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Mayor Lightfoot Will Bring Chicago's Cultural Gems to Students with WTTW

Daniel Hautzinger
Mayor Lightfoot at the Shedd Aquarium in 'Stay Home. Hit Play.'
Mayor Lightfoot at the Shedd Aquarium in 'Stay Home. Hit Play.'

Stay Home. Hit Play. will air Fridays at 5:30 pm on WTTW (11.1), beginning Friday May 1, and Mondays at 12:30 pm on WTTW Prime (11.2), and will be available to stream at HitPlayChicago.org Wednesdays beginning April 29.

Families and young students may not be able to visit Chicago's iconic museums and cultural sites in person right now, but starting this week they can take extra-special virtual tours of them with an exciting guest: Mayor Lori Lightfoot. In the new series Stay Home. Hit Play., Mayor Lightfoot, in partnership with WTTW and Citadel, visits Chicago's museums and other institutions to go behind the scenes for a guided field trip. 

Every week, Mayor Lightfoot will explore a different institution, including the Field Museum, the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Museum of Science and Industry, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. First up—on April 29 at HitPlayChicago.org and on May 1 and May 4 on WTTW—is the Shedd Aquarium. The mayor meets the Shedd's social-media-star penguins, feeds sharks, and visits a rescued sea turtle, bringing students and nature lovers at home along with her.

“WTTW is honored to partner with the City of Chicago, Mayor Lightfoot, Citadel, and our city’s museums and cultural institutions on an initiative that aligns with our purpose to enrich lives, engage communities, and inspire exploration,” said Sandra Cordova Micek, President and CEO of WTTW. “As a public media organization, it’s our role to respond to the needs of our community with trusted, educational and immersive programming.”

Related activities will be available at HitPlayChicago.org for each episode to help students learn more about each cultural excursion. Episodes premiere on Wednesdays at HitPlayChicago.org and air on WTTW (11.1) Fridays at 5:30 pm and on WTTW Prime (11.2) Mondays at 12:30 pm, kicking off WTTW's weekday educational line-up for students learning at home.

You can watch the mayor discuss the series from the Shedd Aquarium with Chicago Tonight's Brandis Friedman.


STAY HOME. HIT PLAY. is a partnership with the City of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Citadel, and Chicago’s museums and cultural institutions.