551.5-acre park located on the South Side of Chicago, is one of the largest and most historically significant parks in the city

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Overview

Jackson Park is a 551.5-acre (223.2 ha) park located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was originally designed in 1871 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, then greatly remodeled in 1893 to serve as the site of the World's Columbian Exposition, leaving it as one of the largest and most historically significant parks in the city. A number of features attest to the legacy of the fair, including a Japanese garden, the Statue of The Republic, and the Museum of Science and Industry. As part of the Woodlawn community area, it extends along Lake Michigan and borders onto the neighborhoods of Hyde Park and South Shore.

The parkland was first developed as part of an unrealized 1,000-acre (400 ha) addition to the Chicago park and boulevard system, whose other remnants include Washington Park and Midway Plaisance. At the time, it was known as Lake Park, then renamed in 1880 to commemorate Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States. While the original aquatic theme of islands and lagoons remains, the grounds have since developed to include boat harbors, playing fields, prairie restoration, a golf course, and 63rd Street Beach. The park will also be the site of the Barack Obama Presidential Center.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jackson Park (Chicago)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0