The playground at the Obama Presidential Center is AMAZING. Easily one of the best in Chicago. It is (I believe) the first playground in Chicago with unique Monstrum equipment and it is beautiful.
Similar to Maggie Daley, the playground at the Obama Presidential Center is organized into different “rooms”. There is a wonderful dragonfly play structure that is lovely and two large slides on the south end of the site for older kids.
There is a separate area for younger kids with a duck and frog structure that are lovely. This area also includes a sandbox and water pump feature.
There is a net climbing sphere and some floating orbs that reminded me of birds nests. On the north end of the site, there are large climbing structures made of logs and netting.
Amenities are very solid. Lots of benches and picnic tables in the fully enclosed play space. There is a drinking fountain (with bottle filler!) and - I assume - bathroom access via an 1893 “comfort station” or the other buildings elsewhere on the campus.
The playground at the Brighton Park Community Campus is a one-of-a-kind playground and one of the best in Chicago. This site opened in 2023 and features new playground equipment, a water spray feature, and a nature play area.
The playground features several large structures that are hard to describe. These structures feature some familiar elements like slides and monkey bars but combine them in unusual ways.
The water spray feature is immediately next to the playground and features a variety of jets from the ground and water loops.
The nature play area is also in the same area and features a few different 'rooms' with different themes.
This site is the new administrative center for the Chicago Park district and the buildings on the east side of the site are the administrative center and the park's fieldhouse. The fieldhouse provides access to bathrooms (when it is open) and the courtyard between the two buildings is a wonderful space with picnic tables.
The playground has a soft rubber surface and is fenced from the street but not fully enclosed. There is a drinking fountain there as well as some benches. The site is currently bright and sunny and open. All in all, this is an amazing playground and a true destination playground; highly highly recommend.
