One of the most compelling reasons for its birth, growth and the continuing attraction to new members of the community is its vibrant lakefront. Recreational opportunities abound along the lakefront and offer unique histories which are within easy walking distance of Buena Park:
• An elephant grave
• A former missile site
• An archery range
• A skateboard park
• A totem pole
• 2 bird sanctuaries
• 2 boat harbors
• A lakefront golf course
• A fishing pier
• 20 tennis courts
• A beautiful beach
• 4 baseball diamonds
• 2 soccer fields
The Peace Garden
The design for the original garden was unsigned but can be attributed to either landscape-architect Alfred Caldwell or his park district predecessor Jens Jensen. That garden which had graced 4200 N. Marine Drive in the early 1930s had walls of limestone ledges and a trickling waterfall that fit snugly into a sloping, verdant landscape.
In 1986 the Greenpeace environmental group designated the spot as a peace garden. But the gesture was more symbolic, because no long-term plans were made for maintenance until two years later.
In 1988 the Chicago Park District and Artists for Sharing jointly began to oversee a four-year pilot project to create an enduring peace garden by excavating the original garden. The Children’s Peace Council, an offshoot of Artists for Sharing, helped with the restoration.
The Peace Garden is flanked by peace poles to the north and south which were planted by The Peace School.
