The Loop District in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Burnham Plan
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024
1. The Burnham Plan Marker
1909 The Burnham Plan saved the lakefront of Chicago for parks, monuments and museums. Three major sites in Grant Park comprise The Museum Campus.
1911-1919 The Field Museum of Natural History
1929 The John G. Shedd Aquarium
1931 The Adler Planatarium
1926 The Buckingham Fountain
Erected 2000.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1909.
Location. 41° 53.27′ N, 87° 36.837′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in The Loop District. It is at the intersection of Chicago Riverwalk and Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Lake Shore Drive (U.S. 41), on the right when traveling east on Chicago Riverwalk. The mural is in the underpass beneath Lake Shore Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60611, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Michigan Avenue Bridge (here, next to this marker); "Shovel Day" (here, next to this marker); Chicago (here, next to this marker); Chicago in the 1830s (here, next to this marker); A Century of Progress (here, next to this marker); Illinois and Michigan Canal (a few steps from this marker); Chicago River Bridge Technology (a few steps from this marker); The Reversal of the Chicago River (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
More about this marker. The mural is one of several erected in the Chicago Riverwalk's tunnel beneath Lake Shore Drive, close to where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan.
Regarding The Burnham Plan. The museum campus is just south of Grant Park, with Adler Planetarium jutting out into the lake. Within Grant Park itself is the Art Institute of Chicago, which is in a building that was built in 1893 for the Columbian Exposition.
Also see . . . 1909 Plan of Chicago.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 10, 2024
2. The Riverwalk Gateway
Several murals adorn the walls of this walkway beneath Du Sable Lake Shore Drive.
Excerpt: "The 1909 Plan of Chicago, also commonly referred to as the Burnham Plan, was a visionary Progressive Era proposal that sought to beautify Chicago and improve efficiency of commerce. Published through the support of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the plan used renderings to convey the possible scenarios for a rapidly growing city. Although many of its aspirational ideas never became reality, as a document, the Plan of Chicago continues to serve as a reference in urban design today."(Submitted on December 5, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, circa 1909
3. Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 41 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 4, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 2. submitted on December 2, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on December 5, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
