Henry C. Palmisano Nature Center Advisory Council

Henry C. Palmisano Nature Center Advisory Council Stearns Quarry Park In 2009, Stearns Quarry Park, one of Chicago's newest and most interesting green spaces, opened in the Bridgeport neighborhood.

After convening community meetings to determine the needs of local residents, the Chicago Park District hired Site Design Group to develop a plan for the park. The environmentally-sustainable design was inspired by the natural history of the site. This is the site of an ancient coral reef dating back to the Silurian age 400 million years ago. Dolomite limestone formed, and fossils that were found

here are now in the collections of several area museums including Field Museum of Natural History. In the late 1830s, the land was purchased by the Illinois Stone and Lime Company which began quarry operations. Within a short time, one of its partners, Marcus Cicero Stearns took over and renamed the quarry. Stearns was an early Chicago settler who got his start by opening a supply store for workmen who blasted out rock to build the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Even after Stearns died in 1890, the quarry continued operating under his name until 1970. For the next few decades, the site was used as a landfill for clean construction debris. After the dumping ended, the idea of transforming the site into a new park emerged. The new park would be especially important because the surrounding Bridgeport neighborhood had long suffered from a lack of adequate green space. Today, visitors to Stearns Quarry Park can go fishing in a pond that retains old quarry walls; stroll along a wetland area that drains into the pond; watch for birds and other wildlife attracted by the site's vast range of native plants; fly kites in an open meadow; or take in the views of the cityscape. Chicago Park District Project Manager Claudine Malik explains: “The Stearns Quarry of today has certainly come a long way from the days of a limestone quarry. The vibrant, active park is a welcome respite from city life, an educational opportunity, a place for recreation and a prime example of what creative thinking can accomplish and yet the memory of the quarry and its lasting historic legacy remain inextricably a part of the park.”

Lost 31st and Morgan.
10/17/2020

Lost 31st and Morgan.

05/07/2020
There are some really cool films being offered for free to your home from the Chciago Park District. Enjoy! Maureen, Pr...
04/21/2020

There are some really cool films being offered for free to your home from the Chciago Park District. Enjoy! Maureen, President, Palmisano PAC

Chicago Park District: Movies In The Parks' is launching 'Chicago Onscreen: At Home,' a series of hometown movies featuring, speaking to and relevant for Chicago, through Memorial Day, May 25.

Check out the series at https://bit.ly/chicago-onscreen-athome

Yes, that means the one in McGuane Park!
04/13/2020

Yes, that means the one in McGuane Park!

REMINDER: All public and private (school) playgrounds are CLOSED. You and your child's health and safety are at risk each time you utilize these facilities.

Chicagoans are still able, and encouraged, to do the following during this time:

• Go for a short walk or runs but maintain physical distance from others while doing so, preferably in their own neighborhoods.
• Walk their dog, but do not congregate at the dog park or beach.
• Shop at the grocery stores that remain open, as long as, you are not sick, and practice social distancing.
• Continue visiting the restaurants that remain open for pick-up and delivery.

Our Park Council President, Maureen Sullivan discusses the exciting new plan to re-develop the Ramova Theatre and Ramova...
01/29/2020

Our Park Council President, Maureen Sullivan discusses the exciting new plan to re-develop the Ramova Theatre and Ramova Grill on Chicago Tonight/Ch 11/WTTW.

For decades, the Ramova Theatre has languished in neglect. But after years of neighborhood activism and a new redevelopment proposal, the old movie house could soon be transformed into an updated version of its former self.

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2700 S. Halsted Street/2900 S. Halsted St./Halsted West To Poplar St
Chicago, IL
60608

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Monday 6am - 11pm
Tuesday 6am - 11pm
Wednesday 6am - 11pm
Thursday 6am - 11pm
Friday 6am - 11pm
Saturday 6am - 11pm
Sunday 6am - 11pm

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