Chicago Stories

In 1924, after several months of meticulous planning, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks for the thrill of committing a "perfect crime."

It's the most notorious scandal in baseball history. Eight Chicago White Sox players are charged with throwing 1919's World Series--ruining the reputations and careers of some of the game's greatest players and breaking a nation's heart.

Dive into the history of Chicago’s amusement parks and the role the city played in shaping the amusement industry. Explore Riverview Park, Ravinia, Santa’s Village, Kiddieland, and more

Before Lincoln Park was known for its multimillion-dollar homes, the neighborhood was the beating heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, and the base of operations for a band of Puerto Rican revolutionaries known as the Young Lords.

Playboy, a brand now synonymous with sex, was launched by Hugh Hefner in the 1950s in Chicago. Hefner bought the iconic Playboy mansion in Chicago’s Gold Coast where his raucous parties became the stuff of legend. He also opened the first of 30 Playboy clubs in Chicago, outfitting cocktail waitresses in heels and bunny tails.

In the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968, chaos erupted on Chicago’s West Side. Grief turned into anger as protests, riots, looting, and fires consumed some neighborhoods. Audio-narrated descriptions of key visual elements are available.

During Prohibition in Chicago, infamous mobster Al Capone built his empire. His gang became sprawling criminal empire, often embattled in bloody conflicts that would cement Capone as one of America’s most notorious gangsters.

Explore the origins of house music, which began in Chicago’s underground party scene as a safe space for gay people and people of color.