Grant Park is a sprawling Chicago park
separating the skyscrapers of the Loop with the scenic beauty of Lake Michigan.
During the spring and summer this recreational area has plenty of open green
space and is a great place to relax on a park bench to read a book or people watch.
Numerous paths dot the landscape for walking, biking, and running. During the
winter it has a huge outdoor ice skating rink.
Grant Park was originally called Lake
Park and constructed in 1847; it maintained that name until 1901 when it was
renamed in honor of Ulysses S. Grant. The highlights of the park
include Buckingham fountain, Millennium Park, The Art Institute of Chicago and
the Museum Campus consisting of the Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History
and Adler Planetarium.
The photo above is of the Beaux Arts
Garden on Michigan Avenue near 8th Street located at the south end
of the park and is reminiscent of the influential Ecole des Beaux-Arts period
in Paris’ architectural history. Near Michigan Avenue, a series of
bridges cross the railway tracks which are divided in geometric designs with
lawns. Tall American Elms planted in allées create tree-lined promenades, and beautifully
arranged flowerbeds and monuments, most notably a statue of Abraham Lincoln and
Dove Girl Fountain, round out the parks plan.
The Petrillo Music Shell is also
located in the park and brings all sorts of diverse outdoor
concerts
to the city, including Blues, Gospel, Jazz, Country and Classical. Grant Park
is also home of Chicago's annual Taste of Chicago, held each
summer.
Chicago’s Grant Park hosted one of the
most historic moments in American history, providing the grounds for President
Barack Obama's Election Day victory speech on Nov. 4, 2008.
Chicago’s Grant Park also hosted Pope John Paul II for an outdoor mass in the
1970's and was the scene for a number of victory celebrations for Michael
Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
It is going to be a beautiful weekend in Chicago, get outside and enjoy.
Elizabeth
Must add this to the list of places to visit when I go to Chicago. Lovely photo.
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