Chicago’s Landscapes Get Their Own ‘Open House’ This Weekend. Tour Historic, Innovative Outdoor Spaces

Patty Wetli | October 1, 2025, 1:59 pm

Grant Park. (Scott Shigley, courtesy of The Cultural Landscape Foundation)

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Chicago is famous for its skyscrapers, but landscape architects have played an equal role in shaping the city.

This Saturday and Sunday, The Cultural Landscape Foundation is hosting “What’s Out There” Chicago, with experts leading free tours of more than two dozen parks, gardens and open spaces.

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“From the sweeping lawns of Grant Park to the riverfront oasis of Ping Tom Memorial Park, the historic Graceland Cemetery, and the innovative ecology of The Wild Mile — Illinois is a living showcase of outdoor inspiration,” said Susan Ragaishis, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Registration is required. Some tours, including for the Old Post Office and newly reopened Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, are already sold out. The complete schedule is available online.

Saturday Highlights

Kenwood Gardens. (Meagan McNeal for Rebuild Foundation, courtesy of The Cultural Landscape Foundation)

— Cascade Park: This quirky, .08-acre park opened in the Lakeshore East area in 2021. Its trapezoid shape is nestled between high-rises and is divided into nine zig-zagging terraced sections.

— Columbus Park: Designed by Jens Jensen — a towering figure in Chicago’s landscape circles — this West Side park is a National Historic Landmark.

— Illinois Institute of Technology: Alfred Caldwell — another luminary — designed the original grounds in the 1940s. Alterations were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

— Kenwood Gardens: This newer addition to Chicago’s open spaces was conceived of by artist Theaster Gates. The site is arranged as a series of “rooms” and was assembled from 13 contiguous vacant lots.

Sunday Highlights

Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area. (Eric Allix Rogers, courtesy of The Cultural Landscape Foundation)

— Midway Plaisance: This linear park is as historic as they come in Chicago. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1870, Midway Plaisance was home to the entertainment area of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, where the first-ever Ferris wheel made its debut. Later additions to the park include Lorado Taft’s famed “Fountain of Time” sculpture and most recently, the Plaisance has been the subject of wrangling over the footprint of the Obama Presidential Center.

— Promontory Point: It’s a big weekend for the Point. In addition to tours of the man-made peninsula, visitors on Sunday can take part in a limestone carving workshop. A plaque designating Promontory Point as an official Chicago Landmark will be unveiled at 3 p.m.

— Logan Square Boulevards Historic District: This relatively intact section of Chicago’s boulevard park system is anchored by the soaring Illinois Centennial Monument.

— Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area: Speaking of the boulevard park system, King Drive is another contributing feature.

Tours begin as early as 10 a.m. and run through the afternoon both days; most last an hour to 90 minutes.