Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool ranks 2nd on the list of most beautiful gardens in Chicago. The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, also known as Lincoln Park Lily Pool, is an essential example of Prairie School landscape architecture designed by Alfred Caldwell and located at 125 W. Fullerton Parkway in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. Alfred Caldwell quietly created landscapes rivaling those of his famous mentor Jens Jensen.
It is as peaceful as it is beautiful and includes an open courtyard with symmetrically placed trees surrounding it. The garden has a fantastically soothing ambiance, no matter the weather. The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool at Chicago’s Lincoln Park has been named a National Historic Landmark, making it one of fewer than 50 landscapes to receive the nation’s highest honor for historic properties.
Designed in the 1930s as a sanctuary from what Caldwell called Megalopolis, the lily pool was intended to evoke a Midwestern prairie river. It included stonework, a pavilion, a waterfall, a council ring, and native plantings. Sadly, in subsequent years it fell into ruin.
Though a 1993 restoration stalled, at the turn of the century the garden underwent an exhaustive $2.5 million effort led by Chicago Park District and Lincoln Park Conservancy. Today, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is a haven for wildlife, providing food, water, and shelter for many species of birds, dragonflies, butterflies, frogs, and turtles. It is especially popular with birders because it provides ideal viewing opportunities from pathways above the water.
DETAILED INFORMATION:
- Location: 125 W Fullerton Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
- Website: https://www.lincolnparkconservancy.org/projects/alfred-caldwell-lily-pool/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alfred-Caldwell-Lily-Pool-122903687784728/
- Tel: 773-883-7275
- Hour: 07:30 AM - 19:00 PM
- Area: 1 hectare
- Google Rating: 4.8/5
- Ticket Price: $350 (Ceremony)
