The Chicago History Museum's plans for a multifaceted park beautification project is scheduled for a fall unveiling. Named for long-time Chicago civic leaders and supporters of the Museum, the Richard M. and Shirley H. Jaffee History Trail will feature a path around the Museum, renovations to its public plaza and beautification of 4.5 acres surrounding the building.
The project will incorporate features such as the “Fire Blob,” a rarely-seen relic from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Couch Tomb, a reminder that the area once housed a Chicago city cemetery, and renovations to CHM’s underground collection storage facility, which sits directly below the plaza on the east side of the museum and houses 23,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts.
Additional elements of the trail will include a garden featuring native plants and a collection of weathervanes designed in collaboration with the Chicago Park District’s 15 cultural centers and local artist Bernard Williams. The landscaping plan includes nearly 150 new trees and beds of native plants, which will attract birds and other pollinators.
For more information on the Jaffee History Trail, FAQ’s and a project timeline, visit: www.chicagohistory.org/history-trail/
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