Promontory Point

Chicago's Burnham Park is approximately 600 acres in size and is located on the city's Lakefront just south of Grant Park. A south lakefront park designed by Chicago's famous architect and planner Daniel H. Burnham, published in his landmark work The Plan of Chicago in 1909 and featuring constructed islands and a linear boating harbor as well as beaches, meadows, and playfields, was named in his honor. Today, Burnham Park is home to the scenic Promontory Point, built by Alfred Caldwell, as well as a popular skate park on 31st Street, which are both located within the park. Additionally, the park has benches positioned on 12th Street, 31st Street, Oakwood and 57th Street, in addition to bird sanctuaries and stunning natural areas. In comparison to the other park features, the Margaret T. Burroughs Beach and Park is a more recent addition, stretching from 31st Street to 26th Street. In the mid-1890s, Chicago's legendary architect and planner Daniel H. Burnham began drawing plans for a spectacular park and boulevard that would link Jackson Park with the city's central business district and other neighborhoods. Jackson Park in Chicago had been converted from a sandy, wind-swept wasteland into the glittering White City by Daniel Burnham (1846-1912), who served as Chief of Construction for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Following the exhibition, Burnham began to envision a Chicago that was more attractive, organized, and functional. Burnham's design, which included a south lakefront park with a series of man-made islands, a linear boating harbor, beaches, meadows, and play fields, was published in his groundbreaking 1909 Plan of Chicago, which was widely regarded as a watershed moment in Chicago's history. Burnham Park, which includes the naturalistic Promontory Point landscape designed by renowned landscape architect Alfred Caldwell, was completed and improved in the mid-1930s with government monies from the Works Progress Administration, thanks to the efforts of the newly formed Chicago Park District. Mayor Edward J. Kelly began exploring the possibility of establishing a permanent fair in Burnham Park in 1935. Burnham Park has begun to take shape in recent years, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who envisioned a greener, more beautiful park. Sixty acres of asphalt were turned into a beautifully planted Museum Campus in the process. In addition, the former Meigs Field has been transformed into a 91-acre natural area park known as Northerly Island, where visitors may enjoy a paved all-purpose trail and other amenities. Birders can get glimpses of migrating birds throughout the fall and spring seasons, while anglers can find the perfect fishing place during the summer and winter seasons.