Near South Side in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Olmec Head #8

Olmec Head Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn

1. Olmec Head Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

This sculpture is a replica of Olmec Head #8 from the site of San Lorenzo. It is one of 17 known colossal heads created by the ancient Olmec people in the states of Veracruz and Tabasco, Mexico.

The Olmec flourished in the Gulf Coast region of Mexico from 1300 to 300 BC. Most scholars believed that the Olmec carved these stone heads to commemorate their rulers.

Esta escultura es una réplica de la Cabeza Olmeca #8 de San Lorezno, una de las 17 obras colosales que dejó la antiqua cultura Olmeca en los estados de Verazcruz y Tabasco, México.

Los Olmecas florecieron en la costa del Golfo de México entre los años 1300 y 300 AC. La mayoría de los antropólogos creen que los Olmecas fabricaron estas cabezas para conmemorar a sus gobernantes.

Erected 2003 by State of Veracruz, Mexico; City of Chicago.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Arts, Letters, Music • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1300 BCE.

Location. 41° 52.02′ N, 87° 36.932′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County.

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It is in the Near South Side. It can be reached from Special Olympics Drive north of East Solidarity Drive, on the right when traveling south. The marker can be found in front of the replica Olmec Head on the sidewalk near the northeast corner of the Field Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Original Peoples Homeland (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Special Olympics Eternal Flame of Hope (approx. 0.2 miles away); Tribute to Freedom and Water Wall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Central Station Fragments (approx. 0.4 miles away); Chicago Police Officers War Memorial (approx. 0.4

Replica Olmec Head #8, with marker in front image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, October 7, 2023

2. Replica Olmec Head #8, with marker in front

miles away); The Blues Trail: Mississippi to Chicago (approx. 0.4 miles away); Balbo Monument (approx. 0.4 miles away); Nicholaus Copernicus (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Regarding Olmec Head #8. The 7-foot-tall colossal head was created by Mexican sculptor Ignacio Pérez Solano. It is a reproduction of San Lorenzo Colossal Head 8, which is currently at the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.

Also see . . . Grant Park Sculptures: Olmec Head 8.

Excerpt: "[T]he original Olmec Head Number 8 is located at the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa, Veracruz. The first enormous stone head was found during a 1939 excavation. The Veracruz museum was founded in part to house and preserve the region’s vast Olmec collection. The Field Museum’s replica weighs seven tons. Its acquisition coincided with the design for the Hall of the Americas at the Field Museum."

(Submitted on February 22, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

City of Chicago dedication marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn

3. City of Chicago dedication marker

It is located a few yards to the right of the Olmec Head

Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 945 times since then and 126 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 9, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.