This Jefferson Park is named for Nancy Jefferson (nurse, educator, and civic leader) and not Thomas Jefferson (president, author of the Declaration of Independence, slaver owner) as Chicago's other Jefferson Parks are named. This playground at this park was last renovated in 2013 and features brightly colored and modern play structures as well as an interesting 'spinning button.' An above average selection of swings (toddler, adaptive, belt seat, and a tire swing) round out the playground elements. The play area is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed and features a few benches for seating. The play area is covered in wood chips and shaded by large, mature trees. This is a solid neighborhood playground.
This playground - one of 5 in Humboldt Park! - is located off California on the eastern edge of the park and is a gem. There is a small, traditional play structure for younger children and then a massive collection of unconventional climbing elements for older children. There is also the standard swing set: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The play area is fully enclosed and features a soft rubber surface. There are benches and two picnic tables as well as a drinking fountain. This is a great playground; highly recommend.
This playground - one of five in Humboldt Park - is located on the southern edge of the park next to the Humboldt Park Pool. This playground features very modern equipment: a large curving climbing wall, a wavy black belt bridge, and a standalone 'rail slide.' These very non-traditional elements are balanced by the traditional set of swings (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat) and a standard (if not boring) water spray feature. The amenities are also traditional: an enclosed play area with a wood chip surface and a few benches scatter about. Additional shade and seating would improve this playground, but it is adequate as is.
This playground - one of 5 in Humboldt Park - is located on the west side of the park near Division and Kedzie. This playground is a great play area surrounded by trees and features a swing set, a small play structure for younger children, and a large, sprawling play structure for older children with a variety of slides, climbing elements, and monkey bars.
The amenities are also quite nice. The play area is fenced from the street (though not fully enclosed) and nicely surrounded by mature trees. Inside the play area are a few benches and even a picnic table for seating. The play surface is soft rubber and the larger play structure is somewhat accessible by a ramp.
All in all, this is a solid playground with amenities to make it a comfortable place for the whole family; highly recommend.
This playground - one of 5 in Humboldt Park - is located in the northeast corner of the park just north of the Humboldt Park lagoon. This playground is also somewhat not traditional - there aren't standard toddler or belt seat swings or even a slide in the entire sprawling playground! Instead, there are a few non-traditional swings (one tire swing and a few saucer swings), a rope net climbing structure, a collection of rope net traverse elements, and an area with spinning elements. The centerpiece of this playground is a large water spray feature.
With the somewhat non-traditional elements are some solid amenities. There are a few benches and trees for seating and shade. The play area is fenced from the surrounding park and set away from cars and traffic creating a surprisingly quiet play experience in the busy city. And the play surface is the classic wood chips.
It's a solid playground; highly recommend.
This playground - one of 5 in Humboldt Park - is located on the very north side of the park near the intersection of North Ave and Richmond. The centerpiece is a tall, tower-like two story play structure with an internal ladder and a long curved slide. There are a few other standalone elements, a set of monkey bars, and the standard Chicago Park swings: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat swings. Despite the solid play elements, the other amenities are somewhat basic: a wood chip play surface without much shade and no benches for seating (a low perimeter wall provides some informal seating and, somewhat strangely, there is a single picnic table just outside the enclosed play area). Despite the somewhat basic amenities, this is a solid playground.
This playground features a play structure with a few slides, a large rope/net climbing structure, and a 'bloqx' (a geometric shape with climbing holds) as well as the standard set of Park District swings. The play area opens to the rest of the park and the nearby streets and sadly lacks benches (though low perimeter walls provide some informal seating). The surface is wood chips and some nearby trees provide some shade especially in the morning.
Hornbeam Park consists of a decent playground and a small water spray element. The playground consists of KOMPAN equipment - a modern and somewhat unique playground equipment maker from Europe. There is a collection of climbing elements, two large sets of swings, a small and traditional structure, and a few standalone elements. The water feature is a basic four sprayer.
The non-play amenities are standard: a few benches and a drinking fountain. The play surface is wood chips and the site is bright and sunny.
The playground in Horan Park is located near the northeast corner of the park and features a unique play structure consisting mainly of rope netting. There is also a large spinning climbing elements, two variations of saucer swings, and another rope climbing element. There is also a small and simple four sprayer water feature. The playground is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed. The main surface is wood chips. There is some shade from the large trees to the south of the play area but it's quite open and sunny. The area would benefit from benches or picnic tables; there are currently neither.
Quiet, tucked-away, and shady, the playground at Bertha Honoré Palmer Park features a large play structure and a few other elements. The large play structure features two different slides (curving and corkscrew) and a lot of different climbing elements. There is also a standalone metal climber near the entrance and a hammock style saucer swing and a pair of toddler swings near the rear.
The play area is fully enclosed and is shaded by large trees and the nearby buildings. There is also a small structure with two picnic tables for some additional shade and seating. The play surface is wood chips. All in all, this is a good playground tucked away on a quiet street.
This Homan Square Community Center Park opened in 2001 and contains a small playground designed for young children. There are two small play structures both for young children with simple climbing elements and small slides. The small play area also includes a swing set. The playground is fully enclosed from the street - with a fence surrounding the park and another surrounding the playground - and is positioned next to the community center. The play surface is soft rubber and there are benches for seating. Sadly, there is no shade for this playground.
