IT'S HISTORY Courses

What's Below Chicago's Bean? The Lost Railyard

Uncover Chicago's transformation from marshland to Millennium Park, exploring hidden infrastructure beneath Cloud Gate including rail yards, tunnels, and the century-long lakefront battle.

• YouTube
• 32 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why Toronto's Airport Was Built Around a Cemetery

Uncover the bizarre story of how a 19th-century cemetery ended up in the middle of Toronto's busiest airport and the controversial decision to relocate it decades later.

• YouTube
• 18 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Secret Base Inside a Mountain - Cheyenne Air Force Station Explained

Uncover the secrets of Cheyenne Mountain Complex, America's underground Cold War fortress built to survive nuclear war and house NORAD's command centers deep within Colorado granite.

• YouTube
• 18 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Forgotten Monoliths of St. Louis - Stand Pipes

Explore the fascinating history of St. Louis' standpipes—towering water pressure regulators that became architectural monuments while similar structures were demolished elsewhere. Discover why these industrial relics still stand today.

• YouTube
• 16 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why the Pentagon Is Totally Forbidden

Explore the secrets of the Pentagon—America's largest low-rise office building with hidden tunnels, classified areas, and a complex design built for military command. Discover why this five-sided fortress remains largely off-limits.

• YouTube
• 13 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

New York's Lost Subway - The Secret Beneath Broadway

Discover the fascinating story of Alfred Ely Beach's 1870 pneumatic subway beneath Broadway—a revolutionary transit system powered by air pressure that was ultimately shut down by political corruption.

• YouTube
• 13 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Before Route 66 - The Story of America's First Highway

Discover how the Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental road from NYC to San Francisco, revolutionized travel and birthed car culture before being overshadowed by Route 66.

• YouTube
• 24 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Lost Pyramids That Came Before Egypt? - Ancient Burial Mounds of Prehistoric Europe

Explore the mysterious burial mounds of prehistoric Poland that may predate Egypt's pyramids, guided by archaeologist Dominik Plaża in this fascinating historical investigation.

• YouTube
• 54 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

NYC's Lost Island of Warships and Royal Yachts - Shooters Island

Uncover the forgotten history of Shooters Island, NYC's hidden shipyard that built warships and royal yachts, from Revolutionary War spy base to abandoned ruins off Staten Island.

• YouTube
• 11 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Chicago's Lost Fire Alarm Network - From Church Bells to Telegraphs

Uncover Chicago's evolution from church bell fire alerts to advanced 19th-century telegraph systems, exploring how network failures contributed to the Great Chicago Fire disaster.

• YouTube
• 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why Abandoned Beer Caves Keep Causing Sinkholes in Iowa

Uncover how 19th-century beer caves beneath Cedar Rapids create modern sinkholes, revealing Iowa's forgotten brewing history and immigrant heritage through underground exploration.

• YouTube
• 14 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

America's Lost Funeral Trains - The Forgotten Tradition

Explore the forgotten history of funeral trains, from Lincoln's 1,600-mile procession to Churchill's "Operation Hope Not," revealing how railways transformed grief into moving monuments.

• YouTube
• 19 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why New York's Smallest Private Island Was a Secret Spy Base - Rat Island

Uncover the hidden history of Rat Island, NYC's smallest private island that served as a Revolutionary War spy base, quarantine station, and artistic retreat.

• YouTube
• 11 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Story of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Discover how a dying spa town renamed itself after a game show to become a media sensation and symbol of offbeat Americana in this quirky tale of American reinvention.

• YouTube
• 10 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Why This Machine Crushed Coal - And People - The Huber Breaker

Uncover the haunting story of Pennsylvania's Huber Breaker, a steel giant that processed 7,000 tons of coal daily while crushing the workers and communities who depended on it.

• YouTube
• 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video