Author: WBEZ Chicago

Looking around Chicago today, you won’t find many stink balls or cannons—but did you know the city has ordinances regulating both? When these laws were first passed more than a century ago, aldermen may have believed they posed a real threat. But today, these old laws don’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Logan Square resident Ty McCarthy was wondering whether Chicago had any outdated laws on the books. So he asked Curious City:

What are some of Chicago’s oldest and weirdest laws?

To find some weird laws, we pored over Chicago’s municipal code—which anyone can search online—and pinpointed several ordinances that were passed more than 50 years ago.

Click here to view our special presentation featuring nine of Chicago’s most obscure laws.

From a statue honoring police to a tribute to Confederate prisoners, these monuments have raised debate over how history is represented.

From a statue honoring police to a tribute to Confederate prisoners, these monuments have raised debate over how history is represented.

A Curious City fan asked us about an odd detail on an old Chicago map. Was it really a Native American burial mound?

A Curious City fan asked us about an odd detail on an old Chicago map. Was it really a Native American burial mound?

How a Chicago-area family turned cheap plastic souvenirs into a nostalgia empire.

How a Chicago-area family turned cheap plastic souvenirs into a nostalgia empire.

The light near Chicago Avenue causes mile-long backups. City officials are proposing a solution, but you might be in traffic for a while.

The light near Chicago Avenue causes mile-long backups. City officials are proposing a solution, but you might be in traffic for a while.

Robert K. Elder would love to decorate the walls in his living room with original paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago. So he was floored when a friend told him that her mom rented two pieces of artwork back in the day. This was hard for Robert to imagine. Like, what would that even look like? Someone strolling onto Michigan Avenue with a rented Monet stuck in his or her backpack? Curious City looked into whether this story has any truth to it.