CAC Open House

A Women’s History of Lincoln Park

Like most popular accounts of American urban development, the story of how commissioners, reformers and designers expanded Lincoln Park from a small 19th century cemetery into today’s 1,200-acre recreational landscape is one that generally focuses on contributions by men. In the rare instances when women were invited to participate in the park’s design, their artworks were displayed without clear credit, professional opinions were dismissed, and monuments associated with women’s history languished in storage or states of disrepair for years. Today, women-led additions to the park landscape are becoming more common, including Jeanne Gang’s South Pond boardwalk and education pavilion and a number of recent art installations. This walk explores a sampling of sites that help to broaden the narrative of how Lincoln Park developed over time as a public space for the enjoyment and representation of all Chicagoans. Audio commentary is provided by Julia Bachrach, historian and Chicago parks expert. Photo by Anna Munzesheimer