Enjoy Illinois: Let's Go!

On this episode, host Catie Sheehan heads to Chicago's South Side to go behind the scenes at one of the most talked-about new attractions in the country: the Obama Presidential Center, which opened June 19th in Jackson Park. First, Catie sits down with Paul Schulhof, an architect who spent nearly a decade working alongside founding partners Tod Williams and Billie Tsien on the design of the 19.3-a...

On this episode, host Catie Sheehan heads to Chicago — the city that invented modern improv and has been exporting comedic innovation to the world ever since. First, Catie sits down with Kelly Leonard, who spent more than 30 years at The Second City, rising from dishwasher to executive producer. Over the years he hired Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Keegan-Michael Key, and m...

On this episode, host Catie Sheehan ventures into the supernatural side of Illinois, summoning up secrets about the state’s most haunted places—from Alton and Decatur to Springfield, Chicago, and Galena. First, Catie sits down with Troy Taylor, a prolific author of more than 150 books on the paranormal, a podcaster, and a pioneer of the ghost tour movement. Troy got his start as a kid, guided thro...

On this episode, host Catie Sheehan takes the show on the road to Casey, Illinois—a town of fewer than 2,500 people that has become home to more record-breaking oversized attractions than any small town has a right to claim. Recorded on location, Catie explores the streets of Casey and sits down with locals to hear the story behind the Big Things: how they came to be, what they mean to the communi...

In this episode of the Enjoy Illinois: Let's Go! podcast, host Catie Sheehan sits down with comedian, actor, and podcaster Andy Richter for a wide-ranging conversation about the state where he grew up—and how the Land of Lincoln shaped him. Best known as Conan O'Brien's sidekick and as a breakout fan favorite on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars , Richter is more than a late-night legend—he's a...

On this special episode, host Catie Sheehan celebrates the Route 66 Centennial with two guests who know the Mother Road inside and out. The show opens with a word from Governor JB Pritzker on what this milestone year means for Illinois. First up is Amanda Bryden, Registrar of History at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield. Bryden co-led "Miles of Memories," the Route 66 Oral History Project,...

On this episode, host Catie Sheehan takes listeners to one of her favorite parts of the state—Southern Illinois. She kicks things off by interviewing Shawn Gossman, an avid outdoorsman and tour guide who is also the creative force behind the Hiking with Shawn content brand. Catie and Shawn discuss Garden of the Gods, chasing waterfalls in the Shawnee National Forest, Snake Road, and other top attr...

Join host Catie Sheehan as she speaks with Chicago culinary icon Gale Gand. The two-time James Beard Award winner is a Food Network pioneer, the pastry chef behind one of Chicago's most celebrated fine-dining restaurants, and a teacher who has spent decades sharing her love of food—and of Illinois—with everyone from world leaders to first-time pie makers. Beyond sharing insights about her remarkab...