Unearth The Voyage
Along the shores of Lake Michigan, carved into the limestone rocks of Chicago’s South Side, lies a sculpture that spent years hidden in plain sight. The Secret Mermaid of Burnham Park wasn’t commissioned by the city or celebrated with a grand unveiling—she was etched quietly, almost rebelliously, by local artists in 1986. For more than a decade, this mysterious figure remained unknown to most Chicagoans, whispered about only by joggers and nearby residents who stumbled upon her serene, reclining form gazing out at the lake.
A Hidden Sculpture Emerges
Tucked into the lake-front revetments of Chicago’s Burnham Park sits a carved limestone figure whose origins puzzled passersby for years. Back in 1986, four local artists—Román Villareal, Jose Moreno, Fred Arroyo, and Edfu Kingigna—spent nine nights and days secretly etching a mermaid into the stone wall near Oakwood Beach. Their work overlooked Lake Michigan, blending seamlessly into the rocky shoreline.
The design nodded to ancient myth: imagine a mermaid rising from the lake’s depths, then freezing forever in rock. For years, the figure remained a local secret, largely unnoticed by city authorities and only whispered about among South Side joggers and residents. Most people walked right past without realizing they’d encountered a piece of guerrilla art that would eventually become a beloved Chicago landmark.
From Steelworkers to Shoreline Myth
The creators of this mermaid embodied the spirit of Chicago’s South Side: former steel-workers who transformed into guerrilla artists. Román Villareal often explains their choice simply: “A mermaid is not political—nobody could ever get mad at us for making a mermaid.” Their subject and location spoke to deeper themes of resilience, transformation, and belonging in a changing industrial city.
Villareal’s daughter Melinda actually served as the model for the sculpture. Her teenage figure lies reclined in the stone, hair flowing, gaze calm and peaceful. For fourteen years the sculpture’s origin remained unknown to the public, becoming woven into local lore and folklore.
Only when a shoreline-repair project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uncovered it in 2000 was the full story finally revealed to Chicago.
Preservation, Movement & Resonance
Over time, the Secret Mermaid’s location shifted as the city evolved. In 2004, the sculpture was carefully removed for protection during major lake-front revetment work and placed in storage to keep her safe. By 2007, students partnered with the original artists to restore the weathered carving, breathing new life into the limestone.
In 2010, she was placed in a dedicated spot near Lake Michigan’s Oakwood Beach, around East 41st Street. Visitors today can spot the mermaid near 4100 South Lake Shore Drive, where her carved form seems to naturally emerge from the stone as part of the lake-front landscape itself.
The sculpture has grown into a symbol of Chicago’s layered history—industrial, artistic, and coastal all at once. She represents how community art quietly shapes public space and memory.
How to Find Her & Why It Matters
Looking for the mermaid? Head to Chicago’s Burnham Park lake-front path, around Oakwood or 41st Street Beach. The location is easily reachable by Lake Shore Drive or via the bike and walking path lining the lake. The sculpture blends beautifully into the limestone revetments, so look carefully for the curving rock carving of a reclining figure just above the shoreline.
The story behind the mermaid invites reflection on hidden creativity, on workers’ transitions into art, and on public space re-imagined by everyday people. Whether you stop for a photo, a quiet moment by the water, or simply to absorb the story, the Secret Mermaid offers an unexpected encounter with Chicago’s cultural undercurrents.
She’s a little bit of lake-front mystery to carry with you long after you leave.
