Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, lily pond in Chicago
The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is a water garden within Lincoln Park in Chicago featuring a pond, native plantings, and pavilion structures. The space is threaded with winding gravel and stone paths that circle the water and provide various sitting areas marked by rock formations and a shelter building.
The site began as a Victorian garden in 1889 with tropical water lilies, but was redesigned in the early 1900s by architect Caldwell using prairie landscape principles. After decades of neglect, a comprehensive restoration between 1998 and 2002 brought it back to its original design, earning it National Historic Landmark status in 2006.
The garden is named after landscape architect Alfred Caldwell, who reimagined the space to reflect his vision of natural harmony. Visitors experience a designed landscape that feels like a piece of prairie set within the city, inviting quiet reflection and observation of native plants and wildlife.
The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk and sits within walking distance of the zoo and conservatory. Visitors should stay on marked paths to protect the plants, and note that fires, pets, cycling, and picnicking are not allowed in the space.
Caldwell personally bought thousands of wildflowers with an old insurance policy and planted them one afternoon to make the garden bloom. This passion for native plants still shows today in the carefully maintained flora throughout the space.
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