There is something magical about walking through Jackson Park and thinking about how this was the center of the world for six months in 1893. On the surface there is little left of the White City, except for the some of the main landscaping features and a rebuilt Art Palace that now serves as the Museum of Science and Industry. But with an expert tour guide, the grandeur of the Dream City on the Lake resurfaces in the mind’s eye.

Ray Johnson has renewed his “Friends of the White City Tours” of Jackson Park for 2019, offered every Saturday from May through October at 11 am. The weekly tours, run cooperation with the Jackson Park Advisory Council (JPAC), are free and last approximately 2.5 hours.

A “Friends of the White City” tour of Jackson Park in 2014.

Attending one of Ray’s tours five years ago sparked in us a such a fascination with the Fair that it has consumed much of our leisure time as we learn more. He is an expert on the Columbian Exposition, has assembled a thoughtful and interesting walk through the old White City, and offers fascinating anecdotes and answers to just about any question about the Fair. We highly recommend the journey to Jackson Park for a “Friends of the White City Tour.”

The Vamonde app’s map for a self-guided tour of “The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.”

You can also explore the old fairgrounds on your own with a new self-guided tour of The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition that Ray has developed for Vamonde. Follow the map to learn about 11 sites from the World’s Fair with text, images, and short videos.

Either way … sell the cookware if necessary and come. You must see the fair!*