This small and shady park features a variety of unique equipment. There are two areas with swings, another area designed for older children, and another area for younger children. The play area is large and consumes nearly the entire small site. The Metra tracks are immediately to the west of the playground and the passing of trains interrupts the general quiet of the neighborhood. The surface is wood chips and there are two benches.
The playground in Wicker Park is great. There are two large areas - one for older children and one for younger - as well as a small water spray feature. The area for older children features a large and sprawling play structure with a variety of climbing elements and slides. The area for younger children is quite small and features a small structure with two slides. The water spray feature are two misting bears that provide a gentle mist of water and are very cute. There are also two sets of swings with the standard Park District options.
The other amenities of the park are also very solid. The playground is fully enclosed and the play surface is soft rubber. There are benches, picnic tables, and a drinking fountain in the play area and the nearby fieldhouse provides access to bathrooms (when open). There are even some trees that provide some shade throughout the day. All in all a great playground; highly recommend.
This playground features two unique rope traverse elements, a large play structure for older children, and smaller structure one for younger children in a separate area, and a few swings. The play area is bright and sunny and there are a few benches overlooking the play areas that are covered in wood chips.
The playground at Edward White Park consists of two main areas and a water spray feature. The two areas both feature moderate sized structures seemingly designed for school-aged children. There is the standard Chicago Park swings and a simple water spray feature. The amenities are light - no benches or seating in the area - but the equipment seems very new and well maintained. The play area opens directly to the rest of the park and the play surface is wood chips.
Western Park - located on the east side of Western Avenue - is a small park with a decent playground. There is one large play structure that sprawls on the southeast corner of the site with a variety of slides and climbing elements. Beyond this structure, there is a set of swings and a few standalone elements. The playground - shaded by a large tree - offers some standard amenities like a wood chip play surface and a few wooden benches. It is fully enclosed from the street - though this stretch of Western Ave is quite loud and busy making for a louder than average playground experience.
The playground in West Pullman Park is a solid playground with some great trees. There are two play structures, a set of swings, and a small water spray feature. The structures are standard in the best sense of the word and come with many of the standard elements: slides, monkey bars, and other climbing elements. There are a few nice amenities - soft rubber surface, benches, access to bathrooms in the nearby community center - but the trees are the standout feature. Beautiful trees - both in the playground and the rest of the park - provide beautiful shade. Again, solid playground with some great trees; highly recommend.
West Lawn Park features a large playground divided into two areas with similar equipment. Both areas feature a Kompan play structure, a single mast net climbing structure, and a set of swings. The only difference is that the area to the north is designed for older children and features larger equipment whereas the area to the south features smaller equipment for younger children. The amenities are somewhat typical for Chicago Park - a drinking fountain, wooden benches, and a play surface of wood chips - but the general locale is quite nice with large trees providing some shady areas near the playground. The play area is fenced from the street (but not fully enclosed) and there is access to bathrooms via the nearby park fieldhouse (when open). All in all, this is a great neighborhood playground; highly recommend.
On the north side of West Chatham Park, you'll find a delightful playground and water playground. The playground is standard in many ways - a single large play structure with a few standalone elements and swings - but is also really well done. The water playground is a huge area with a variety of different water spray elements.
These playgrounds open into the rest of the park and feature benches and picnic tables for seating as well as trees for shade. Both areas are fully enclosed and removed from traffic making them great places to spend some time. Highly recommend.
Wesolek Park is a small neighborhood park with a solid playground. There is a single, large play structure that sprawls over the west side of the site with a variety of ramps, slides, and climbing features. There are also a few other elements attached to the structure like a spinning circle and standard monkey bars. There are two sets of swings with the standard variety of swings: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The playgrounds gets some morning shade from the large tree and is fenced from the street without being fully enclosed. The play surface is wood chips and there are a few benches and a drinking fountain near the play area. All in all, a standard neighborhood playground in the best sense of the phrase.
The Wentworth Gardens playground is tucked behind the field house building and just north of the outdoor pool. In this quiet location, you'll find a moderately sized play structure with just a few slides, climbing features, one overhead element, and one hammock style saucer swing. The surface is soft rubber and there are benches for comfortable seating.
Located in the middle of Wentworth Park, on the east side, is a great playground and water spray feature. The playground includes two structures - a moderate sized structure for younger children and a large, sprawling structure for older children. The larger structure features a variety of climbing elements and slides and is partially accessible via a ramp. There is a set of swings with the standard options (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat) as well as a 'triple shower' water spray feature. The playground is fenced from the street and the rest of the park but is not fully enclosed. There are benches and a drinking fountain near the play area with the nearby fieldhouse providing access to bathrooms (when open). The play surface is soft rubber and although there are trees near the playground, the playground itself is bright and sunny. All in all this is a great playground; highly recommend.
Wendt Park is a tiny neighborhood pocket park with a sandbox, swing set, and moderately sized play structure. The play structure includes a few climbing elements, slides, and a set of monkey bars. The play space is fully enclosed and the main play surface is wood chips. There are a few benches for seating and the site is shaded by trees and neighboring buildings. A great space for younger children; highly recommend.
The playground at Welles Park is amazing. It features two traditional play structures as well as large rope/net climbing structure, a spinning conical net element, two large sets of swings, and a water spray feature. The two traditional play structures are next to each other; one is smaller and designed for younger children and the other is much larger and features more challenging climbing and overhead elements and steeper slides. The larger one is also accessible via a ramp off the soft rubber surface that covers this area of the playground. The large rope/net climbing structure is hard to describe but is massive and offers a variety of potential play actions. The two sets of swings contains the standard varieties of park district swings. The water spray feature isn't too intense and offers and gentle spray.
