Chicago, Illinois

Columbian Exhibition: Tracking the Ghostly Footprints of the White City

Chicago, Illinois, United States

By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published Sun, Aug 30, 2026

Why it’s cool

Scattered across Jackson Park are the physical echoes of the 1893 World's Fair, including a golden statue and a palace that survived the era of the White City.

Midwest Scenic

A peaceful garden with manicured shrubs and rocks borders a pond, with the Museum of Science and Industry in the distance.

Jackson Park holds the quiet remnants of a global spectacle that once defined the Chicago skyline. While the temporary plaster buildings of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition are long gone, several significant landmarks remain as a tribute to the ambitious White City.

These sites offer a tangible connection to the fair that introduced the world to new architectural heights and international cultures.

Why It Stands Out

The most prominent survivor is the Museum of Science and Industry. Originally constructed as the Palace of Fine Arts, this structure was designed by Charles Atwood and later served as the initial home for the Field Museum.

The museum is a significant cultural landmark within the Midwest. Its neoclassical grandeur provides a scale for how the rest of the fair once appeared.

Another local institution of interest is the Money Museum. Nearby, the Wooded Island offers a natural escape designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

Following a 2016 restoration, the island features improved habitats and scenic paths that lead visitors toward the Garden of the Phoenix. This Japanese garden sits on the former site of the Ho-o-den pavilion.

While the original pavilion was lost to fire in 1946, the space now hosts Sky Landing, a sculpture by Yoko Ono. Further south, a golden replica of the Statue of the Republic stands at a major intersection.

Known locally as Big Mary, this 24 foot version was created by Daniel Chester French, the same sculptor responsible for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It serves as a permanent marker for the southern edge of the historic fairgrounds.

Before You Go

To find the Garden of the Phoenix, follow the paths deep into the Wooded Island. It is located quite a distance from the main roads, so continue walking until the landscape opens up.

The Statue of the Republic is situated at the meeting point of East Hayes Drive and South Richards Drive, just off Lake Shore Drive. The park is a popular spot for bird watching, so consider bringing binoculars if you plan to explore the island trails.

Visitors interested in other specialized local history might also visit the Leather Archives & Museum.

Questions worth answering

What is the best way to find the Japanese garden?

Head deep into the Wooded Island and keep walking. You'll likely feel you've missed it before the landscape finally opens up.

Where can I see the golden statue?

Big Mary, the gilded stand-in for the fair's Statue of the Republic, sits where East Hayes Drive meets South Richards Drive. It marks the southern boundary of the original grounds.

Which building actually dates back to the 1893 fair?

The Museum of Science and Industry is the primary survivor. It was first known as the Palace of Fine Arts and housed the Field Museum for a time.

What should I bring for a walk through the park?

Pack a pair of binoculars. The island trails are a favorite local spot for watching birds.

Visit Snapshot

The Statue of the Republic is located where East Hayes Drive meets South Richards Drive. To reach the Japanese Garden, follow the pedestrian paths onto the Wooded Island.

The garden is situated deep within the island interior, requiring a significant walk from the road.

Location

Chicago, Illinois

Know before you go

The Japanese Garden is way off the road along a path. Walk until you feel like you must have somehow passed it, then you're there.

Big Mary can be found off of Lakeshore, where E. Hayes Drive meets S.

Richards Drive.

Editorial source

The World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893

Seemingly utterly forgotten, the remains of the Columbian Exposition, nicknamed the White City, lie in decay in Jackson Park. The Museum of Science and Industry, restored Japanese Garden, Wooded Island, and Big Mary replica are reminders of a bygone era.

First built for the Exposition as the Palace of Fine Arts, the Museum is the most impressive remaining building. Designed by Charles Atwood, it was the first home of the Field Museum of Natural History.

The Columbian Exposition had a small garden attached to the Japanese Pavilion. This was expanded in the 1930s.

Following a restoration in 1992, it became known as the Osaka Garden, in recognition of the Sister City relationship between Chicago and Osaka, but is now called the Garden of the Phoenix. Just outside the Garden gates is the site of the Japanese Pavilion from the World's Fair, the Ho-o-den, which was vandalized during World War II, and ultimately destroyed in what is believed to be an arson fire in 1946.

Panels from the Pavilion were recently discovered and are now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. On the site of the Ho-o-den, there now stands a sculpture by artist Yoko Ono, called Sky Landing.

The Japanese Garden is located on the Wooded Island, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The Island is a quiet, restful place, and a prime destination for bird watchers.

In 2016, a renovation of the Island was completed. Invasive plant species were removed, habitat restored, and new paths to scenic overlooks were built.

A 24-foot replica of the Statue of the Republic (which was sixty-five feet), aka Big Mary, was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, who designed the statue of Abraham Lincoln that sits at the Lincoln Memorial. The huge golden statue remains on a road at the south end of Jackson Park, commemorating the fact that these had once been the Exposition grounds.

Columbian Exhibition: Tracking the Ghostly Footprints of the White City

Why it’s cool

Why It Stands Out

Before You Go

Questions worth answering

What is the best way to find the Japanese garden?

Where can I see the golden statue?

Which building actually dates back to the 1893 fair?

What should I bring for a walk through the park?

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