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
Posts from Category "Culture"
- Culture
The Chicago Cultural Center: The Windy City’s Ultimate Hidden Gem
The Chicago Cultural Center features in our I Love The 80s Movie Tour Scavenger Hunt and Art, Architecture & History, Oh My! Adventure.
February 19, 2026
- Culture
Chicago’s Legendary Jazz Musicians
Jazz arrived in Chicago at the start of the Great Migration, as musicians from New Orleans made their way up north, settling in Bronzeville on the South Side. This included Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, and Joe “King” Oliver. Louis Armstrong joined them in 1922. They were complemented by locals, such as pianists Lil Hardin, whom Armstrong would marry, and Albert Ammons.
January 22, 2026
- Culture
How Chicago Became an Alt-Rock Capital in the ‘90s
How well do you know Chicago music? Visit eATLAS’ homepage to take our new quiz, which features 12 songs, many of which are by born-and-bred-artists, that reference the city in its lyrics.
October 30, 2025
- Culture
Your Guide to Fall 2025 Arts and Crafts Fairs in Chicago
Chicago’s street festival season generally stops after Labor Day Weekend, but there are plenty of art fairs and festivals taking place throughout the city during the fall. The events offer a perfect opportunity to find anything from a new piece for your home to a special holiday gift, or just to browse.
October 2, 2025
- Culture
Louis Armstrong in Chicago
In 1922, Louis Armstrong received a telegram from his friend and mentor, Joe “King” Oliver, to join his band in Chicago. It was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. From 1918-21, he’d been playing polite versions of the day’s hits on riverboats up and down the Mississippi River, and had stints with the Tuxedo Brass Band and Kid Ory in his hometown of New Orleans. His chops were honed and he’d become an excellent sight-reader of music, and he felt he was ready for the big time.
July 31, 2025
- Culture
Meet Jim Bachor: Chicago’s Pothole Artist
Held from May 30 – June 1, eATLAS’ fourth annual ScavHunt is a fundraiser for the Respiratory Health Association. The team that brings in the most money will win a 11” x 14” signed, limited- edition print of Jim Bachor’s “Perpetual Hot Dog,” his mosaic of a classic Chicago-style “dragged through the garden” hot dog. Bachor rose to local fame in 2013, when he started filling in Chicago potholes with his mosaics. We spoke with Bachor about his work.
May 8, 2025