Across the bustling city of Chicago, picnics weren’t just leisurely meals. They were vibrant cultural hubs. Picnic groves offered a refuge from the summer heat, long before air conditioning became commonplace. In the 1920s, over 500 such festive spots dotted Chicago, offering escape, food, dancing, and drink. Picnic at locations in Chicago was a tradition brought by German, Polish, and Irish immigrants. Many groves boasted evocative names like Edelweiss, Germania, and Heidelberg, reflecting their old-world roots.
Picnic groves often existed alongside summer gardens, although the line between the two was blurry. Summer gardens were more commercial, resembling European beer gardens with amenities like tables, food service, and even stages. Picnic groves were simpler, family-run affairs. Some were just behind taverns, providing picnic benches and an outdoor bar. Larger picnic groves included beer halls, dance pavilions, bowling alleys, and even rides. They sprang up wherever vacant land was available, throughout the city and its suburbs. Picnic groves weren’t immune to challenges. They faced noise complaints, anti-German sentiment, labor strikes, and the blow of Prohibition in 1919.
One notable example was Schutzen, or Sharpshooters Park, which later evolved into the famed Riverview amusement park. Its two expansive picnic groves, along with refreshment stands and a ballroom, could host a staggering 20,000 people in a single day. These groves were popular venues for large picnics and special events. Picnics held a unique connection to cemeteries. Groves situated near cemeteries catered to mourners after funerals. Rather than returning home immediately, families and friends would gather at a nearby picnic grove for food, drink, and dancing before the long journey back. Even long after a funeral, picnics continued to be a way of remembering loved ones, creating a space for sharing meals and stories among the tombstones. Several picnic groves thrived on Chicago’s Northwest Side, close to Bohemian National, St. Lucas, and Montrose cemeteries. These clustered near the intersection of Crawford (now Pulaski) and Foster.
Scheiner’s Grove, located south of Bohemian National Cemetery, straddled the Chicago River. It offered a restaurant, beer hall, a footbridge leading to a picnic area with a dance pavilion and bowling alley. There was even a buggy shed for horse-drawn carriages. Atlas Grove, at 5125 N. Crawford, was another popular spot. It featured an outdoor dance floor, bowling alley, bar, and a small pond. Nagl’s Grove, not far away, boasted a restaurant, tavern, bowling alleys, two dance pavilions, and access to both the river and a pond. These were just a few of the numerous picnic groves that once enlivened Chicago.