The play area is fully enclosed and set off the nearby streets. The surface inside the area is a combination of soft rubber, woodchips, and cement though there is a grassy perimeter and the grassy expanses of the rest of Welles Park beyond. There are several benches and picnic tables within the playground space and the nearby park district building provides bathroom access when it is open. There are several large trees that provide some shade to different areas throughout the day. Given these amenities and it's location, this playground can be busy at times but is definitely a solid playground destination.
[Aside: the newish Nature Play Area near the southwest corner of the park is also worth checking out!]
Weisman Park has a great playground, wonderful water spray feature, and lots of seating and shade. There are two main structures at this playground - one small structure for very young children and another structure that is larger and for older children. There is also the standard set of Chicago Park swings (toddler, adaptive, and belt seat), a small playhouse, and a four person see-saw. The water spray area is also excellent: a triple water sprayer, a "loch ness mister", and water jets from a mosaic covered wall. The play area is fully enclosed and the main play surface is soft rubber. There are several picnic tables and benches for seating and the site offers some shade. All in all, this is a wonderful playground; highly recommend.
This small playground is located in Washtenaw Park and features a large play structure suitable for older children, a few standalone elements, and a simple water spray feature. The play area is fenced but not fully enclosed and the play area is sunny with wood chips as the main play surface.
This tiny playground is tucked between two large buildings and features equipment designed for younger children. The main play structure is accessible via a ramp a features a variety of slides and climbing elements. There is a swing set in the back of the playground with the standard offering of swings. There are a few benches and a picnic table in the fully enclosed play space (with a soft rubberized surface). This playground also features a very unique play caterpillar.
The playground in Harold Washington Park has a lot to offer. There are two large play structures - one more traditional with slides and steps and the other less traditional with a large rope/net climbing element. There are also two sets of swings including toddler swings, molded bucket swings with a harness, belt seat swings, and a hammock swing with a spider web seat. There is also a water spray feature and a large sand play area. Aside from the sand area, the main surface is wood chips and the play area is fully enclosed. There are mature trees, benches, and picnic tables providing shade and places to sit and eat.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - is located just of the Washington Park pool and is a wonderful space. The playground is quite large with multiple areas full of equipment: an open area with 'animals on springs', a sprawling and accessible play structure for younger children, a more standard structure for older children, a non-traditional set of climbing elements, swings, and a water spray feature. All in all, great play elements.
The non-play elements are also high quality. The play area is fully enclosed and is shaded by large and beautiful trees. There are benches and small picnic/game tables for seating and the pavement itself is designed and imprinted with quotes and other graphics The play surface is soft rubber and the nearby pool facilities should provide access to bathrooms (when open).
Really great playground - highly recommend.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - is located on the east side of the park just north of 55th street. It features a large and sprawling play structure with a variety of swings. The structure is pretty standard and offers lots of standard play elements (slides, climbing elements, monkey bars) and overall works quite well. There are swings - toddler, adaptive, belt seat, and a tire swing - as well as a few small standalone elements. The amenities are just the basics: a few wooden benches and a play surface of wood chips. Nearby trees provide some shade but the playground itself is bright and sunny.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - was renovated in 2022 and is a wonderful playground. It includes a single large play structure, a large set of swings, a few standalone elements, and a water spray feature. The structure has a nature theme and features a variety of slides and climbing elements. The swing set includes the standard swings: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The swing set also includes two 'double swings' - one with two belt seats and one with a belt seat and a toddler seat. The standalone alone elements include some interesting musical elements and the water spray element is a 'loch ness mister' and an spray element shaped like a flower.
The entire area is enclosed and features nice amenities like benches, picnic tables, a drinking fountain (with a bottle filler!), and a bike rack. Washington Park is a beautiful setting and the area is surrounded by tall trees; these trees provide some shade but the play area is also quite open and sunny. All in all, this is a great playground and worth checking out - highly recommend.
This playground - one of four in Washington Park - has a solid play structure and would be improved with additional amenities. The play structure is a single, sprawling structure with lots of options: slides, climbing elements, monkey bars, an overhead slider, etc. There are also two sets of swings with the standard Chicago Park options: toddler, adaptive, and belt seat. The play surface is wood chips and - although there are some fences to create a sense of space - and the area is surrounded by beautiful trees. However, other basic amenities - benches, picnic tables, drinking fountains - are lacking; adding these would greatly improve the site.
The small playground at Dinah Washington Park features two play structures and a standard set of swings. The play structures - one for older children and one for younger - both feature slides, climbing elements, and traversing elements. The swings are the standard park variety: toddler, belt seat, and molded plastic.
The park has a bench, a drinking fountain, and a few large trees for shade. The play area is not fully enclosed but it is fenced from the street and the play surface is wood chips.
This playground - one of three in Warren Park - is located on the northeast corner of the park and is quite quiet and off the beaten path. There is a small area for younger children, and larger area for older children, and a few swings. This playground has a small nature theme with a unique "leaf ladder" and a dragonfly see-saw. The play surface is wood chips and there are a few benches as well as picnic tables in the nearby shelter.
This playground - one of three in Warren Park - is located on the northwest corner of the park near the intersection of Western and Pratt. This playground features a standard size main structure featuring a few slides, several connected elements that can be traversed, and a few standalone elements in addition to the standard variety of swings. The surface is wood chips and it is located next to a small shelter that provides some shade and a few chess tables.
