Summer 2008 | Fall 2008 | Time Savers | FAQ | Winter 2009
General Summer Program session dates run June 16 - August 24.
Most day camps run June 23 - August 1.
After programs have begun, you can still register in-person at the parks, if spots are still available.
Program information available for viewing online: Monday, July 28
Online registration begins: Monday, August 11 at 9am
In-person registration at most parks* begins: Saturday, August 16
Online registration ends: Sunday, September 21
Program sessions runs the weeks of: Monday, Sept.22 - Sunday, Dec. 7
* Programs offered at the North Park Village Nature Center and the McFetridge Sports Center may follow a different registration schedule. For further information, please call them directly. North Park Village Nature Center: 312.744.5472. McFetridge Sports Center: 773.478.2609. Also, please be aware that some parks are not open on Saturdays. For these parks, the first day of in-person registration will be the following Monday.
In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Chicago Park District does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment or admission/access to programs and activities.
Save time by doing these two things before the first day of online registration:
1. When viewing programs, save programs you plan to register for in your wishlist.
2. All online registration transactions are processed via PayPal (more information on PayPal below). If you have previously set up a PayPal account, please log into PayPal to make sure your information is up-to-date, specifically your address and payment information. Please note it is not necessary to set up a PayPal account to register online, but it may save you time.
What steps are involved with completing my registration online with the Chicago Park District?
Is there a time limit for completing my order?
Do I need a PayPal account to pay for Park District programs?
Is payment required for all programs?
What are the benefits of using PayPal?
How does the wishlist work?
Can I register my friends’ or family members’ children?
How will I be informed that my transaction was successful?
After registering online, what do I need to do to follow-up in person at the park?
What will I need for Proof of Age and Residency?
What is the Refund and Cancellation Policy?
Click here for a brief review of the Chicago Park District and PayPal screens you will access when registering online. PLEASE REVIEW THESE SCREENS BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF ONLINE REGISTRATION.
Yes. After you have selected your programs and entered the program participants' names, you will be connected to a screen where you need to add your contact information. At this screen you can review the programs you have in your Cart. Note: At this point, you have reserved the spots you have in your cart. You have 30 minutes to confirm everything is accurate on this page before you lose the spots and they go back into inventory. If everything is correct, you will click on the “Proceed to Payment” button to be connected to PayPal. Once in the PayPal screens you have additional time. To review these screens, click here.
No. You can use your credit card to pay for these programs with PayPal without having to setup a PayPal account. The following credit cards are accepted by PayPal: Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
Please note that PayPal does require the Credit Card Security Code (CSC), the three digit number located on the back of your credit card, or for American Express, the 4 digit number on the upper right hand corner of the front of your credit card.
If you plan to set up a PayPal account, you may want to consider setting it up prior to registration. Click here to set up a PayPal account now.
Yes. An online transaction fee of $1.00 is added to every order. This means that if you register for a free program, your transaction total will be $1.00. This fee is charged per transaction, not program. So, if you sign up for one program or five programs, you will only be charged $1.00 for the transaction fee. If you prefer not to pay the online transaction fee, please remember that for most programs you also have the option to register in person at the park. When registering in person, please have exact change for your program fees, parks do not have change.
PayPal is an industry leader for accepting online payments. It is a safe and easy way to authorize payments to the Chicago Park District and thousands of other online vendors without exposing your financial information to the vendor. PayPal offers 100% protection from unauthorized payments and your account is monitored 24/7 to prevent fraud. With PayPal facilitating the payment process for the Chicago Park District, you will know right away if there are any issues with the credit card information you enter, as well as an almost immediate email confirmation of payment. PayPal also offers you more payment options. You can simply pay using your credit card, or you can set up a PayPal account. With a PayPal account, you will have the option to pay with either a bank account or credit card.
The Park District encourages everyone to create a wishlist and save the program(s) for which you want to register. Please note that you are saving only the program in your wishlist, not actual slots in the program. When you are ready to register and you click on the program from your wishlist, at that time you can order multiple slots in the program by entering multiple names. Creating your wishlist prior to the first day of online registration will save you time on that first day, which gives you a better chance of getting a spot before they fill up.
Yes, but you must know the full name of each participant in order to register them online. Registrations are not transferable, so it is important that you provide the correct name when registering. Also, please note that there is a chance that the transaction may fail or time out (only 30 minutes allotted) before any children are registered, so you are doing this at your own risk.
You will receive two email confirmations for your transaction. One will be a Receipt for Payment from PayPal (from service@paypal.com). The other will be an Online Registration Receipt from the Chicago Park District (from play@chicagoparkdistrict.com). If you are using a spam filter, please set it to allow email from both of these addresses.
The PayPal email will confirm that the transaction completed successfully. You should receive this email almost immediately after you completed your order. The Chicago Park District email will provide a link for you to access your Online Registration Receipt. You should receive this email approximately 6 hours after your payment was successfully completed with PayPal. The Chicago Park District Online Registration Receipt lists information on the programs you registered for (program name, park name, dates, times, cost, etc.). You are required to present a hard copy of this receipt to the park where the program is being held no later than two weeks prior to the first day of the program.
Look for your Receipt for your Payment email from PayPal and your Online Registration Receipt email from the Chicago Park District. Print out a hard copy of the Chicago Park District Online Registration Receipt and present that (along with proof of age and residency) to the park where the program is being held no later than two weeks prior to the first day of the program. At that time you will also be required to fill out a Participant Information/Emergency Form for each participant. If you would like to complete the Emergency Form in advance, please click here to view and download a copy.
Certain programs require proof of age and/or residency. Please present valid identification such as a driver’s license, state ID or birth certificate for proof of age. Patron must be the appropriate age prior to the first day of class. Please present valid identification such as a driver’s license, state ID or city utility bill for proof of residency. These items should be brought to the park where the program is being held no later than two weeks prior to the first day of the program. Whether you register in person at the park or online, you must provide this information prior to the program start date. Note: All fees are doubled for non-Chicago residents. If registering online, the additional fee must be paid at the park, prior to the start of class.
A 15% service charge will be deducted from all refunds and cancellations. This includes duplicate and accidental registrations. Refunds should be requested from the park where the program is being held, before the program begins. No refund requests will be accepted after the program start date. Please allow up to six weeks for your refund to be processed.
Program information available for viewing online: Monday, November 17
Online registration begins: Monday, December 1 at 9am
In-person registration at most parks* begins: Saturday, December 6
Online registration ends: Sunday, January 5, 2009
Program sessions runs the weeks of: Monday, January 5, 2009 - Sunday, March 22, 2009
