The Best Free Day in Chicago
One of America's oldest free zoos. A Victorian glass house. A hidden garden designed by a man who cashed in his life insurance for flowers. And roughly twelve thousand unmarked graves. All free.
Start This ExperienceWhat You'll Experience
A taste of what you'll hear
9 stops, each with its own story. Here's a preview.
"Welcome to the Best Free Day in Chicago. I'm going to take you through one of America's oldest free zoos. A Victorian glass house full of tropical plants. A hidden garden designed by a man who cashed in his life insurance to buy flowers."
"Step inside and you're in the tropics. In Chicago. In February. This place is basically therapy with ferns. The architect was Joseph Lyman Silsbee — the man who gave Frank Lloyd Wright his first job."
"That's the Best Free Day in Chicago. All free. REAL: The cemetery — 12,000 bodies never moved. The two swans. Caldwell's life insurance policy. The milk bottle boardwalk. Jeanne Gang being the first woman to lead a skyscraper project in Chicago."
Part tour, part game
Most of what you hear is true. But we slip in a few things that aren't. At the end, there's a quiz — can you tell which facts were real?
It makes you pay attention. And it's way more fun than just listening.
Have questions? Just ask.
Curious about something you heard? Want to know more about a place? Ask us anything — we have a lot to say. It's more fun when it's a conversation.
Ready?
Download the app, head to the starting point, and press play. The stories start themselves.
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