Sears Sunken Garden at Open House Chicago

Tucked across the street from the original Sears, Roebuck & Co. headquarters in North Lawndale, the Sears Sunken Garden has offered a quiet respite since the early 1900s. Designed as a peaceful retreat for Sears employees, the garden once featured tranquil fountains, lush landscaping, year-round blooms grown in an on-site greenhouse, and goldfish ponds. As a true sunken garden, visitors step down into a more formal, terraced landscape anchored by a Mediterranean Revival–style pergola, a 100-foot-long structure now undergoing restoration. The work includes replacement roof tiles, repaired wood trusses, and modern LED lighting. Designated a National Landmark, the garden’s revival is being led by world-renowned designer Piet Oudolf, known for Millennium Park’s Lurie Garden, alongside North Lawndale-based plantsman Roy Diblik. The restoration will fill the garden with regionally adaptable perennials and native plants, honoring the site’s layered history while creating a vibrant, accessible green space for today’s North Lawndale community. The site will be open for self-guided exploration, and four daily guided tours will be offered beginning at 11 a.m., with the last tour at 2 p.m. Tours will include all campus spaces, including the Sears Sunken Garden, the Powerhouse, and Nichols Tower. Visitors may also pick up a map at the Sunken Garden (weather permitting) or at the Tower and complete a self-guided tour of the three sites.