Friends of Sears Sunken Garden

09/23/2026

The pergola columns are down and ready for replacement.

Restoration of Sears Sunken Garden is on the move!

09/17/2026

Great news! Restoration of the pergola at Sears Sunken Garden will resume on Monday, September 21.

Crews will mobilize onsite to begin removing the columns that have deteriorated beyond repair.

During the week of October 5, crews will begin installing the newly fabricated column replicas. When that is complete, crews will work on painting and installing the new lighting system.

Be on the lookout for an invitation to a ribbon cutting in early December to celebrate the newly restored pergola.

09/09/2026

We're in! Sears Sunken Garden is thrilled to be on the new list for this year's Open House Chicago. Come check us on on October 17 to 18.

Sears Sunken Garden, 3330 W. Arthington St.

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.

The Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago is a FREE annual festival that typically offers access to hundreds of sites across Chicago, from iconic locations to under-the-radar architectural gems.

08/24/2026

Great editorial in today's Chicago Tribune. We're on our way!

Here’s hoping the rest of Chicago does what it takes to raise up the West Side’s sunken treasure.

07/27/2026

Be a part of our "growing" story!

07/23/2026

Have you marked your calendar yet?

Our End of the Summer Celebration is almost here, and you won’t want to miss it! Join us for a day of FREE family fun with live music, food, rides, games, and community resources.

We’re still accepting vendors and volunteers, so there’s still time to get involved! Send us a DM or contact our office for more information.

📍 Douglass Park at Ogden/Sacramento
🗓️ Thursday, August 13
⏰ 11 AM – 5 PM

Let’s end the summer together!

07/23/2026

07/20/2026

Great piece in the Chicago Tribune! We're on our way.

07/15/2026

The museum was renamed in 2024 to highlight megadonor Ken Griffin. Its original founder did not want to put his own name on the institution.

05/15/2026

Highly recommend. Roy is working with Pier Oudolf planning a restored Sears Sunken Garden.

Grab your ticket today!
May 16th, join our co-owner for the first talk of the season here at Northwind!

We’ve had this phrase around for a while, ‘Right Plant, Right Place’. What’s been missing is adding ‘Right Relationships’ into the equation.

And that’s not meant the relationships people would like the plants to live in but the placement of individual plants together that creates healthy lifestyles for the plant community.

Head to the following link to grab a ticket (pay what you can!)

https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLT7NJJ8Y1NAZ/checkout/HNTM2FR2AQ7APJZRC7EJXAXR