Park
Washington Park
Olmsted-designed meadow park with a lagoon and wooded island, its open green once grazed by sheep.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to Washington Park in Chicago traces an unusual footnote to Frederick Law Olmsted's design: his plan for the Common Ground meadow called for grazing animals to wear the grass into a soft, English-pasture texture. It follows a South Park Commission shepherd hired in the 1870s who spent his days steering a flock around ballplayers and picnickers. Stand at the edge of the meadow, mowed by machines today, and picture the flock that once kept it trim.
This audio guide was created using AI.