Grant Park: a brief history
Designed by the visionary urban planner, Daniel Burnham, Grant Park has become Chicago’s Front Yard, the centerpiece of our majestic lakefront. The park’s beginnings were humble; dating back to 1837, which was four years after the City of Chicago incorporated. Parcels of land were set aside for public use and named Lake Park. The new park became a source of intense controversy. In 1890, A. Montgomery Ward, a local business magnate and civic activist, waged a 20-year court battle to keep the park “forever open, clear, and free” for public enjoyment. In 1901, the park was renamed in honor of the late President Ulysses S. Grant.
In 1909, Burnham released his Chicago Plan, a grand design that protected Chicago’s lakefront from the industrial exploitation that blighted other waterfront cities of the world. “The lakefront by right belongs to the people.” He wrote. “Not a foot of its shores should be appropriated to the exclusion of the people.”
Burnham in his design of Grant Park incorporated elements of French park design, including geometric rooms so it could serve as Chicago’s formal focal point and intellectual center. During the 20th century, the park became the setting for major events in Chicago history. The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium were dedicated here in 1927. Queen Elizabeth II landed here in 1959. In 1968, demonstrators marched here during the Democratic National Convention. Pope John Paul II celebrated mass here before a crowd of 1.2 million in 1979. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were honored in six rallies during the 1990s.
Today, “Taste of Chicago” and diverse music and cultural festivals bring millions of Chicagoans and visitors to celebrate here year-round. The future of Grant Park will include its most dramatic addition, the 25-acre Millennium Park. Equally important, the area surrounding Grant Park is becoming the city’s fastest growing residential neighborhood, helping to realize Burnham’s vision of integrating an international park with Chicago’s vibrant downtown community.
