Lilacia Park

Lilacia Park
Map
Location150 South Park Avenue, Lombard, Illinois
Area8.5-acre (3.4 ha)
Created1927; 97 years ago (1927)
FounderColonel William Plum
Operated byLombard Park District
OpenDaily
ParkingYes
Public transit accessMainline rail interchange  UP-W 
Websitelombardparks.com/lilacia-park/
Lilacia Park Historic District
Location150 S. Park Ave.
NRHP reference No.20190509
Added to NRHPMay 9, 2019

Lilacia Park, an 8.5-acre (3.4 ha) garden, is located at 150 South Park Avenue, Lombard, Illinois. It is adjacent to the Lombard station. It specializes in lilacs and tulips. It is open to the public daily.

The garden was established by Colonel William Plum and his wife, Helen, who visited the lilac gardens of famous breeder Victor Lemoine (1823-1911), in Nancy, France. They returned with two cuttings (Mme. Casimir Perier, a double white, and Michel Buchner, a double light purple), which formed the basis of today's collection.[1] After the Colonel's death in 1927 the grounds were left to the city as a public park.[2]

The park now features more than 200 varieties of lilacs and 50 varieties of tulips, as well as a greenhouse, historical building, picnic areas, and drinking fountains.

Each year in May when Lilacs and other flowers are in full bloom, there is a "Lilac Time".[3] This celebration includes visiting Lilacia Park to view all the blooming plants, the Lilac Parade down the Lombard Main Street, and the Lilac Princess Program contest.[4]

The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

  1. ^ John Drury (1977). Old Illinois Houses. William R. Plum House, Lombard. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  2. ^ "History of DuPage: Lombard". dupagehistory.org. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Lilac Time in Lombard". Lilac Time in Lombard.
  4. ^ "Lilac Princess Program". Archived from the original on 2019-08-29.