Known as Ames Grove, this property began serving as a picnic ground and recreation area in the 1880s. John Aylesworth purchased it in 1901 and opened the Lakeside Inn in this building as early as 1915. The hotel once had its own zoo and extensive gardens. During the 1930s and 1940s, Chicago orchestras played at the inn. The Lakeside Center for the Arts occupied the premises from 1968 to 1994 and hosted artists from around the world. In 1995, the inn was restored to its 1920s appearance.