Garden of the Phoenix (Osaka Garden)

While passing through Chicago to visit the Anderson Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, I had the opportunity to visit the Garden of the Phoenix (formerly Osaka Garden) in Jackson Park.

The garden was originally part of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Within the garden was a pavilion, the Phoenix Pavilion (Ho-O Den), a building that no longer stands, having been lost to fire after World War II.

Interestingly, four carved wooden Ranma panel fragments from the the original Phoenix Pavilion survived the fire which destroyed the structure - read more. Today, they can be seen at the Art Institute of Chicago where they have been on display since 2011.

Between 1933 -1934 the garden we see today was first developed. However, the Wooded Island became an unsafe area over time and was neglected to the point of becoming overgrown wilderness.

In 1993, the long abandoned garden was restored through a sister-city relationship between Chicago and Osaka, and the garden was renamed Osaka Garden. The garden was renamed the Phoenix Garden in 2013.

Getting to the island on which the garden is located can be a difficult. The closest nearby parking is the Museum of Science and Technology. From there, one has to walk some distance to the Wooded Island on which the garden is located. At the time I visited there was no access to the island via the shoreline side of the museum - the bridge crossing the Columbia Basin was in a dilapidated state and fenced off - plan accordingly to walk along the west side of the Museum to gain entrance to the island. 

Website: http://www.gardenofthephoenix.org/the-garden

Some have argued that the lantern below is from the original 1893 Columbian Exposition, while others suggest it is from the restoration in the 1930s.

Overall, the garden was a very well designed and maintained garden - the restoration was a success. Honestly, I didn't expect the garden to be as nice as it turned out. Getting to the island was difficult and the rest of the Woodland Island is poorly maintained. So, finding this very beautiful garden was a delight. Given that President Obama's future Presidential Library will be located nearby, there is a chance that the entire Jackson Park area may benefit from revitalization. If so, the garden may become more accessible to visitors. Lets hope it does and that it continues to receives the attention and care it deserves.