Categories: Family-Friendly

Public Parks in Chicago

Author: Jody Robbins

Find your Favorite Public Park
The options offered by the Chicago Park District are innumerable, from sports and leisure to programs and events. Wherever you find yourself in the city, there's a unique public park close to you. It might be simple, or it might be an acclaimed public space, but there is something for everyone.

• Jackson Park
  Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the designers of Central Park in New York , this gem of a park was the actual site of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. It packs a lot of punch within its 600 acres, including a fitness center and expansive gardens. There is also an 18-hole golf course, or you can just hang on the beach. Visit the Museum of Science and Industry, housed in one of the buildings left over from the fair, and make time to see the “Golden Lady,” a statue set nearby.

• Marquette Park
  Located in the southwestern portion of the city in its namesake neighborhood, this park was originally created as an antidote to overcrowding in certain areas of Chicago . It is one of the largest at 323 acres, and includes picnic shelters, walking and bike paths, a nursery, track, lagoon, horseshoe pits, a theater, ice rink, playgrounds, ball fields, and a golf course. Or, check out the 3.5-acre prairie remnant along the edge of the lagoon—the Ashburn Prairie. Many native plants still thrive here. 

• Oz Park
  Take in a piece of literary history at this unique public part. Given its name in honor of Lyman Frank Baum, the author (who actually lived nearby) of ‘The Wondeful Wizard of Oz,' the park features endearing statues of the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy & Toto. The kids will enjoy Dorothy's Playlot, or relax on a bench in the foliage-heavy Emerald Garden . To actually do something, hit the tennis courts or get busy on the athletic fields.

Best Park Features That Don't Seem Park-y
Many of Chicago's most active and intriguing institutions are affiliated with the Chicago Park District. In addition to the three featured here, the Lincoln Park Zoo, Soldier Field, and the Adler Planetarium, also reside in public parks. 

• Garfield Park Conservatory
  Grandiose and so simple all at the same time, the Garfield Conservatory represents landscaping taken to artistic heights. Featuring teeming plant life on 4.5 acres of indoor and outdoor space, and actually serves as a plant supplier to the city of Chicago . It is located in the Garfield Park neighborhood, and will celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 2008. The kids will enjoy the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children's Garden.

•  DuSable Museum of African American History
  This repository of African-American history was founded in 1961, and received its current moniker in 1968. It was named after the French-Haitian Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable, and its facilities have been upgraded steadily throughout the years. It is home to a wide range of historical items relating to the African-American experience in America , including special exhibits on the civil rights movement of the 1960s, as well as before and after.

• Shedd Aquarium
  As the birthplace of modern architecture, Chicago has plenty of historical buildings used by the public on a daily basis, including the Shedd Aquarium. Founder John G. Shedd got the ball rolling for a stand-alone aquarium in the 1920s, and the balls haven't quit rolling since—except now they roll off the noses of the talented cast of the dolphin show. See the sharks in the “Wild Reef” exhibit, or check out the latest addition to the pod of beluga whales here.

Check out places of interest near Public Parks in Chicago:

P.J. Clarke's
1141 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60614

This neighborhood spot features two facets, a long wooden bar filled with revelers and a more secluded rear dining area with tables decked with checkerboard tablecloths.

 

Prost
2566 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614

German culture (beers and hearty food) are on display here.

 

Tavern at the Park
130 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601

Trying to give off that neighborhood tavern feel, while serving up fine dining dishes right across from Millennium Park.

P.J. Clarke's
1141 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60614

This neighborhood spot features two facets, a long wooden bar filled with revelers and a more secluded rear dining area with tables decked with checkerboard tablecloths.

 

Lincoln Park Conservatory
2391 N. Stockton Dr., Chicago, IL 60614

Visit the ever-blooming Lincoln Park Conservatory to enter a world of luscious tropical plants, blossoming flowers, and forms of rarely seen vegetation. The over 100 year old conservatory is open every day of the year and is always free to the public. 

Millennium Park
201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60610

Millennium Park has become Chicago’s newest main stage attraction. Aligned with the city’s emphasis on architectural innovation, this 24.5-acre phenomenon integrates historical significance with contemporary style from a number of international players. It is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, Columbus Drive to the east, Randolph Street to the north and Monroe Street to the south.

The Morton Arboretum
4100 Illinois Highway 53, Lisle, IL 60532

A top Chicago nature site, The Morton Arboretum boasts more than 3,000 trees, shrubs, and other vegetation across its 1,700-acre site.

Victory Gardens Theater
2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614

Victory Gardens Theater has been around since 1974 and stays true to its mission to develop and produce new plays. Most of its featured plays are written by Chicago-area writers, staying true to its heart of Chicago roots.

Wendella Sightseeing Boats
400 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

Located on the Magnificent Mile, Wendella Boats are guided by expert staff.