Smith (Joseph Higgins) Park

Tank and monument honoring veterans at Smith Park

Inside the ceramics studio at Smith Park

Location:

2526 W. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612

Supervisor: Joe Benson

Phone Numbers: Main (312) 742-7534

Hours

Park Hours

Weekday	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

Weekday	Time slot	Comment
Sunday	9:00 am-5:00 pm
Monday	9:00 am-7:30 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am-7:30 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am-7:30 pm
Thursday	9:00 am-7:30 pm
Friday	9:00 am-7:30 pm
Saturday	9:00 am-5:00 pm

Description

Located in the West Town Community, Smith Park totals 10.20 acres and features a field house with a gymnasium, kitchen and meeting rooms. Outside, the park offers a children’s soft surface a playground, a water spray feature, a swimming pool, baseball fields and an athletic field for football or soccer. Smith Park also has a ceramics studio.

Many of these spaces are available for rental. Park-goers can play seasonal sports at the facility or bring the children for tots programming. 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, Smith Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the whole family, such as skating parties, Movies in the Park and other Night Out in the Parks special events. Smith Park is the host site of the annual Ukrainian Festival.

History

In 1929, when a large city dump in the West Town neighborhood had been completely filled, the Bureau of Sanitation transferred part of the site to the Bureau of Parks and Recreation.

Although it had been named, the park had few improvements until the late 1930s, when the City installed playground equipment, constructed a small brick recreation building, and created an athletic field that was flooded in winter for ice skating. By the late 1950s, a World War II tank and artillery piece had been placed in the park.

In 1957, the City of Chicago transferred Smith Park to the Chicago Park District, along with more than 200 other properties, pursuant to the Chicago Park and City Exchange of Functions Act. After making initial improvements, the Park District added a spraypool, swimming pool, and bath house in the late 1960s. In 1979, a large modern fieldhouse was constructed in Smith Park. Nine years later, the Park District dedicated its gymnasium to Tommy Positano, a high school student who had been active at the park, and who received a Junior Citizenship Award posthumously.

The City named it the Smith Athletic Field for Joseph Higgins Smith, alderman of the surrounding 32nd ward from 1914 to 1933. (At the time, the City regularly named parks for standing aldermen of the wards in which the sites were located.)

Advisory Council

Contact: David Ramos, President

Phone: (312) 388-2980

Email: dramos8569@sbcglobal.net

Meeting Details:

