Great place to stroll . Near Wrigley building and Magnificent Mile . Several statues and landmarks recognizing Mexican leadership and also paying tribute to Latin ingenuity.

The statue of 26th President of Mexico Benito Juarez (1806-1872) is situated at the Plaza of the Americas off of N. Michigan Street. The monument is a gift from Mexico to the city of Chicago and the work of sculptor Julian Martinez. It was installed here in 1999. What you will see is a 15 ft tall bronze statue of Mexico's only indigenous born president who served the nation from 1858 until his death in 1872. It is a fine statue worth spending a few minutes to enjoy. It is unfortunate that there is not more information posted near the monument so that viewers could learn a bit of the history of President Juarez being victorious during the War of Reform (1858-61) and the role he played in shaping Mexico's future as a result of his 14 year presidency.

Since the 1970s, the Latino community has grown by leaps and bounds in Chicago. So it makes sense to learn about the history of the Mexican people. Two places are the Benito Juarez Plaza adjacent to Benito Juarez Community Academy at 1450-1510 West Cermak Road in the Pilsen neighborhood and the Plaza of the Americas, on the Magnificent Mile, north of the Chicago River, between the Wrigley Building and the Realtor Building, in downtown Chicago. The plaza next to Benito Juarez Community Academy, one of the largest high schools in Illinois, features statues of Juarez and other Mexican patriots. Downtown, the plaza features a full-length, 16-foot-tall bronze statue of Juarez, which was created by artist Julian Martinez. Juarez was known as the builder of modern Mexico. He served five terms as president of Mexico, from 1858 to 1872.

The plaza does not have a great view downtown but the statue in the plaza of the former president of Mexico, is very large and quite imposing. It is good to see that the information on the plaque at the foot of the statue is in both English and Spanish.

If you want to learn a little bit about Mexican history stop by this this plaza located next to Benito Juarez high school. Statues are not to pretty but you can learn who in history is important for Mexicans. Nice lesson-introduction to Mexican history. Recommended for lunch walk. I like that plaques are both in Spanish and English becasue you could learn some Spanish from them. And the view from plaza includes Sears Tower. I wish there is more benches to seat and rest here. And finding parking for your car in the neighborhood could be a challenge as well.