For immediate release
- January 17, 2012
Chicago’s Loop: A New Walking Tour is the latest in a long string of successful WTTW tour adventures written and hosted by Geoffrey Baer. Baer takes viewers on a lively and informative tour, tracing the fascinating history of downtown Chicago’s rise, fall and rebirth, from the Loop’s heyday as a hub of theaters, restaurants, movie palaces and nightclubs, to the area’s steep decline in the 1960s and 70s, and finally to its renaissance as the bustling downtown where people live, work and play today.
Longtime residents and tourists alike can now explore WTTW’s digital extension of Geoffrey Baer’s rediscovery of the Loop at wttw.com/loop. This innovative and robust new site extends the content of the program far beyond the television screen, providing an interactive experience like none other. Here, viewers can:
- Explore the Loop’s buildings — then and now — and its landmarks, architects, art, heroes, and villains
- Take a personal audio walking tour of the Loop, with Geoffrey Baer’s voice and an interactive map leading the way
- Listen to a collection of audio stories from everyday people who live and work in the Loop — a barista at Intelligentsia on Randolph, Jewelers’ Row jewelers, a licensed street musician, Director of Public Relations at the Palmer House, and more
- Share personal photos and memories of the Loop
- Take the Loop quiz to learn fun facts about the Loop
- Watch Chicago’s Loop: A New Walking Tour wherever and whenever you want.
“We wanted to produce something that would live on after the program, and serve as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of, and the stories behind, Chicago’s diverse architectural treasures and to make the Loop come alive,” said WTTW’s Anne Gleason, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Interactive.
Chicago’s Loop: A New Walking Tour is made possible in part by BMO Harris Bank. Major funding is provided by ComEd, United Airlines, the Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, The Walter E. Heller Foundation, and Sue & Wes Dixon. Generous support is also provided by Millennium Properties, the Harriet K. Burnstein & Gand family, Peter Kelliher II, John & Kathleen Buck, the Leo T. Tibensky Trust, Perkins+Will, and Mr. & Mrs. Martin J. Koldyke & The Koldyke Family Foundation.
About WTTW
For more than 55 years, audiences have turned to WTTW for distinctive programming that informs, inspires, educates, and entertains. WTTW reaches 1.5 million weekly households over a four-state area, making it the most-watched public television station in America. Recognized for its award-winning local and national productions, WTTW is committed to presenting the very best in cultural, nature, science, public affairs, and children's programming across its four distinct television channels: WTTW11, WTTW Prime, its Spanish-language channel WTTW V-me, and WTTW Create, its “how-to” channel. For more information, please visit wttw.com.
