Grant Park

Welcome to Chicago's Grant Park, or often referred to as "The Front Yard of the City." Grant Park boasts world famous landmarks including the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, the Art Institute, and the magnificent Buckingham Fountain, which contains 1.5 million gallons of water and pumps 14,000 gallons a minute. The park's history goes back to 1835 when concerned local citizens lobbied to protect the land from urban encroachment. In 1847 the city bought the land and named it Lake Park. Erosion soon became a problem along the Lakeshore and the Illinois Central Railroad offered to help solve the erosion issue in exchange for an offshore trestle. But following the Great Fire of 1871, the area around the trestle became a landfill for materials damaged in the fire. In 1901 the park was transferred to the South Park Commission and renamed Grant Park in honor of Ulysses S. Grant the 18th President of the United States. A century later the city continued to make improvements by transforming the old rail yard section into "Millenium Park." All of the athletic courts including the two sand volleyball courts are lighted so people can play at night. This is a great place for kite-flying on windy days.

To contact the office please call 312-742-3918.

This was RecPlanet place of the day on December 8, 2015.