Bi-Monthly,1st Tuesday every other month at 6pm

Parking/Directions

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

Name	Number	Type	Category	Ages	Dates	Fee
Fall Break Camp at Smith	502841	Camp	General Interest	At least 6 but less than 13	From November 25, 2024 to November 27, 2024 Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday from 10am to 3pm	$65.00
Basketball at Smith	502385	Instruction	Basketball	At least 5 but less than 7	From September 6, 2024 to December 6, 2024 Each Friday from 5pm to 6pm Except the following dates: Friday, Nov 1, 2024 Friday, Nov 29, 2024	$25.00
Chair Exercise at Smith	502626	Instruction	Fitness	60 and up	From September 4, 2024 to December 4, 2024 Each Monday,Wednesday from 1:30pm to 2:30pm Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024 Wednesday, Nov 27, 2024	Free
Flag Football at Smith	502901	Instruction	Football	At least 9 but less than 13	From September 4, 2024 to November 13, 2024 Each Wednesday from 5pm to 6:30pm Except the following dates: Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024	$20.00
Floor Hockey at Smith	502934	Instruction	Floor Hockey	At least 8 but less than 13	From September 5, 2024 to December 5, 2024 Each Thursday from 5:30pm to 6:15pm Except the following dates: Thursday, Oct 31, 2024 Thursday, Nov 28, 2024	$25.00
Floor Hockey at Smith	502935	Instruction	Floor Hockey	At least 13 but less than 16	From September 5, 2024 to December 5, 2024 Each Thursday from 6:15pm to 7pm Except the following dates: Thursday, Oct 31, 2024 Thursday, Nov 28, 2024	$25.00
Girls in the Game at Smith	503000	Instruction	After School	At least 6 but less than 13	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 4pm to 5pm Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 7, 2024 Monday, Oct 14, 2024 Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Monday, Nov 11, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024	$10.00
Girls in the Park Club at Smith	503003	Instruction	Clubs	At least 6 but less than 13	From September 3, 2024 to December 3, 2024 Each Tuesday from 4pm to 5pm Except the following dates: Tuesday, Oct 8, 2024 Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024 Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024	Free
Gym Monkeys at Smith	503022	Instruction	Recreation	At least 1 years 6 months but less than 4	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 10:45am to 11:45am Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024	$25.00
Gym Monkeys at Smith	503023	Instruction	Recreation	At least 1 years 6 months but less than 4	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 12pm to 1pm Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024	$25.00
Kiddie College at Smith	503142	Instruction	Recreation	At least 3 but less than 6	From September 3, 2024 to December 5, 2024 Each Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday from 10am to 1pm Except the following dates: Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024 Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024 Thursday, Oct 31, 2024 Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024 Wednesday, Nov 27, 2024 Thursday, Nov 28, 2024	$50.00
Park Kids - Fall at Smith	503557	Instruction	After School	At least 6 but less than 15	From August 26, 2024 to December 13, 2024 Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 2pm to 6pm Except the following dates: Monday, Sep 2, 2024 Thursday, Nov 28, 2024	$100.00
Pre-Ballet & Creative Movement at Smith	503793	Instruction	Dance	At least 3 but less than 6	From September 6, 2024 to December 6, 2024 Each Friday from 10am to 11am Except the following dates: Friday, Oct 4, 2024 Friday, Oct 11, 2024 Friday, Nov 1, 2024 Friday, Nov 29, 2024	$25.00
Recreational Tumbling at Smith	503828	Instruction	Tumbling	At least 6 but less than 13	From September 5, 2024 to December 5, 2024 Each Thursday from 4pm to 5pm Except the following dates: Thursday, Oct 3, 2024 Thursday, Oct 10, 2024 Thursday, Oct 31, 2024 Thursday, Nov 28, 2024	$25.00
Team Gymnastics at Smith	504291	Instruction	Competitive	At least 6 but less than 15	From September 11, 2024 to December 4, 2024 Each Wednesday from 4pm to 5pm Except the following dates: Wednesday, Oct 9, 2024 Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024 Wednesday, Nov 27, 2024	Free
Tiny Tot Tumbling at Smith	504523	Instruction	Tumbling	At least 3 but less than 6	From September 5, 2024 to December 5, 2024 Each Thursday from 9:30am to 10:30am Except the following dates: Thursday, Oct 31, 2024 Thursday, Nov 28, 2024	$25.00
Young Scientist at Smith	504838	Instruction	Educational/Self-Help	At least 3 but less than 6	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 10am to 11am Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024	$25.00
Soccer - 3 on 3 at Smith	505779	Instruction	Soccer	At least 7 but less than 12	From September 3, 2024 to December 3, 2024 Each Tuesday from 5pm to 6pm Except the following dates: Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024 Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024	$25.00
Slime Time at Smith	505780	Instruction	Educational/Self-Help	At least 6 but less than 13	From September 6, 2024 to December 6, 2024 Each Friday from 4pm to 5pm Except the following dates: Friday, Oct 4, 2024 Friday, Oct 11, 2024 Friday, Nov 1, 2024 Friday, Nov 29, 2024	$25.00
Senior Citizens Club at Smith	503984	Open	Clubs	60 and up	From September 6, 2024 to December 6, 2024 Each Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm Except the following dates: Friday, Nov 1, 2024 Friday, Nov 29, 2024	Free
Walking Club at Smith	505775	Open	Walking	18 and up	From September 6, 2024 to December 6, 2024 Each Friday from 12:45pm to 1:45pm Except the following dates: Friday, Nov 1, 2024 Friday, Nov 29, 2024	Free
Tot Spot at Smith	505777	Open	Recreation	At least 6 months but less than 2	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 9:30am to 10:30am Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 14, 2024 Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Monday, Nov 11, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024	$25.00
Teen Club at Smith	505778	Open	Clubs	At least 13 but less than 18	From September 6, 2024 to December 6, 2024 Each Friday from 6pm to 7:45pm Except the following dates: Friday, Nov 1, 2024 Friday, Nov 29, 2024	Free
Basketball - Open at Smith	505781	Open	Basketball	At least 13 but less than 18	From September 3, 2024 to December 3, 2024 Each Tuesday from 6pm to 7:45pm Except the following dates: Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024 Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024	$10.00
Basketball - Open at Smith	505782	Open	Basketball	18 and up	From September 4, 2024 to December 4, 2024 Each Wednesday from 6pm to 7:45pm Except the following dates: Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024 Wednesday, Nov 27, 2024	$20.00
Basketball League at Smith	502408	League (Individual)	Basketball	At least 7 but less than 10	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 5:45pm to 6:45pm Except the following dates: Monday, Oct 28, 2024 Monday, Nov 25, 2024	$25.00
Basketball League at Smith	502409	League (Individual)	Basketball	At least 10 but less than 13	From September 9, 2024 to December 2, 2024 Each Monday from 6:30pm to 7:30pm	$25.00
Park Kids - Fall Winter Spring at Smith	503637	Activity Package	After School	At least 6 but less than 15	From August 26, 2024 to June 6, 2025 Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 2pm to 6pm	$300.00

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