Our blog is filled with fun stories and little-known facts about special places.
Come learn about those places and the people who made them unique, as well as highlights of our Adventures.
Photograph credits: @ChiCitiGirl
LATEST BLOG POSTS
- Iconic Chicago
Chicago’s Automotive History
In a way, the American automobile industry was born in Chicago. While in town for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a 30-year-old Henry Ford saw Gottlieb Damiler’s gasoline-powered internal combustion engine on a carriage. He also visited the Union Stock Yards and saw its efficiency, with a different person responsible for each aspect of the butchering process.
July 3, 2025
- City
How Chicago Got Its Odd Shape
Looking at a map of Chicago can produce mixed reactions. On the one hand, there’s an orderly grid of streets of equal length, a river dividing the city into the North, South, and West Sides, and a few interstate highways that bring commuters in from the suburbs.
June 26, 2025
- Food
Chicago’s Best Food and Drink Tours
In addition to the tours listed below, eATLAS has several Adventures based on Chicago’s food scene. The Brown Line Pizza Tour takes you to six pizzerias in six neighborhoods along the CTA’s Brown Line, our Chicago Taco Crawl visits five Mexican restaurants in Lincoln Park, and The Bear “Chaos Menu” Crawl recreates the episode of the hit TV series where Sydney traverses the city in search of inspiration for the new restaurant’s menu.
June 19, 2025
- Iconic Chicago
The History of Chicago’s Bridges
With the Chicago River dividing the city into the North, South, and West Sides, bridges that could allow people and vehicles to cross while still allowing ships to pass through was necessary for Chicago’s growth. The city now has 37 movable bridges, 32 on the Chicago River and the others on the Calumet. That’s the most of any North American city, and second only to Amsterdam.
June 12, 2025
- Iconic Chicago
Chicago’s Best Parks and Outdoor Spaces
Chicago’s history of setting aside land for public use goes back to its earliest days. A map from 1836 — one year before its incorporation as a city—denotes a section of the lakefront south of the Chicago River as “Public Ground: A Common to Remain Forever Open, Clear and Free of Any Buildings or Other Obstruction, Whatever.”
June 5, 2025
- City
Chicago’s Most Distinctive Summer Festivals and Events
Street festivals are an integral part of Chicago summers. The basic premise is that a neighborhood closes a few blocks of its major street to traffic for a weekend and fills it with food and merchandise vendors, two or three stages for live music, and activities for children. They’re a great opportunity to spend the day exploring other neighborhoods and supporting local businesses while enjoying the outdoors.
May 29, 2025