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, 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

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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:]
Native plants in nursery, 2015. (Over 600,000 native plants are being grown for the Jackson Park GLFER Project.)

Erected by Chicago Park District.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Asian Americans • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.

Location. 41° 47.269′ N, 87° 35.08′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Jackson Park. It is on South Cornell Drive near South Stony Island Avenue. The marker is in Jackson Park, just north of the lagoon and not far from the Barack Obama Presidential Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60637, United

Jackson Park Improvements Marker, rear side with map of Jackson Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

2. Jackson Park Improvements Marker, rear side with map of Jackson Park

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: Rain, Snow, Flush, Grow (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Jackson Park Improvements (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); History of Jackson Park (about 400 feet away); Alison Saar, b. 1956 (about 400 feet away); Remembering Lori Healey (1959-2025) (about 400 feet away); The First Automobile Race in America (about 500 feet away); 35th Anniversary of Chicago-Osaka Sister City Relationship (about 500 feet away); Osaka Garden (about 500 feet 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; most have different photos. This one features a 2015 photo of native plants being grown for this park.

The back of each sign has a map of the area of the park that was improved. This particular map, unlike

Jackson Park Improvements Marker near the Obama Presidential Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

3. Jackson Park Improvements Marker near the Obama Presidential Center

the others in Jackson Park, appears to have been updated in 2026 to reflect the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, which is a short distance from this marker.

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 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 . . . Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This 2021 article by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about efforts to protect and restore the environment on the Great Lakes includes a reference to the GFLER project in Jackson Park.

Excerpt: "The Jackson Park ecosystem restoration project was completed and turned over to the nonfederal sponsor, the Chicago Park District, in 2020. The park resides between 56th Street to the north and 67th Street to the south. The study area consists of various
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natural area parcels, all owned by the Chicago Park District, within Jackson Park. The feasibility study was approved in June 2014, a Project Partnership Agreement signed in August 2014, and a five-year construction contract awarded in September 2014. The collaboration between USACE, Chicago Park District, Project 120 (a nonprofit), Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (merged into IDNR in 2017), Heritage Landscapes (an Olmsted expert), and community representatives enabled a successful Jackson Park GLFER ecosystem restoration project of Olmsted Park."

(Submitted on October 20, 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 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.