Chicago in…Statues
Summertime in Chicago means getting out of our apartments (finally) and soaking in the Chicago sun. In this month’s “Chicago in…” series, we look at 10 of our favorite of the many statues that dot Chicago’s 570 parks.
Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State
Grant Park
After all, we are the Land of Lincoln. We have to have at least one statue that rivals the Lincoln Memorial.
William Shakespeare
Lincoln Park
Planning on writing some poetry in iambic pentameter? This is the perfect spot for some inspiration.
George Streeter
Streeterville
The boat captain who gave Streeterville its name bears no relation to Uncle Pennybags from Monopoly—at least, not that we know of.
The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy & Toto
Oz Park
L. Frank Baum dreamed up the Wizard of Oz while living in Humboldt Park. So, Dorothy and her crew feel right at home in nearby Oz Park.
Signal of Peace
Lincoln Park
Part of a four-part series commissioned for the World’s Fair, the Signal of Peace is one of the oldest statues in Lincoln Park.
Carl Linnaeus
Midway Plaisance, University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is arguably best known for its contributions to physics, but its statue of Carl Linnaeus commemorates the Swedish botanist who is known of the father of taxonomy. In other words, if, like us, your middle school science teacher made you memorize “kingdom, phylum, class…”, you have only Linnaeus to thank.
Ceres
Board of Trade
The Roman goddess of agriculture and grain ensures the future of corn by standing atop the Board of Trade.
Dream Lady
Lincoln Park
Funded by Chicago Public School students in the 1920s, this bronze sculpture makes Lincoln Park just a little bit dreamier.
The Spirit
The United Center
From the Dream Lady to the key member of the Dream Team, the statue of Michael Jordan outside of the United Center always takes us down memory lane to those six—yes, count them, six—NBA Championships we won in the 90s.
The Watch
Museum Campus
CIW 2013 Artist-in-Residence Hebru Brantley recently brought his Fly Boys and Fly Girls to Museum Campus, where they’ve been brightening up the view from Lake Shore Drive for several weeks now.
