Events
Jun
21
Location:
5917 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
Supervisor:
Misty Mitchell
Phone Numbers:
Main
(312) 742-7502
Other
(312) 742-8259 Gymnastic Center
Other
(312) 742-5323 Senior Satellite Center
Features:
Metered Lot Parking, Metered Street Parking, Has Divvy Bike Rental
Hours
Park Hours
Description
Located along Broadway and Thorndale Avenues in the Edgewater community, Broadway Armory Park totals 2.33 acres and is the Chicago Park District's largest indoor recreational facility. Officially purchased in 1998 after being no longer needed by the National Guard for military purposes, the massive, 87-year-old park facility today houses five gymnasia and 13 rooms. Broadway Armory's open space makes it ideal for Chicago Park District's special sporting events such as citywide 3 on 3 soccer and volleyball. Outside organizations and families use the park regularly for their own permitted events and parties.
- The energy-efficient facility offers the community array of amenities. The park boasts an active after-school program for children ages 6-12, who create their own afternoons by choosing from a list of available activities such as dance, fitness, floor hockey, arts & crafts, and homework time.
- Broadway Armory is home to a Teen Center, designed specifically for teens to socialize, play a video game or just hang out with their friends in a safe environment.
- In addition, the facility is home to one of the park district’s 9 gymnastics centers. The gymnastics center offers quality instruction for beginners to advanced competitors year-round.
- Flying high on the flying trapeze! Check out Get A Grip Trapeze located at Broadway Armory. For classes click here.
Community residents looking for a location for their special event or party are invited to check out the newly renovated community room. Skylights on the second-floor room have been restored to allow more daylight into the building. A new sustainable bamboo floor was also installed in the second-floor community room. Call the park for room availability.
The park is also home to the Department of Aging Senior Center and National Guard.
History
Subdivided by John Lewis Cochran in the 1880s and 1890s, Chicago's far north Edgewater neighborhood grew rapidly after 1900, as single-family homes filled the area west of Broadway and handsome apartment buildings sprang up just west of Lake Michigan. In 1916, architects Carpenter & Weldon designed the enormous Winter Garden Ice Skating Rink as a recreational amenity for the thriving community. It is unclear whether the ice rink, located at Broadway and Thorndale Avenue, ever opened for business. By the end of World War I, however, the State of Illinois had modified the new structure for use as an armory. For years, the Illinois National Guard used the building for drilling and training. The Broadway Armory simultaneously offered various recreational opportunities to the community, including ice skating, roller-skating, and tennis. After World War II, Edgewater became increasingly crowded, as large homes and apartments were carved into smaller units, and a long string of high-rises rose up along the lakeshore. There were few recreational facilities in the densely populated neighborhood.
In the mid-1970s, the Edgewater Community Council began advocating the development of an indoor recreation center at the Broadway Armory. In 1979, the Chicago Park District signed a 25-year lease with the State for the use of a portion of the structure. After obtaining more than $2 million in state and federal funding for capital improvements, the Park District opened the new Broadway Armory indoor recreation center in 1985. The facility soon offered many popular programs, including pre-school and pre-kindergarten classes, performing arts, photography, and aerobics. Late-night basketball leagues began making use of the enormous drill hall, large enough to hold five gymnasia. The Park District purchased the armory in 1998 from the State of Illinois Department of Military Affairs, after the State decided the facility was no longer needed for military purposes. The park was officially named Broadway Armory Park in 2013.
Advisory Council
Contact:
Hussain Mohammed, President
Email:
broadwayarmorypark@gmail.com
Meeting Details:
3rd Thursday of the month at 6pm.
Parking/Directions
Metered parking is available in the lot on site. Get rates and additional information.
For directions using public transportation visit www.transitchicago.com.
Map & Facilities
Broadway Armory Climbing Wall
Broadway Armory Community Room
Broadway Armory Culinary Center
Broadway Armory Fieldhouse
Broadway Armory Fitness Center
Broadway Armory Gymnastics Center
Broadway Armory Photography Studio
Building the Heart of Edgewater | Artwork
