Garfield (James) Park

Park Details

Main Address

100 N. Central Park Ave.
Chicago, IL 60624
United States

  • Tel: (312) 746-5092 | Main
Park Supervisor
Wanda Norris
Park Hours
Open
| 6:00 am-11:00 pm

Garfield (James) Park

Description

Located in the East Garfield Park Community, Garfield Park totals 173 acres and features the historic Golden Dome field house. The field house holds a gymnasium, auditorium, dance studio, fitness center, boxing center, grand ballroom and meeting rooms.

Outside, the park offers a swimming pool, baseball fields, athletic fields for football or soccer, a fishing lagoon, tennis courts, floral gardens and playgrounds that were recently renovated as part of Mayor Emanuel’s Chicago Plays! Program. The park also offers an artificial turf where children can play in Owls LaCrosse teams and other park district and community programs. Garfield Park sits adjacent to the Garfield Park Conservatory, a popular destination for special events, educational field trips and flower shows.

Park-goers come to Garfield Park to enjoy baseball, basketball or tennis. On the cultural side, Garfield Park offers dance, music and arts classes with partnership organizations including the Najwa Dance Troupe and the Chicago West Music Center. Afterschool programs are offered throughout the school year, and in the summer youth attend the Park District’s popular six-week day camp. Many of the spaces in Garfield Park are available for rental, including the grand ball room, which is popular for wedding receptions.

In addition to programs, Garfield Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the whole family, including Movies in the Park, Black History festivals, Halloween Haunted Houses, concerts and other Night Out in the Parks events.

History

In 1869, the Illinois state legislature established the West Park Commission, which was responsible for three large parks and interlinking boulevards.  This park was first named Central Park in accordance with a resolution adopted by the West Park Commission in 1869.  The West Park Commissioners acquired property for the park from 1870-1932.  This was the park name until 1881, when the name was changed to “Garfield Park” to honor President James A. Garfield (1831- 1881) after his assassination in 1881.  Plans for Garfield, Humboldt, and Douglas Parks had been completed ten years earlier, by William Le Baron Jenney. 

Jenney is best known today as the “father of the skyscraper.”  His ambitious plans for these three large parks could not be realized all at once, Garfield Park was the earliest developed of these three great original West Side parks, it was developed in stages, beginning with the east lagoon.  The lagoons and a unique suspension bridge designed by Jenney remain today.  Garfield Park remains the best example of Jenney’s landscape efforts in Chicago.  Some notable components of the park were the first Refectory (Casino or Pavilion) Building that was completed and opened to the public in 1884. This was the first building of its kind in a park. In 1893, a Pagoda Building was erected, and the first stone bridge was constructed over the lagoon connection.  In 1906, construction started for replacements for these buildings.  A Lunch Room in the new Refectory Building opened to the public in 1908.  Other recreational facilities were also constructed, roque courts, an eight hole golf course, and a bandstand that still exists today. 

Jens Jensen, a Danish immigrant who began working as a laborer for the West Park System in the 1880’s, and after a decade, worked his way up to the position of Superintendent of Humboldt Park. At that time, the West Park System was entrenched in political graft. In 1900, the commissioners fired Jensen because of his efforts to fight the corruption. Five years later, during major political reforms, new commissioners appointed him General Superintendent and Chief Landscape Architect. Deteriorating and unfinished sections of the parks allowed Jensen to experiment with his evolving Prairie style. For instance, when he took over, each of the three parks had small, poorly maintained conservatories. Rather than repairing these structures, which each displayed similar collections, Jensen decided to replace them with a single centralized facility. Designed in conjunction with an engineering firm, Hitchings and Company, Jensen conceived the Garfield Park Conservatory as a work of landscape gardening under glass. This Conservatory replaced the one that was built in 1887.  Jensen’s Conservatory was considered revolutionary when it opened to the public in 1908, the form of the building emulated a "great Midwestern haystack," while inside the rooms were wonderful compositions of water, rock, and plants.  The first midwinter Flower Show in the City was held in December 1909 at the new Conservatory.

In 1928, the West Park Commission constructed the "Gold Dome Building" in Garfield Park to provide a new administrative headquarters for the West Park Commission. Architects, Michaelsen and Rognstad, designed the structure.  This firm designed other notable park buildings including the Humboldt, Douglas, and LaFolette Park Fieldhouses. With the Park Consolidation Act in 1934, Garfield Park became part of the Chicago Park District, when the City's 22 independent park commissions merged into a single citywide agency. At that time, due to the Park District consolidation the administrative offices were no longer needed and the "Gold Dome" building became Garfield Park's fieldhouse. 

Additional Information

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

Contact: Gina Jameson, President

Contact Email: gpacrgp3@gmail.com

Meetings: 1st Tuesday of the month @ 6pm

Facilities at Garfield (James) Park

34 facilities

Garfield Gymnastics Center

Garfield Park Conservatory

Garfield Park Pool

Green Line Mosaics | Artwork

Palm Tree Reliefs | Artwork

Pastoral and Idyl | Artwork

Persian Pool | Artwork

Zellij Fountain

Programs at Garfield (James) Park

Most programs run from Monday, June 16 to Sunday, August 10 Online registration beings In-person registration begins
Boxing at Garfield
Instruction
Sports - Boxing
At least 13 but less than 19
From June 23, 2025 to August 15, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 3pm to 6pm
Except the following dates:
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
$5.00
Boxing at Garfield
Instruction
Sports - Boxing
19 and up
From June 23, 2025 to August 15, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 11am to 7pm
Except the following dates:
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
$45.00
Day Camp at Garfield
Camp
General Interest
At least 6 but less than 13
From June 23, 2025 to August 1, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 10am to 4pm
Except the following dates:
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
$230.00
Early Bird Camp at Garfield
Camp
General Interest
At least 6 but less than 13
From June 23, 2025 to August 1, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 8am to 10am
Except the following dates:
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
$30.00
Extended Camp at Garfield
Camp
General Interest
At least 6 but less than 13
From June 23, 2025 to August 1, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 4pm to 6pm
$30.00
Fun and Games at Garfield
Instruction
Fun & Games
At least 4 but less than 6
From June 30, 2025 to July 25, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 10am to 2pm
$100.00
Rec Leader in Training at Garfield
Camp
Special Interest
At least 13 but less than 16
From June 23, 2025 to August 1, 2025
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 10am to 4pm
Except the following dates:
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
$0.00