Jackie Robinson Park

10540 S. Morgan St. Chicago IL 60643

Hours: Park: 6am - 11pm

Park Supervisor:
TBD

(312) 745-4041

Description

Located in the Washington Heights neighborhood, Jackie Robinson Park totals 5.96 acres and features a multi-purpose clubroom. Outside, the park offers a playground, softball/baseball diamonds, and basketball courts. Many of these spaces are available for rental including our ball fields. This park is adjacent to Jackie Robinson Little League, a CPS facility.

Park-goers can participate in seasonal sports, cheerleading, dance. On the cultural side, Jackie Robinson Park offers ballet. After school programs are offered throughout the school year. During the summer, youth can participate in the Chicago Park District’s popular six-week day camp. Specialty camps are offered in the summer as well, and include dance and sports camp.

In addition to programs, Jackie Robinson Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the entire family.

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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 Monday, April 22. 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	DESCRIPTOR	QTY	NOTES
Basketball Court - Outdoor	10540 S. Morgan St.		1
Fieldhouse	10540 S. Morgan St. 0Chicago IL 60643		1

History

In the years following World War II, the Chicago Park District began a major effort to create new parks in rapidly-growing neighborhoods. As part of this initiative, a committee formed in 1946 with representatives of the Chicago Park District and Board of Education to determine how facilities could jointly serve as schools and parks. At that time, the Chicago Park District had identified dozens of sites for park expansion and 16 of them were adjacent to existing schools. The Joint Committee on School-Parks studied the 16 locations and made specific recommendations for additions to the school buildings, and improvements to the surrounding grounds including playgrounds, athletic fields, and passive landscape areas. The proposed improvements included club rooms and gymnasiums for use during afterschool hours and weekends. Mount Vernon Elementary School in Chicago’s Washington Heights neighborhood was one of the initial 16 schools identified for the program. The park district began purchasing land adjacent to Mount Vernon School in 1946, and plans for the new School-Park were published in the Chicago Tribune in 1955. Two years later, the Chicago Park District and Board of Education completed the project. Both the park and the adjacent school were originally named Mount Vernon, for George Washington's Virginia home. In 1999, the Chicago Park District formally renamed the park in response to the Mount Vernon Park Advisory Council’s suggestion that it should honor baseball great Jackie Robinson (1919-1972). When he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Robinson became the first African-American to play major league baseball. He was voted "Rookie of the Year" for his part in Brooklyn's pennant-winning season. Two years later, he led the league in batting and stolen bases, and was named most valuable player. Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1984, President Ronald Regan posthumously awarded Jackie Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for a civilian who has contributed to the national interests of the United States of America.