Chicago's a city full of exciting park destinations and activities, from miles of lakefront with continuous paths, public park spaces and numerous beaches and marinas to neighborhood parks both big and small full of programs, amenities, features and space to relax, eat and get in some outdoor fun.
Information below on individual park amenities is summarized from information published by the Chicago Park District or Forest Preserve District of Cook County on their websites. Follow links to full information from either for more complete details on park amenities, history, programs and more!
Note: Since many parks listed here are very large parks, the "Take me there (via Google Maps)" link is set to take you to a central or key location in many of these parks. You may need to adjust your trip plan to better suit where in the park you'd like to go.
Calumet Park
Large park on Chicago's southeast side on Chicago's lakefront, near an international shipping port and the State Line with Indiana (just in the water at the end of the park).
The park features two gymnasiums, a fitness center, Lake Shore Model Train exhibit, gymnastic center, sewing and upholstery studios, a beach, waterfront seating areas, boat launch, an artificial soccer turf, picnic groves, playground, softball, football, soccer fields and multi-purpose rooms. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
The park is located on Chicago's lakefront at 9801 S. Avenue G, with entry from approximately E 95th Street and South Ewing Avenue. From the 30 South Chicago, exit at 95th or 98th on Ewing and walk approximately 1/4 to 1/2 mile east to park.
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Dan Ryan Woods
A large forest preserve on Chicago's South Side, featuring playfields, a popular winter sledding hill, picnic groves, paved trails and more. (Learn more from the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and also see information about permitting/reserving regarding events and picnics.)
The preserve also contains a unique and historic system limestone aqueducts, built to assist in drainage here as the preserve sits atop an ancient geological feature known as Blue Island.
The central parts of the preserve are located along S Western Ave from W 83rd to W 87th Sts., with sections stretching north, west, south and southeast.
Getting there:
- Served by CTA buses 48, 87 and 95. (You can also take the 49 Western to 79th and transfer to Pace suburban bus route 349 for service that continues south on S Western Ave. See Pace schedule for details.).
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Douglass Park
Large park on Chicago's West Side, featuring a lagoon system, golf, formal gardens and much more.
The park fieldhouse includes gymnasiums, an auditorium, a computer lab, a fitness center, a kitchen, a grand ballroom and meeting rooms, while outdoor areas include tennis courts, a game day football stadium, an outdoor pool, water spray features, basketball courts, an artificial turf soccer field, a pavilion, baseball fields and a small golf putting range. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
The park is located at 1401 S. Sacramento Dr. between Roosevelt and 19th, from Albany to California.
- From the Pink Line, exit at California or Kedzie.
- Also served by buses 12, 18, 52, 94 and 157.
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Garfield Park (includes Garfield Park Conservatory)
Large park on Chicago's West Side, featuring a lagoon system, large lawns and sporting areas, a historic, towering, golden-domed field house and event building and the famed Garfield Park Conservatory.
The field house hosts a gymnasium, auditorium, dance studio, fitness center, boxing center, grand ballroom and meeting rooms and outdoor areas include swimming pool, baseball fields, athletic fields for football or soccer, a fishing lagoon, tennis courts, floral gardens and playgrounds. Visitors can come to enjoy baseball, basketball or tennis, dance, music and arts classes with partnership organizations including the Najwa Dance Troupe and the Chicago West Music Center, as well as after-school programs and a summer day camp. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
Located at 100 N. Central Park Avenue in Chicago, near Lake St and Central Park Drive/Avenue. (The park was originally called Central Park before being renamed to honor US President James A. Garfield.)span>
- From the Green Line, exit at Conservatory-Central Park Drive, which is located in the north-central part of this large park, just south of the Garfield Park Conservatory.
- Also served by buses 7, 20, 82 and 126. The west end of the park is 1/4 mile east of route 53 and part of the east end just 1/4 mile west of route 52.
Take me there (park center via Google Maps)
Take me there (Conservatory via Google Maps)
Grant Park
Large park at the foot of the city skyline, often thought of as "Chicago's Front Lawn", containing multiple important and historic distinct spaces, areas and features (and inside of which live prominent features and destinations such as Buckingham Fountain, Hutchinson Field, Queen's Landing, Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park), home to annual festivals like Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago and some of the city's most prominent themed music fests. The park Art Institute of Chicago and its new modern wing, the Museum Campus (with the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium & Oceanarium, the Adler Planetarium). Soldier Field and its surrounding parkland sit at the south end of Grant Park. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
The park is Located east of downtown Loop and southward to approximately Roosevelt from Michigan on Chicago's Lakefront, plus the Museum Campus on its southeast corner.
- From the Green, Orange, Brown, Pink and Purple Line Express elevated lines, exit at Adams/Wabash and walk two blocks east on Adams.
