Hyde Park Walking Tour History Race and Urban Change

Discover the rich history and dynamic transformation of Hyde Park on this engaging walking tour. Delve into the neighborhood's evolution from a lakeside retreat for the elite to a vibrant, diverse community shaped by migration, policy, and social change. Explore iconic landmarks like the Museum of Science and Industry while gaining insight into the impacts of racial segregation and urban renewal. This tour is designed for history buffs and urban studies enthusiasts, offering a nuanced perspective on the intersection of race and community development. - Walk through Hyde Park and learn about its historical significance - Visit key sites related to civil rights and urban policy - Understand the neighborhood's transformation and ongoing challenges - Perfect for history lovers and those curious about social dynamics

1. 1

   Cornell Paul Park Playground

   10 min

   Our guide will meet you outside the black awning of the Hampton House Condominium. A commerative stone parks the starting point of Hyde Park

2. 2

   Washington Park

   15 min

   Jackson Park was the main grounds of the 1893 Fair, redesigned afterward by Olmsted into the lagoons and meadows you see today. The Obama Presidential Center, currently rising at its northern edge, will anchor the next chapter of Hyde Park's story. End your tour here, by the water, where the neighborhood began and keeps beginning again.

3. 3

   Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

   15 min

   The only major building to survive the 1893 Fair, originally the Palace of Fine Arts. It became the Museum of Science and Industry in 1933, the first hands-on science museum in the country. Inside you will find a captured German U-505 submarine, a working coal mine, and a 3,500 square foot model railroad. The walking tour will end at the Museum of Science and Industry. Admission is not included and participants may chose to visit the museum at the end of the tour. General admission: Adults $25.95. Children (3-11) $14.95. Need minimum 3 hours to tour the museum.

4. 4

   Obama Presidential Library

   10 min

   The Obamas selected Jackson Park - the same area where Chicago held the Worlds Columbian Exposition.

5. 5

   Midway Plaisance

   15 min

   This long green strip was the entertainment corridor of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The first Ferris Wheel spun here, 264 feet tall, carrying 2,160 passengers at a time. Belly dancers, ethnographic villages, and hot air balloons filled the air. Today it is a quiet lawn. Close your eyes and the crowds come back.

6. 6

   Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

   5 min

   John D. Rockefeller called this the central and dominant feature of the University of Chicago. Its 207-foot tower holds a 72-bell carillon, one of the largest in the world. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here in 1956. The acoustics inside will stop you mid sentence.

7. 7

   Frank Lloyd Wright Trust - Frederick C. Robie House Tour

   Pass by

   Completed in 1910, Frank Lloyd Wright's Frederick C. Robie House is often called the finest example of Prairie School architecture in the world. Its long horizontal lines, cantilevered roofs, and art glass windows broke every rule of what a home was supposed to look like. UNESCO added it to its World Heritage list in 2019. The tour does not include entry to the Robie House - if participants wish to tour the Robie House independently prior to the start of the walking tour, tickets can be purchased at Frederick C. Robie House - in person or in advance at: https://flwright.org/tour/robie-house. Interior tours last 1 hour and leave every 30 minutes. Cost is $24

8. 8

   University of Chicago

   15 min

   Founded in 1890 with money from Rockefeller and land from Marshall Field, the University of Chicago was built to rival Oxford and Cambridge. Its gothic limestone buildings have produced roughly 100 Nobel laureates. Walk through Hull Gate and you enter a different century.

9. 9

   Nuclear Energy Sculpture

   5 min

   On December 2, 1942, beneath the west stands of an old football field that once stood here, Enrico Fermi and his team achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Henry Moore's bronze sculpture, unveiled in 1967 on the 25th anniversary, marks the spot. It is part mushroom cloud, part human skull, part cathedral dome.

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.