Homan Park features a nice small playground on a quiet street with views of trains. The playground is somewhat sprawling with a variety of slides and climbing elements. There is also a set of swings and a zip line with a circle seat. The other aspects are classic Chicago playgrounds - wood chips and a few benches and a little shade from nearby trees. All in all, a solid neighborhood playground.
Hazelnut Park is a small neighborhood park with a sizeable and shady playground. Renovated between 2016 and 2017, this playground features a large play structure with two slides and several climbing elements. There is a "car on a spring" and set of swings with a somewhat uncommon "double swing" where an adult and child can face each other in addition to the standard toddler and belt seat swings. The play area is fully enclosed and the play surface is wood chips. The park is shaded by several large trees and there are a few benches and a drinking fountain near the entrance.
The playground in Harrison Park is a massive and sprawling playground that is one of the best in Chicago. Located in the southeast corner of the park, the play area features several large play structures and a huge variety of swings. The smaller play structure is actually quite large and seems designed for younger children. The large play structure for older children is - in a word - huge. It is a sprawling collection of climbing elements, slides, and overhead challenges. The swing options are also huge: toddler, adaptive, belt seat, tire, and saucer. And there are additional standalone elements scattered throughout the huge play area.
The play area is fenced from the street and opens into the rest of Harrison Park. The surface is largely wood chips though there are concrete sections with hopscotch and other games painted to the surface. There are a few benches (under the shade of a few trees!) and low perimeter walls provide additional seating. The play area does get some shade but is also sunny at times. The nearby fieldhouse provides access to bathrooms and there is a drinking fountain nearby as well.
This is not your typical neighborhood playground but instead a huge and sprawling playground paradise and a true destination; highly recommend.
Harding Park features a small playground and set of swings. The play area is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed and is bright and sunny. The play surface is wood chips.
The Greenebaum Park playground is somewhat standard Chicago Park District playground with a variety of swings, a smaller play structure for younger children, and a larger structure for older children. And "standard" is not an insult - this playground was fully enclosed, has a soft rubber surface, and a few benches. There is also a water spray feature within the enclosed play area as well as views of the train tracks to the North of the park.
Grand Park is a small neighborhood park with a playground. There are two play structures, a variety of swings (toddler, adaptive, belt seat, and a tire swing), and a few standalone elements. The setting and non-play amenities are basic; there are a few benches and a drinking fountain and the play area is fenced from the streets but not fully enclosed. The main play surface is wood chips.
The playground at Gladys Park features a large structure with a few slides, a small climbing wall, a 'cliff climber' element, and a twisting ladder as well as a few other elements: wave monkey bars, a traversing elements, and a few spinning elements. The play surface is wood chip and is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed. This playground lacks important amenities like benches, picnic tables, or a drinking fountain.
Ginkgo Park is a tiny neighborhood park with a small, narrow playground. Two swings at the rear of the site, a few standalone elements, and a narrow play structure with a single slide compromise all the elements of this small park. Large trees provide great shade for this site though that seems like the only real comfort for park-goers: no benches, picnic tables, or drinking fountains.
Garibaldi Park is a verdant city park with a small playground in the southeast corner. This playground, renovated in 2015, features equipment from the Burke company which, in my opinion, has an aesthetic akin to 1990s Nickelodeon. But all the basic playground elements are present: slides, swings, and climbing elements. The amenities are also basic; there are a few benches and a drinking fountain but not much else. The play surface is wood chips and the area is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed. All in all, this is a decent neighborhood playground in a nice setting.
This playground - one of two in Garfield Park - is located near the northeast corner of the park and features two play structures. The smaller play structure is designed for younger children and features two climbing elements and a slide. The larger play structure is accessible via a ramp and features a large triple slide and a few interactive panels. There are also a number of overhead elements (variations of monkey bars) and traversing elements near the larger play structure. A small swing set completes the play elements in this small playground. The play area is fenced from the street but is not fully enclosed and the play surface is soft rubber. A few benches and tree provide some seating and shade and a drinking fountain and a couple of picnic tables round out the other amenities.
This playground - one of two in Garfield Park - is located on the east side of the park near the intersection of Madison and Homan and contains two play structure. The smaller play structure is a single modular structure designed for young children; a few other standalone elements and toddler swings are situated nearby. The larger play structure is for older children and features a large twisted net climbing structure, monkey bars, and a few slides. There are fences around parts of the playground but it is not fully enclosed. The play surface is wood chips and a few large trees provide some shade throughout the day.
The playground at Galewood Park offers a decent play structure, the standard set of park swings, and a small water spray feature. The main play structure includes some interesting ladders and two slides. There is also a set of swings (toddler and belt seat) and a few small standalone 'animals on poles' for younger children. The water spray feature is a simple 'four sprayer' in a concrete circle.
There are plenty of benches, one drinking fountain, and the fieldhouse is quite close for bathroom access (when open). The main play surface is soft rubber and the play area gets some morning shade but is mostly bright and sunny.
The playground at Franklin Park is divided into two distinct areas - one for younger children and the other for older children. The structure for younger children features a small play structure with a small summit climber, conical climbing wall and small slide. There are also four toddler swings. The larger structure features two variations of monkey bars, three slides, and a few climbing and traversing elements along with standard swings (belt seat and adaptive). Both areas are fenced from the street but not fully enclosed and both have a play surface of wood chips. A water spray feature is situated just north of the playground and next to the Franklin Park outdoor pool and the park district building provides bathroom access during open hours.