- From the Red and Blue Line subways, exit at Jackson and walk three or four blocks east on Jackson.
- Also served by buses 3, 4, 6, 7, 10*, 14, 126, 146, 147, and 151. Weekday rush periods only - buses 1, 26 and 28. Weekends and holidays (mid-May through Labor Day) - bus 130 from Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station.
(*#10 operates daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day)
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Humboldt Park
Large park linked to the Boulevard system, between the Humboldt Park, Logan Square and West Town communities, located at at 1440 N. Humboldt Boulevard.
219 acre park, home to a large, historic fieldhouse with a fitness center, two gymnasiums and meeting rooms. The park also has an inland beach, historic lagoons and a boat house. Recreational facilities include an artificial turf soccer field, a junior soccer field, baseball fields, tennis courts and a replica of the Chicago Cubs stadium known as “Little Cubs Field."
Park also houses The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, the only museum in the nation that is completely dedicated to the history of Puerto Rican arts and culture.
The park is host to the Latin Jazz Festival and the Puerto Rican Festival each year, as well as Shakespeare in the Park, Movies in the Park and other special events. After school programs are offered throughout the school year. In summer, youth can attend the a six-week day camp or a specialty camp. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
- Served directly by bus routes #52 Kedzie/California, #70 Division and #72 North. Also served by nearby bus routes #66 Chicago and #94 South California (2 blocks south at Kedzie/Chicago) and #82 Kimball-Homan (2 blocks west at Homan).
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Jackson Park
Large, historic park on Chicago's South Side, once home to the Chicago Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) of 1893) with connections to the Lakefront Trail, the Midway Plaisance to Washington Park and which contains the Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum Shores Yacht Club and a driving range.
The park features a gymnasium, three multi-purpose rooms, and fitness center indoors, and outdoors includes Wooded Island (with flower, vegetable gardens and the Japanese-styled Garden of the Phoenix), three harbors, 63rd St. Beach, basketball/tennis courts, multi-purpose fields, golf course and an artificial turf field.
(Get full details via Chicago Park District)
Getting there:
- Served by bus routes 2, N5, 6, 10, J14, 15, 26, 28, 55, 59, 63, 67.
- Some of these routes operate during special times/seasons/hours so check schedules for details.
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Lakefront trail
An 18-mile path along Chicago's lakefront for cycling, running, walking and other exercise, through a system of parks including Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park and Jackson Park. Continuous path runs from Ardmore Avenue (5800N) in Chicago's Edgewater community to 71st Street (7100S) in Chicago's South Shore community.
- Served by many 'L' lines and bus routes; see Maps for information.
Take me there (via Google Maps; this link is to a central point; search for more precise areas to get transit directions to specific park areas/features)
Lincoln Park
A major North Side park on Chicago's Lakefront, running from 500N to 5700N Lake Shore Drive.
This historic, Fredrick Law Olmsted-designed park contains miles of lakefront trail for walking, exercise and cycling, multiple beaches, five playgrounds, event and performance spaces, sculptures and art installations and more.
The area nearest the Lincoln Park neighborhood contains the Lincoln Park Zoo, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Theatre on the Lake, a rowing canal, the Chicago History Museum, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, the North Pond Nature Sanctuary, an Archery Range, Montrose, North Avenue, and Oak Street beaches (among miles of features along the lakefront), numerous playing fields, a very prominent statue of General Grant as well as, a famous statue of Abraham Lincoln and many other statues.
(Get full details via Chicago Park District)
Further north, the park contains various marinas, harbors, a golf course, a driving range, nature preserves and a bird sanctuary.
- The park is reachable by a variety of north Lake Shore Drive (both Inner and Outer Drive) bus routes, bus route #151 Sheridan and many east-west bus routes between Bryn Mawr and North Avenue. See Maps for more info.
Take me there (via Google Maps; tip: this link is to the zoo, toward the southern part of the park; browse map or search for more precise destination spots to get transit directions to specific park areas/features that you're interested in)
Logan Square (proper)
Located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Kedzie Avenue/Boulevard, Wrightwood Avenue and Logan Boulevard in the Logan Square neighborhood.
A large, public green space with trees and lawn areas, centered by the Illinois Centennial Monument and significant point on the Chicago boulevard system.
- Take the Blue Line to the Logan Square station and exit toward the main Logan Square entrance. Cross south at crosswalks to reach the Square.
- Also served by bus routes #56 Milwaukee, #76 Diversey and #82 Kimball-Homan.
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Marquette Park
Located at W Marquette Rd (6700S) and S Kedzie Ave (3200W).
