Jackson Park Historic Landscape District and Midway Plaisance
Also known as: Site of the World's Columbian Exposition; See Also:Taft Midwa
Why it's listed
Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance form a large public landscape in Chicago, joining Jackson Park on the lakefront with Washington Park to the west. Frederick Law Olmsted laid them out in 1871 for the South Park Commission, and they were essentially complete by about 1879. The parks then served as the site of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, after which Olmsted's firm prepared a 1895 plan to return them to their earlier condition. Surviving features include the Wooded Island and lagoon, yacht basins, a golf course, and the Fine Arts Building, designed by Charles Atwood in French Beaux-Arts style and now the Museum of Science and Industry. A replica of Daniel Chester French's Statue of the Republic stands in the park. The Midway is lined with elms and ends at Lorado Taft's Fountain of Time. The district was listed for its Olmsted design, its Exposition history, and its architecture and sculpture.
Significance in brief: It preserves the general arrangement of Olmsted's 1871 plan, an early work contemporary with his Riverside and Central Park designs. It was also the site of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, which influenced American architecture. The surviving Fine Arts Building by Charles Atwood is an outstanding example of French Beaux-Arts classicism, and the Midway holds Lorado Taft's Fountain of Time.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72001565, listed December 15, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jackson and Washington Parks and Midway Plaisance roadway, Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | December 15, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001565 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Frederick Law Olmsted (landscape); Charles B. Atwood (Fine Arts Building); Lorado Taft (Fountain of Time) |
| Architectural style | French Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts Building) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture, Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked excellent and altered; publicly owned park, open to the public without restriction. |
| Coordinates | 41.79060, -87.58270 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72001565.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q115944692
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.