Seward Park

375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610

Hours: Park: 6am - 11pm

Fieldhouse: M-Fri 12pm - 9pm, Sa 9am - 5pm, Su Closed

Park Supervisor:
Joyce Freeman-Herron

(312) 742-7895

Description

Located in the Near North Community Area, Seward Park totals 7.32 acres and offers the right mix of athletic programming, family special events for residents in this emerging neighborhood. Individuals and teams frequently rent Seward Park’s two gyms for sports leagues and games, fundraisers, parties, corporate outings and more. Seward Park features two gyms with balconies; men’s & women’s locker rooms; a dance studio; six club/meeting rooms; a boxing ring and room; playground; two softball/soccer fields; and several outdoor basketball standards. Seward Park offers the following programs for different age groups at various times throughout the year: basketball, boxing, track and field, volleyball, arts & crafts, indoor and outdoor soccer, T-Ball, summer day camp, Cubs Care Rookie Baseball, and bitty basketball. After school programs are offered throughout the school year, and in the summer youth attend the Park District’s popular six-week day camp. Water enthusiast visit the indoor swimming pool at Stanton Park just steps away.

In addition to programs, Seward Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the whole family, such as concerts and Movies in the Park.

3/26/2013
Park District Youth Duke It Out in Citywide Boxing Championships March 26 and 28
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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
Baseball Field	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	2
Basketball Court - Outdoor	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	5
Boxing Gym	375 W. Elm St.	1
Fieldhouse	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	1
Fitness Arcades	375 W. Elm St. Chicago, IL 60610	1
Gymnasiums	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	2
Meeting/Event Space	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	6
Playgrounds	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	1
Water Spray Features	375 W. Elm St. Chicago IL 60610	1

History

Completed in 1908, Seward Park was one of the Lincoln Park Commission's first three neighborhood parks. Although the park commission was established in 1869 to manage Lincoln Park and its connecting boulevards, by the turn of the century administrators were concerned about the living conditions in densely-populated neighborhoods within their jurisdiction. Approval of a 1907 bond issue allowed the acquisition of land for Seward and Stanton Parks, along with improvements to Lake Shore Playground, which was already part of the Lincoln Park System. Prairie School architect Dwight H. Perkins designed the Seward Park fieldhouse. An advocate for playgrounds in congested districts and a leader in saving the forest preserves, Perkins served as architect to the Chicago Board of Education during the period in which he also worked for the Lincoln Park Commission. Perkins' fieldhouse included gymnasiums, shower baths, a reading room, club rooms, and an assembly hall equipped with a movable stage and an electric lantern with an attachment for educational moving pictures. The Lincoln Park Commissioners decided to name new parks after President Abrabham Lincoln's cabinet members. William H. Seward (1801-1872) was the Secretary of State during Lincoln's administration.