Owned and managed by the Chicago Park District, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond is a 2.7 acre park located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and is an attraction that you don't want to miss. Nature lovers will enjoy the gorgeous scenery, and the quaint atmosphere of this lily pond. The park features a garden, a trail system, and a large pond with small waterfalls. The site of the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool was originally part of a Victorian garden built in 1889 that displayed tropical lilies and other aquatic plants. The Lily Pool fell into disrepair until 1936 as a result of when the garden fell out of popularity.

The lily pool was closed from the public for many years, and overtime debris, weeds, and other plants began to die. In 2002 the Lincoln Park Conservatory raised funds to help maintain the wildlife, and since then this site remains a place that people love. For me, it all started when I was an incoming freshman at DePaul University, and as a freshman it was required for me to take Discover Chicago. The Discover Chicago course is a program for freshmen to be acquainted to college life before classes start, and students choose a different topic I choose the nature course, and for our first day of class, we went to this lily pond.

I never thought that the big city of Chicago would have lots of nature, but I was wrong when we came to this site for class. We had to journal in our notebooks as a class, and we talked all about the history of the site. Although the class has ended, I still visit when I have the time. I often come to this location when I want to be deep in my thoughts. There is nothing but a sense of good feeling and satisfaction hearing the ripples of the waterfall when I am lost in my own thoughts. Being exposed to nature is something I realized I need for self-care, and the perfect time to practice it is in college. Thus, take a visit to the lily pond, and I assure you it will be a visit you won't regret.