Naperville Century Walk

Naperville’s Public Art Program

A unique and captivating public art project, Century Walk has been a part of Naperville since 1995 – first as a concept and then as a growing gallery of public art throughout the City. Residents have watched the daily progress of artists painting murals on the sides of buildings and passersby have stopped to chat with the artists about their works while they were being created with their canvas being concrete walls and their studio the adjoining public right of way. Volunteers have cut tile and placed small pieces in mosaics and contributed from $5.00 to $75,000 in monetary donations toward the project pioneered by this 501(c)3 corporation. Schoolchildren and others have learned Naperville’s history through its art. This exciting cultural attraction now encompasses 48 locations of art and has become part of the fabric of the community.

Starting only with a borrowed concept, a mission to honor significant people, places and events of twentieth-century Naperville, and no monies, Century Walk has become a noteworthy success. The art that exists today has a replacement value of over $3.8 million, funded almost evenly by the private and public sectors. The Century Walk Board would like to thank our City Council and residents for supporting Century Walk throughout our 23 years, most recently through allocations made possible via awards from the Special Events & Cultural Amenities fund (S.E.C.A.). We ask for their continuing support as we move forward on our mission to create culturally significant and diverse public art throughout Naperville in the Twenty-First Century.

Century Walk Corporation invites you to embark upon the “Century Walk” by visiting the nearby environs of downtown Naperville and the South Naperville public art locations at the Y.M.C.A., the Park District Knoch Knolls Nature Center and the Naper Boulevard and 95th Street Public Libraries. Let the murals, mosaics and sculptures tell you the story of Naperville’s incomparable past. Our artists have used paint, ceramics, bronze, clay and glass to depict some of the city’s most important people, places and events. “It’s art with a story”, a story you won’t be disappointed you encountered. And best of all because its public art – it’s free – 24, 7, 365!