Welcome to Skinner Park!
Welcome to Skinner Park!
Happy summer day campers at Skinner Park!
Happy summer day campers at Skinner Park!
The Community Roots Demonstration Garden
The Community Roots Demonstration Garden
Learn to Swim in the WYHS pool
Learn to Swim in the WYHS pool
Skinner Park playground dragon
Skinner Park playground dragon
Beautiful walks at Skinner
Beautiful walks at Skinner
Skinner Summer Day Campers with Mayor Emmanuel
Skinner Fieldhouse
Skinner Park Fieldhouse
Location:

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60606

Supervisor: Chadvas Harper
Phone Numbers: Main (312) 746-5560

 

Hours

Park Hours
Day Time slot Comment
Sunday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Monday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Tuesday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Wednesday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Thursday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Friday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Saturday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Fieldhouse Hours
Day Time slot Comment
Sunday Closed
Monday 10:00 am-5:00 pm Whitney Young 3:30-7:30 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am-5:00 pm Whitney Young 3:30-7:30 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am-5:00 pm Whitney Young 3:30-7:30 pm
Thursday 10:00 am-5:00 pm Whitney Young 3:30-7:30 pm
Friday 10:00 am-5:00 pm Whitney Young 3:30-7:30 pm
Saturday Closed

Description

Located in the Near West community, Skinner Park totals 7.01 acres and features a small fieldhouse. The park also shares use of the adjacent Whitney Young High School, which allows for access to a gymnasium and an indoor swimming pool.

Outside, the park offers a children’s playground, a popular community garden, baseball fields, basketball courts, and an athletic field for football or soccer.

Park-goers enjoy visiting Skinner Park to play seasonal sports and table games at the facility. 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, Skinner Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the whole family, such as Family Nights, a fall Pumpkin Patch, workdays and nature lessons in the Community Roots Demonstration Garden, Movies in the Park and other Night Out in the Parks events.

History

In 1848, as the Illinois and Michigan Canal Trustees prepared sale maps for public land to generate revenue that would be used to build the canal, they set aside a 5 ½ acre parcel on what was then the West Side of Chicago to create a small park. Originally named Jefferson Park, the City’s Bureau of Public Works soon improved the small square with lawn trees and a small lake as its centerpiece.

Theodore Dreiser described the park in his famous novel, Sister Carrie. In this influential work (which was considered immoral at the time) G.W. Hurstwood, a married man, waited for his mistress Carrie Meeber, while she "... found a rustic bench beneath the green leaves of a lilac bush....  At a little pond nearby some cleanly dressed children were sailing white canvas boats.  In the shade of a green pagoda a bebuttoned officer of the law was resting, his arms folded."

During Chicago’s earliest history, the neighborhood surrounding Jefferson Park was one of Chicago’s most fashionable areas.  After the Great Fire of 1871, however, the residential area began to decline, and the park also slowly deteriorated.  

The City of Chicago transferred management of the site to the West Park Commission in 1885, and the commission substantially improved the small park a few years later.  By the 1910s, many other west side parks had facilities specifically for children, and in 1915 a group of local residents petitioned for a children's playground, wading pool, natatorium, and outdoor gymnasium.  As this project would have required filling in the park's lake, the commissioners decided not pursue it at that time.

In 1934, the park became part of the Chicago Park District’s portfolio when the West Park Commission and the 21 other park commissions were consolidated into the Chicago Park District.  The park became known as the “the first Jefferson Park” because the Park District had previously acquired ownership of another site named Jefferson Park on the City’s Northwest side.

The first Jefferson Park remained unchanged until 1955, when it was renamed in honor of the adjacent Mark Skinner School. One of Chicago’s earliest school inspectors, Mark Skinner (1836-1887) went on to serve as a U.S. attorney for Illinois, and a State Representative.  The City of Chicago transferred ownership of Skinner Park to the Chicago Park District pursuant to the Chicago Park and City Exchange of Functions Act of 1957.

Soon after its renaming, the park’s lake was filled to make way for ball fields and a playground, to better serve adjacent what is now known as Skinner West Classical Elementary School. In the mid-1970s, Whitney Young Magnet High School opened just southwest of the park.

Over the years, adjacent streets were greened over, and Skinner Park was expanded to slightly more than 7 acres in size. Recent improvements include a new playground with a climbable created by Phil Schuster and Jennifer Gotowski and the Chicago Public Art Group.

Advisory Council

Contact: May Toy,   President
Phone: (312)765-3525
Meeting Details:

As needed

Parking/Directions

For directions using public transportation visit www.transitchicago.com.

Map & Facilities

Skinner Park Harvest Garden at Community Roots

1331 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:

Skinner Park Tranquil Garden

1331 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:

Community Roots Demonstration Garden

1331 W Monroe St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Magoo - For Lord Buckley | Artwork

1331 W Monroe St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Park Playground Art

1331 W. Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Basketball Court -Outdoor

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Baseball Field

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Fieldhouse

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:
,
:
(312) 746-5560

Skinner Football/Soccer Field

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Whitney Young High School Gymnasium

211 S. Loomis St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Picnic Grove

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Playground

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Sandboxes

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Skinner Water Spray Feature

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Whitney Young High School Pool (CPS)

211 S Loomis St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Community Roots Community Garden at Skinner Park

1331 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:
default image
Skinner Sandboxes

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Community Roots Demonstration Garden
Community Roots Demonstration Garden

1331 W Monroe St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
default image
Skinner Water Spray Feature

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Magoo - For Lord Buckley
Magoo - For Lord Buckley | Artwork

1331 W Monroe St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Whitney Young High School Pool
Whitney Young High School Pool (CPS)

211 S Loomis St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Playground Art
Skinner Park Playground Art

1331 W. Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Community Roots Community Garden at Skinner Park

1331 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:
Show on Map
default image
Skinner Basketball Court -Outdoor

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Skinner Park Harvest Garden at Community Roots

1331 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:
Show on Map
default image
Skinner Baseball Field

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
Skinner Park Tranquil Garden

1331 W Adams St
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:
Show on Map
default image
Skinner Fieldhouse

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

:
,
:
(312) 746-5560
Show on Map
default image
Skinner Football/Soccer Field

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
default image
Whitney Young High School Gymnasium

211 S. Loomis St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
default image
Skinner Picnic Grove

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map
default image
Skinner Playground

1331 W. Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60607
United States

Show on Map