323 acre park with gymnasiums, an auditorium, woodshop, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sculpture, and multi-purpose rooms. Features include community garden, rose garden, prairie, four multi-purpose fields, an artificial turf field, 9 hole golf course, lagoon, driving range, basketball and tennis courts, two playgrounds, baseball fields, spray pool, and more. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
- Take #67 67th-69th-71st to Kedzie, #52A South Kedzie to Marquette Rd or #94 South California to Marquette Rd
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Millennium Park & Maggie Daley Park
At northwest corner of Grant Park, Millennium Park and the adjacent Maggie Daley Park are located just east of the north half of the Loop.
A modern landmark park located between the Chicago skyline along Michigan Avenue and the lakefront, this park has a variety of significant amenities and a direct bridge connection to the modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Millennium Park, west of Columbus Drive features include the Pritzker Pavillion (a concert and performance space that hosts a variety of concerts and shows and home to the Grant Park Music Festival) with Frank Gehry-designed structure, the famous Cloud Gate sculpture by Anish Kapoor (often referred to as "The Bean" by locals), an interactive fountain space, the Ann Lurie Garden, promenade, restaurant and a winter ice skating rink. Maggie Daley Park, connected via the Frank Gehry-designed BP Bridge, contains massive playground spaces, climbing walls, tennis courts, the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivor's garden, an 18-hole miniature golf course and, in winter, an innovative ice skating ribbon.
Learn more:
Getting there:
- From the Green, Orange, Brown, Pink and Purple Line Express elevated lines, exit at Washington/Wabash and walk two blocks east.
- From the Red and Blue Line subways, exit at Monroe or Washington and walk two or three blocks east.
- Also served by buses #3, #4, #6, #14, #20, #56, #60, #124, #151 and #157. Weekday rush periods only - buses #26 and #148.
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North Branch trail
A series of linked paths for walking, running and cycling starting at Foster/Kostner, generally following the North Branch of the Chicago River northward to the Skokie Lagoons.
"The trail winds along the North Branch of the Chicago River and the Skokie Lagoons, providing access to various picnic groves, golf courses and also the Chicago Botanic Garden. The north end of the trail connects to the Green Bay Trail." -Forest Preserves of Cook County
- Take bus route #92 Foster to the start of the trail at Kostner (4400W).
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Prairie Path
Historic rails-to-trails path, for bike rides as well as walking and running, located west of Chicago on former right-of-way of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin (CA&E) interurban railway—an electric railway that ran from downtown, over part of the 'L' system, and out west with branches to Aurora, Elgin and other suburbs, towns and cities.
- Take the Blue Line to Forest Park, exit station to north and walk/ride west on Van Buren through long parking lot, on path between cemetery land, over bike/pedestrian bridge, west past courthouse and to continuous path start at 1st Av and Maybrook. (It's approximately 1 mile along these paths to reach start of path from Blue Line.)
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Union Park
Host to numerous music festivals and events, including Pitchfork Festival and North Coast Music Festival, is located southeast of Ashland Ave (1600W) and Lake St (200N).
The fieldhouse hosts a gymnasium, fitness center, locker rooms, a theater room with a stage and meeting rooms and the park has tennis courts, baseball fields, a swimming pool, a playground, an athletic field for football or soccer, and basketball courts. (Get full details via Chicago Park District.)
- Take Green or Pink Lines to Ashland. (Note this is the Ashland station on the Lake branch of the Green Line, not the Ashland/63rd station.)
- Also served by bus routes #9 Ashland, #X9 Ashland Express and #20 Madison and is also just a couple blocks north of #126 Jackson service.
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Warren Park
Located at 6601 N. Western Ave.
Large park with ice rink, outdoor walking/jogging/biking paths, a 9 hole golf course and sports fields/courts, preschool, tumbling, baseball, basketball and soccer programs. Preschool programs and tumbling classes. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
- Served by bus routes #49B North Western and #155 Devon (2 blocks south of park at Western).
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Washington Park
Large park on Chicago's South Side bordering the Washington Park and Hyde Park communities with many amenities, including the DuSable Museum of African American History, located at 5531 S. King Dr. Park is connected by park space to Jackson Park via the Midway Plaisance at 59th Street.
The park features gymnasiums, a photography lab, dance studio, racquetball court, fitness center, game room, and multi-purpose room as well as a nature areas, a Harvest Garden, arboretum, lagoon, aquatic center, playgrounds, basketball/tennis courts and other sports fields.
The park also features the renonwed Fountain of Time sculpture, the Ashaki Black History Month Celebration and other holiday-themed events. (Get full details via Chicago Park District)
- Take any Green Line train to Garfield and walk 1 1/2 blocks east, or to stations along East 63rd Street on the East 63rd branch at King Drive or Cottage Grove and walk 3 blocks north.
- The park is also served by bus routes #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #15 Jeffery Local, #55 Garfield and #59 59th-61st (also route 63, 3 blocks south of park).
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