The 543-acre park on the lakefront east of Hyde Park was the site of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition — the White City — and still holds several surviving structures from that event, including the Palace of Fine Arts (now the Museum of Science and Industry). The Japanese garden on the Wooded Island is a surviving element of the Exposition's landscaping, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.
The park has lagoons, a golf course, and long stretches of lakefront beach. The Obama Presidential Center is under construction here and will, when complete, significantly alter the park's south end. The 63rd Street Beach is one of the least crowded on the South Side and has good water access. L Green Line to 63rd.