CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT

The Chicago Park District is the steward of over 550 parks spanning 7300 acres of land, including 33 beaches, nine museums and two conservatories. The agency is devoted to enhancing quality of life throughout the city as the leading provider of recreation and leisure opportunities; providing safe, inviting and beautifully maintained parks and facilities; and creating a customer focused and responsive park system.  The Chicago Park District was established in 1934, when the Great Depression fostered the consolidation of 22 separate park commissions that had operated independently throughout the city for many years.

Daniel H. Burnham made important contributions to Chicago’s parks and many of his ideas were deeply influenced by his park work.  In the late 1870s, Burnham & Root began producing designs for shelters, bridges, fountains, buildings and other recreational structures for the South Park Commission. After Root’s death, D.H. Burnham & Co. continued this tradition. This included Burnham’s collaboration with the Olmsted Brothers on designing the nation’s seminal neighborhood parks on the south side of Chicago. 

Burnham helped transform Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance into the White City for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.   This work and his ideas about Grant Park and the lakefront provided the genesis of the 1909 Plan of Chicago.  In 2009, the Chicago Park District will celebrate its 75^th anniversary and will also pay tribute to the Daniel H. Burnham’s important park legacy through a number of projects and events.

Stayed tuned for more details about the following projects:

Bold Plans Big Dreams Day Camps During the 2009 summer, throughout the city, these day camps will educate Chicago children about Burnham’s contributions and allow them to imagine and help plan a better city.

Tours and lectures Chicago Park Historian Julia Bachrach will lead tours and give lectures about Burnham’s contributions to the city’s venerable park system.  These include a presentation for the Lurie Garden series entitled Vision’s of Green: Daniel Burnham and Jens Jensen’s Open Space Plans for Chicago, Feb. 19, 2009 in the Millennium Park Room, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street at 6:00 pm.  Free and open to the public.  Ms. Bachrach is available to present Burnham related presentations to other audiences on a limited basis.

Partner Category: Public Agency