Based on primary source research on Chicago’s most visited park, this presentation draws on urban and cultural history to provide an overview of the park from narrow shoreline to expansive international landmark. Although the park is best known as the site of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum, and Millennium Park, the park provides a lens to investigate the city’s history and civic aspirations. This illustrated program surveys the park’s history from its earliest days as a city on the United States’ western frontier to its role as a bustling metropolis.

Recorded Sunday, August 20, 2006 at Northbrook Public Library.