West Lawn Park

4233 W. 65th St. Chicago IL 60629

Hours: Park: 6am - 11pm

Fieldhouse: M - F 9am - 9:30pm, Sa - Su 9am - 5pm

Park Supervisor:
Paul Pope

(773) 284-2803

Description

Located in the West Lawn neighborhood, West Lawn Park totals 16.73 acres and features a gymnasium, fitness center, an auto shop, and multi-purpose clubrooms. Outside, the park offers multi-purpose fields, a playground, sandbox, racquetball courts. Many of these spaces are available for rental including our gymnasium and multi-purpose clubrooms.

Park-goers can participate in seasonal sports, preschool activities, gymnastics, cheerleading, arts & crafts, aerobics, walking club, and senior club. After school programs are offered throughout the school year, and in the summer youth can participate in the Chicago Park District’s popular six-week day camp.

In addition to programs, West Lawn Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the entire family, including holiday-themed 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 Monday, April 15 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
Auto Shop	4233 W. 65th St.	1
Baseball Field	4233 W. 65th St.	4
Fieldhouse	4233 W. 65th St.	1
Fitness Centers	4233 W. 65th St.	1	M-F, 9-9:15pm; Sa & Su, 9-4:45pm. ADA Accessible Equipment Sign up for a membership
Football / Soccer - Grass	4233 W. 65th St.	1
Gymnasiums	4233 W. 65th St.	1
Meeting/Event Space	4233 W. 65th St.	5
Playgrounds	4233 W. 65th St.	1
Racquetball Courts	4233 W. 65th St.	2
Water Playgrounds	4233 W. 65th St.	1

History

West Lawn Park takes its name from the surrounding community on Chicago's west side. West Lawn dates to 1877, when real estate developers James Webb and John F. Eberhart established the village and its neighbor to the east, Chicago Lawn. Though West Lawn was annexed to Chicago in 1889, the marshy area drew few residents until well into the 20th century. Public improvements were made west of Pulaski Road in the 1930s, and construction of single-family brick residences in West Lawn increased as the Depression gave way to improved circumstances in the World War II years. At the close of the war, the Chicago Park District initiated a Ten Year Plan to increase recreational opportunities in under-served and rapidly-growing areas of the city. West Lawn was among the neighborhoods identified for park development. There was strong community support for creating a park at 65th Street and Keeler Avenue, but property acquisition was delayed until 1948 because the owners wanted to build homes there. Park improvements were also slow to materialize, due to the flurry of construction at other parks throughout the city. General plans were drawn in 1953, and playground equipment was installed the following year. In 1957, the park district constructed a small recreation building, as well as basketball, volley ball, and tether ball courts. Community demands for a wider variety of recreational facilities prompted construction of a substantial new fieldhouse in 1972. More recent improvements include installation of a refrigerated ice skating rink and the replanting of the park's landscape, plus a batting cage.