membership

South American Odyssey

Samba in Rio, tango in Buenos Aires, climb Machu Picchu, and visit Iguazu Falls. This 19-day, 18-night escorted tour for two includes a range of natural and cultural sites across South America. Enter WTTW’s 2025 Be a Winner Sweepstakes today!

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