Chicago is full of mysteries, and even after living in the city for more than 14 years, I’m always learning more about its strange and unusual stories. I even wrote my first book, Secret Chicago: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure about them!
I was thrilled when WTTW, Chicago’s PBS station, asked me to share some Chicago mysteries for their new special with Geoffrey Baer. Geoffrey is a Chicago history icon who has produced informative and engaging specials about the city for years. I worked with him previously on the Great Chicago Quiz Show (catch me in Season 1, Episode 4) and was excited to contribute to the new special.
Burial Site of the First Nuclear Reactor
First, I led Geoffrey and the production crew through the Cook County Forest Preserve. It was a hot summer day and the crew navigated the rocky trail with all of their gear. We finally made it to the burial place of the world’s first nuclear reactor at “Site A,” buried right there in the forest preserve! I was no stranger to hiking to the nuclear reactor having previously shared it with WGN and writing about it in my book Secret Chicago.
Watch: Why is the world’s first nuclear reactor buried in a forest preserve?
The Oldest Monument in Chicago
Next, we headed east to the shore of Lake Michigan, specifically on the border of Illinois and Indiana. Chicago’s oldest monument is an obelisk errected in to mark the state line boundary. Geoffrey and I had fun riding Divvy bikes around the monument and jumping across the line from one state to the other. Read about Chicago’s oldest monument and see how the site has changed since I wrote that post.
Watch: Why is Chicago’s oldest monument so hard to find?
The Leaning Tower of Niles
Finally, we headed just north of the Chicago city limits to Niles, Illinois. As I wrote in the Secret Chicago book, the replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa has been stopping traffic on Touhy Avenue since 1934.
Anyone can visit the plaza and admire the tower; however, Geoffrey and I had a VIP experience. We met the mayor of Niles, George D. Alpogianis, who welcomed us to the local landmark. Then, we climbed the Leaning Tower of Niles! It was a bit disorienting to climb up the stairs in a lopsided tower but the views were incredible. At the top, we were even permitted to ring the tower’s bells, some of which are antiques imported from an Italian church!
Watch: Why is there a leaning tower in Niles?
Watch Chicago Mysteries
I had so much fun filming Chicago Mysteries with Geoffrey Baer and his production team. They were just as friendly as you can imagine. You can watch the entire Chicago Mysteries special, which includes several other intriguing stories at WTTW.com.
Want to discover other hidden places in Chicago? Check out my books Secret Chicago: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure and Chicago Scavenger!
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting arts and culture, history, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
