Wander away from the din of Lake Shore Drive’s traffic, into the shadow of Lincoln Park Zoo , and you’ll stumble into one of Chicago’s most treasured architectural marvels. No, it’s not a steeple piercing the clouds or a facade cloaked in stained glass—it’s the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool . Enshrined in Prairie-style gates, the Lily Pool is a triumph of both design and nature: Lily pads blanket the garden’s thumbprint-shaped pond, dragonflies and birds zip through the thickets of cottonwood and a stately pavilion presides over the landscape.

For the past two years, this local gem had been closed to visitors. In 2023, the Lincoln Park Conservancy closed the Lily Pool for major renovations partly stemming from the garden’s steady stream of visitors. The city decreed that it was high time

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