The Hyde Park Historical Society is located in a small red brick and brownstone building that was originally constructed as a depot for a cable car loop of the Illinois Central Railroad in 1893-94. The loop was created in 1892 in order to transport visitors to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition nearby in Jackson Park. The depot was decommissioned in 1906 and was converted into a small lunch restaurant which served the community for decades. After the restaurant closed, the building was sold in 1977 to the Hyde Park Historical Society, who oversaw the restoration of the interior to its original appearance. The Hyde Park Historical Society works to preserve and share the complex history of Chicago's south side.
