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Kelly Park

2725 W. 41st St. Chicago IL 60632

Hours: Park: 6am -11pm

Fieldhouse: M,W,F 1:30pm - 10pm, Tu 9am - 10pm, Sa 8:30am - 5pm, Su - Closed. The Kelly High School POOL has been re-opened following renovations. The Park swim program is now available, Mon.-Fri. 3pm-9pm and Sat. 9am-3pm. the pool is located at 4136 S. California.

Park Supervisor:
Craig Bandyk

(312) 747-6197

Description

Located in the Brighton Park Community, Kelly Park totals 7.08 acres and features a small field house and as a school/park location offers programs inside the neighboring Thomas Kelly High School. Outside, the park offers an athletic field for soccer or football, baseball fields, basketball courts and a playground.

Many of these spaces are available for rental.

Park-goers can play seasonal sports, including 16” softball and swimming in the school pool. After school programs are offered throughout the school year, and in the summer youth attend the Park District’s popular six-week day camp.

In addition to programs, Kelly Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the whole family, such as Holiday events.

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SPRING PROGRAMS:
Register online or in-person for spring programs now. Spring programs run the week of April 1 through the week of June 3.

SUMMER PROGRAMS:

Online registration for our park’s summer programs begins Tuesday, April 16 at 9 am, and in-person registration begins Saturday, April 20. The standard 6-week summer camp program runs July 1 through August 9. Most other summer programs run the week of June 17 through the week of August 19.

FACILITIES

FACILITY TYPE	ADDRESS	QTY	NOTES
Baseball Field	2725 W. 41st St.	4
Basketball Court - Outdoor	2725 W. 41st St.	2
Fieldhouse	2725 W. 41st St.	2
Football / Soccer - Grass	2725 W. 41st St.	1
Gymnasiums	2725 W. 41st St.	2
Meeting/Event Space	2725 W. 41st St.	1
Playgrounds	2725 W. 41st St.	1
Swimming Pools - Indoor	2725 W. 41st St.	1	at Kelly High School

History

Soon after World War II, the Chicago Park District and the Board of Education began providing cooperative programs in many of the city's rapidly growing neighborhoods. Known as the school-park plan, the intent was to save money and utilize buildings to the fullest extent by sharing facilities. To create a park across the street from Thomas Kelly High School, the park district began leasing part of the seven-acre site from the Board of Education. The district had to condemn the remainder from reluctant home owners. All of the property was finally acquired in 1951, and the Engineering Department began preparing plans for the new park. By 1953, the park included a large athletic field, a smaller practice field, horseshoe courts, a children's playground, and plantings. Three years later, the park district constructed a small brick fieldhouse there. This jointly operated site has always provided park district athletic programs which are run out of the high school. In 1991, the Board of Education transferred its part of the site to the park district. Although the adjacent high school is named for 28th Ward alderman and Chicago Drainage Board president Thomas Kelly (1843-1914), the park's name honors Edward J. Kelly (1876-1950), fourteen-year mayor of Chicago. Having grown up in the Back of the Yards and Brighton Park neighborhoods, Kelly began working as a newsboy at the age of 9. He held many different jobs while attending school, and worked his way up to Chief Engineer for the Sanitary District. Appointed to the board of the South Park Commission in 1922, he became president the following year. Kelly was a member of the committee that nominated Anton J. Cermak for the state legislature. When, as Mayor, Cermak was shot by an assassin, the city council elected Kelly to fill Cermak's unexpired term. Serving three more terms as mayor, Kelly helped Chicago cope with the Great Depression and realize major construction projects such as the city's subway system.