Landscape Information
Unlike Chicago's west parklands, Columbus Park was created entirely by landscape architect Jens Jensen, who designed it between 1915 and 1920. Representing the culmination of his ideas, this 135-acre Prairie Style landscape seven miles west of downtown is considered his public masterpiece.
Columbus Park's design includes a meandering lagoon intended to emulate a "prairie river," complete with cascades and gentle waterfalls constructed of stratified stone. Jensen integrated a pre-existing nine-hole golf course into his plan and used native plants throughout, including hawthorn, oak, and linden trees. The meadow is flanked by a pair of clearings, framed by native vegetation, intended to serve as backstage dressing rooms. Columbus Park is the only park in Chicago designed by Jensen with his signature “council ring,” a circular stone bench for people to come together as equals to share ideas and experiences. Located on the lagoon's northwestern shore, a Mediterranean-revival style refectory, designed by Chatten and Hammond, was added in 1922.
In 1953, nine acres of parkland were surrendered to the Eisenhower Expressway and by the early 1990s the site suffered from neglect and deferred maintenance. In 1993 the Chicago Park District rehabilitated sections of the park; ten years later it engaged Wolff Landscape Architecture (now Confluence) to restore the council ring.
Columbus Park is a contributing feature of the Historic Resources of the Chicago Park District listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It was individually listed in 1991 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
