Ainur
Hi! I'm Ainur. I bring empathy and an eye for historical detail, guiding you through the personal struggles and resilience of Chicagoans during the fire.
Welcome to "Time Traveling Through Chicago," a unique interactive experience guided by voices who witnessed the events of the Great Chicago Fire. Begin your journey and let our narrators show you how your actions will connect past and present.
Hi! I'm Ainur. I bring empathy and an eye for historical detail, guiding you through the personal struggles and resilience of Chicagoans during the fire.
Hello! I’m Tarlan. My focus is on technical mastery and a thoughtful narrative. I’ll help you make sense of clues and see the city's transformations.
Greetings! I’m Ehsan. Discovery and problem-solving are my strengths. Expect questions and evidence, and I’ll support your journey through each event.
Welcome! I’m Tommaso, your reflective guide. I’ll help you connect individual stories to themes of memory and survival, exploring how the past shapes today.
Hey there, traveler! Welcome to Chicago — city of steel, stories, and second chances.
And the only city that burned down once and said, “Yeah, let’s just build it again… but taller.”
(laughs) Don’t scare them already, Ehsan. But yes, what you’re about to explore isn’t just a story of destruction — it’s a story of survival.
We’re your guides through time. Think of us as four voices echoing through the city — part historians, part explorers. Together, we’ll uncover the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Back then, the whole city was mostly wood. Imagine streets lined with pine houses, wooden sidewalks, even wooden gutters. After months without rain, the place was practically a matchbox.
And then one spark — maybe from Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, maybe not — turned everything into a sea of fire.
In just over a day, 300 people lost their lives, 90,000 were left homeless, and the city’s heart was reduced to ashes.
But from that ash rose something new — a city that refused to disappear. And in this game, you’ll help us piece together its memory through the words of those who lived it.
Seven people wrote letters describing what they saw, what they felt, and what they lost. We’ll find their voices — hidden in the places where it all happened.
Ready? Each correct guess you make opens a “time rift.” You’ll step back into 1871 — not just to witness, but to listen.
So grab your curiosity — and maybe a bucket of water, just in case — and let’s start where the first alarm rang.
Together, we invite you to experience the Great Chicago Fire. You’ll start in present-day Chicago, solve clues to find historic locations, and watch as each correct guess transforms the cityscape, letting you witness scenes from 1871 and listen to survivor stories. Your choices reveal loss, courage, and rebirth, tying the past to the present.
As you journey, your actions turn modern Chicago into its historic self. Guess today’s locations, and watch them change before your eyes! Piece together survivor letters and unlock the Water Tower—your symbol of remembrance.