Chicagoans from all neighborhoods and walks of life came out of the shadows to fix their appropriately covered eyes on the skies.

Onlookers were treated to a clear view of the solar eclipse in Carbondale. “It was a festival sort of atmosphere,” Amanda Vinicky said. “You literally had a beer tent, carnival rides, and band, a whole lot of very excited people wearing garb for the solar eclipse.”

Over the course of civilization, eclipses have been met with fear and superstition. How humans have reacted to—and explained—eclipses throughout history.

This week, we raise a glass to the moms who hold it down in the House (and the Senate) with a concoction as American as apple pie—fragrant applejack, tough whiskey and snappy lemon and ginger. 

Along Wolf Lake on Chicago’s Southeast Side lies the only Illinois state park within city limits, where visitors can find fishing spots, biking trails – and invasive species.

Soaring planes, food fests, an all-night flea market and a Chicago love story usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.   

The founder of The Organic Gardener says she always felt a strong connection to nature. “My garden is really a big part of where I like to spend my time and to feed my soul,” she said.

Join us online for live coverage from Chicago’s Adler Planetarium starting at 11:40 a.m. Heading outside? Here are 12 places in and around Chicago where you can celebrate the eclipse. 

There’s a new floating attraction along Chicago’s Riverwalk. We go for a look.

To honor the first women of Chicago’s City Council, we mix smoky mezcal and bright grapefruit juice. It’s sweet but not too sweet, sharp but never bitter, and tough enough to duke it out with the best (or worst) of ‘em. 

Cuban rhythms, classical ensembles, hot dogs and house music DJs usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

What makes Chicago a go-to destination for food lovers? We talk all things food with Catherine De Orio, host of WTTW’s “Check Please!”

Jazz can bring to mind a dark nightclub after hours with a lot of booze, but we recently met a group of Chicago jazz musicians on a sunny summer morning – and they were fueled only by coffee and cake.

Secret handshakes, arcane symbols and initiation rites are all hallmarks of the Freemasons, an organization shrouded in mystery. Geoffrey Baer explores their history in Chicago in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

Aug. 15 marks the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Picasso’s debut, and Tuesday, the city celebrated the iconic sculpture with a public ceremony.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet also served as the state's poet laureate from 1968 until her death in 2000. Today's poets are finding creative ways to remember her.