Jackson Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Jackson Park Improvements

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

1. Jackson Park Improvements Marker

Inscription. Possessing one of Chicago's most historically and ecologically significant landscapes, Jackson Park is currently undergoing exciting major improvements. In 1871, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), renowned designer of New York's Central Park, originally planned Jackson Park in conjunction with Washington Park and the Midway Plaisance. Olmsted prepared a second plan transforming Jackson Park into the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Two years later, Olmsted's firm created their final Jackson Park plan returning the fairgrounds to parkland. Today, remnants of the fair include the Museum of Science and Industry (original Fine Arts Palace) and Wooded Island (historic site of the Japanese Pavilion, known as the Ho-oh-den or Phoenix Pavilion). Though the pavilion burned down in 1946, the adjacent Garden of the Phoenix survives. In 2016, internationally acclaimed artist, musician, and peace activist Yoko Ono installed Sky Landing on the site of the historic Ho-oh-den. A symbol of peace, this lotus flower sculpture is her first permanent public artwork in America.

Jackson Park is an important space for recreation and contemplation,

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as well as a vital natural resource. Each year, hundreds of species of birds rest and refuel here during their fall and spring migrations. The park's diverse plant life also provides habitat for a myriad of animals that live here year-round. To improve the ecological health of Jackson Park, promote its wildlife habitat, and rehabilitate its historic landscape, the Chicago Park District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Project 120 Chicago are working together on an ambitious capital project. Funded in-part through the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program (GLFER), this five-year project fulfills ecological restoration and historic preservation goals, while enhancing the park user experience. Progress on this project is ongoing. with completion expected in the fall of 2019. You will find a location map on the reverse side of this sign.

[Photo caption:]
Aerial view of Wooded Island and surrounding lagoons, ca. 1940. (The rooftops of the Japanese Pavilion can be seen on the far north (right) side of the island.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Asian Americans

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

2. Jackson Park Improvements Marker

Jackson Park is a popular birding spot.

• Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.

Location. 41° 46.906′ N, 87° 34.92′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Jackson Park. It is on East Hayes Drive 0.4 miles west of DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The marker is near the southern bridge onto the Wooded Island at Jackson Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60649, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s South Side. It is also 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: A different marker also named Jackson Park Improvements (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Jackson Park Improvements (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Legacy Tree Preservation Project, March, 2026

Jackson Park Improvements Marker near bridge onto Wooded Island image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

3. Jackson Park Improvements Marker near bridge onto Wooded Island

(approx. 0.3 miles away); Yoko Ono (approx. 0.3 miles away); John Dewey (approx. 0.3 miles away); You Are America (approx. 0.3 miles away); Martin Puryear, b. 1941 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Congressman John Lewis, 2020 (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. Several additional signs with the same text as this one can be found around Jackson Park; each has a different photo. This sign includes a 1940 overhead photo of the Wooded Island. The back of each sign has a map of the area of the park that was improved.

Regarding Jackson Park Improvements. While not really explained on the sign, it is almost certain that the improvements being referenced are those sponsored in the mid-2010s by a private nonprofit called Project 120. The group sought to restore the landscape design to be closer to the vision of its original designer, Frederick Law Olmsted. It is possible that at least some, if not most, of these changes predate those that came when Jackson Park was selected in 2016 as the site of the Barack Obama Presidential Center. The center opened about four-tenths of

Jackson Park Improvements Marker, rear side with the Hayes Avenue parking lot in the rear image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

4. Jackson Park Improvements Marker, rear side with the Hayes Avenue parking lot in the rear

a mile north of here in the summer of 2026, after about eight years of construction, including numerous updates to the parkland nearby.

Also see . . . Yoko Ono and Project 120 Collaborate to Reimagine Chicago’s Jackson Park. A 2015 article on Arch Daily about Jackson Park restoration plans by the group Project 120. It is likely this is the plan being referenced on the Jackson Park Improvements historical markers found around the park. (Submitted on October 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.