Chicago Tours with Geoffrey Baer
Season 1
Explore Chicago, its neighborhoods, and beyond with WTTW host and producer Geoffrey Baer. From the neighborhoods and suburbs of Chicago to the Chicago River and the Boulevards to the foods and history of Chicago to the spaces that changed America, join us to discover the stories behind places near and far.
Where to Watch Chicago Tours with Geoffrey Baer • Season 1
41 Episodes
- Chicago's North Shore
E2Chicago's North ShoreHost 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. - South of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, Shoreline
E3South of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, ShorelineIn 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. - Northwest of Chicago: From Farm Fields to BoomtownsE4
Northwest of Chicago: From Farm Fields to BoomtownsIn 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. - Hidden Chicago
E6Hidden ChicagoSome 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!" - Chicago's Western Suburbs: From Prairie Soil to Prairie Style
E7Chicago's Western Suburbs: From Prairie Soil to Prairie StyleJoin 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. - Chicago's LakefrontE8
Chicago's LakefrontThe 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. - Chicago by Boat: The New River TourE11
Chicago by Boat: The New River TourWTTW11 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. - Architect Michael Graves: A Grand Tour
E17Architect Michael Graves: A Grand TourIn 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. - Street Smarts: Architect David M. SchwarzE18
Street Smarts: Architect David M. SchwarzGeoffrey 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. - Chicago Time Machine
E20Chicago Time MachineIn 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. - A Taste for the Past: Architect Pier Carle BontempiE21
A Taste for the Past: Architect Pier Carle BontempiGeoffrey 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. - Chicago's South SideE23
Chicago's South SideExplore 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. - A Place at the Table: Architect Robert AdamE25
A Place at the Table: Architect Robert AdamGeoffrey 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. - The Chicago River Tour
E26The Chicago River TourIn 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. - The Power of Simplicity: Architect Scott Merrill
E27The Power of Simplicity: Architect Scott MerrillGeoffrey 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" - Architects Marc and Nada Breitman: Talk of the Town
E28Architects Marc and Nada Breitman: Talk of the TownMarc 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. - Chicago From the Air
E31Chicago From the AirImagine 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. - The Most Beautiful Places in ChicagoE33
The Most Beautiful Places in ChicagoCreators 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. - Chicago MysteriesE35
Chicago MysteriesDid 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. - A Celebration of Hanukkah with Geoffrey BaerE36
A Celebration of Hanukkah with Geoffrey BaerIn this heartwarming, nostalgic, and humorous program, WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer takes viewers on a fun exploration of the traditions of this joyous Jewish holiday as he shares the story of how it came to be, the significance of the season’s cherished foods and fun, and how families continue to celebrate together across generations. Audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements are available. - Touring the Lakefront with Geoffrey BaerE37
Touring the Lakefront with Geoffrey BaerGeoffrey Baer is back to traverse the length and breadth of Chicago’s world-famous “front yard” to explore everything from beloved birds to submerged secrets along Chicago’s lakefront. A fascinating journey from the history of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable to modern-day hikes on Northerly Island, fishing for lake trout, and snorkeling on a prehistoric reef, Touring the Lakefront with Geoffrey Baer Geoffrey takes viewers on a journey to discover how our lakefront was envisioned, built, and defended, and how it has evolved over the centuries. - Chicago Works
E44Chicago WorksChicago is known as "the city that works." The inhabitants of the "City of the Big Shoulders," as Carl Sandburg described it, are widely regarded as hard-working, tenacious, and resilient with a well-deserved reputation for Midwestern friendliness and approachability. Explore some of the city’s most unique jobs with Geoffrey Baer. Audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements are available.
