Geoffrey Baer facts for kids

Geoffrey Baer is an American TV host, actor, and producer. He is famous for hosting shows like 10 That Changed America and the Chicago By Boat series. These shows are made by WTTW in Chicago for PBS stations in Illinois. His programs help people learn more about the history, culture, and amazing buildings in the Chicago area and across America.

Early life and interests

Geoffrey Baer was born in 1960. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs of Highland Park and Deerfield. His dad was an accountant, and his mom taught music and art. His family came from Eastern Europe and had Jewish roots.

When he was a kid, his grandmother once told him he would be on TV someday. This turned out to be true! In high school, Geoffrey loved theater. Later, he studied radio, television, and film at Miami University.

Starting his career

After college, Geoffrey worked at different TV stations in cities like Cincinnati, Saginaw, Michigan, and Philadelphia. He even became a producer for a nightly TV show in Philadelphia.

Later, he went back to school at Northwestern University and earned a master's degree in theater. For five years, he taught theater part-time at a high school called the Chicago Academy for the Arts. He also volunteered at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. There, he led fun boat tours along the Chicago River, teaching people about the city's buildings.

Working with WTTW

In 1989, Geoffrey started working at WTTW Chicago, a TV station. He helped produce shows about art. At the same time, he kept leading his boat tours on weekends.

In 1995, the new boss of WTTW took one of Geoffrey's boat tours. The boss was so impressed that he called the station the very next day. He said they should turn Geoffrey's tour into a TV show!

Geoffrey's first show, Chicago By Boat, became super popular. It was even updated in 2006 because so many people loved it. By then, Geoffrey had hosted more than 20 shows about Chicago's history and buildings. His programs are often shown during pledge drives for WTTW. This is because people tend to donate more money when Geoffrey's shows are on, or when they can get DVDs of his shows as a thank-you gift. Geoffrey often hosts and produces these pledge shows himself.

Life outside of work

Geoffrey Baer lives in Evanston, Illinois with his wife and two daughters. When he's not working, he enjoys competitive sailing and rowing.

Shows and films

Here is a list of some of the shows and films Geoffrey Baer has hosted: