Midway Plaisance

Midway Plaisance is a mile-long public park on Chicago's South Side, stretching between Washington Park and Jackson Park along 59th and 60th streets. It divides the Hyde Park and Woodlawn neighborhoods and is located near Lake Michigan, about six miles from downtown. The University of Chicago sits just north of the park. The park gained fame as the site of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, where the world's first Ferris Wheel debuted. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, it features a grassy depression instead of a planned canal, plus lakes, trails, bridges, and open fields. In winter, parts are used for ice skating. Today, the park hosts concerts, movie nights, ice skating lessons, and other events, making it a vibrant community space.