Private Event

During the early 20th century, Chicago’s renowned architects and planners Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett envisioned Grant Park as a magnificent French Renaissance landscape. Their famous 1909 Plan of Chicago included Versailles-inspired plans for the lakefront park.  However, improvements were delayed by various obstacles. After Burnham died in 1912, Bennett remained committed to transforming the site into a magnificent French Renaissance landscape, a dream finally realized in the 1920s. During this private luncheon event, Julia Bachrach will illuminate the fascinating story of Grant Park and highlight a few other French contributions to Chicago’s parks.

Photo: Congress Plaza in Grant Park, ca. 1940. Chicago Park District Records: Photographs, Special Collections, Chicago Public Library.