Landscape Information
Located at the southern end of Burnham Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood, this 40-acre, artificial peninsula projects into Lake Michigan. Created with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funding and labor following the Chicago World's Fair of 1933, it was created from landfill and lined with a stepped revetment of large limestone blocks. Designed in 1937 by landscape architect Alfred Caldwell in the Prairie Style, the naturalistic design features a raised, central meadow with interspersed groves of mature trees, native plantings, and a significant amount of stone. Signature council rings, previously employed by Caldwell and landscape architect Jens Jensen in other Chicago parks, punctuate the lakefront and serve as gathering areas for small groups. A masonry Field House (1937) sits at the top of the meadow. Park access is served via the Lakefront Trail, which passes under Lake Shore Drive through a tunnel. Water-oriented access is also available, and the shallow water around the point makes the site favored for swimming. Designed by Elizabeth and Frederick Hibbard and topped by a bronze fawn, the David Wallach Memorial Fountain (1939), is visible to visitors immediately upon emerging from the pedestrian tunnel. In 1953 a 150-foot radar tower for the Nike Hercules missile defense system was erected on the point but was dismantled in 1971.
The non-profit, Promontory Park Conservancy, works with the city to protect and preserve the park. Promontory Point 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 2018.
