Valley Forge Park

Park Details

Main Address

7001 W. 59th St.
Chicago, IL 60638
United States

  • Tel: (773) 229-0812 | Main
Park Supervisor
Dawn Ostrowski
Park Hours
Open
| 6:00 am-11:00 pm

Valley Forge Park

Description

Located in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood, Valley Forge Park totals 8.32 acres. This fieldhouse is a green building that has a 25% vegetated roof and features a Rainwater Harvesting System.

Indoor, there are two multi-purpose rooms, a gymnasium, and fitness center. A green feature of the park includes a Harvest Garden. Outside, the park offers  basketball/ soccer courts, softball fields, and horseshoe pits. Many of these spaces are available for rental including our gymnasium and multi-purpose rooms.



Park-goers can participate in seasonal sports, Moms, Pops, & Tots, gymnastics, preschool & playschool activities, yoga, aerobics. On the cultural side, Valley Forge offers tap & ballet. Nature programming that is offered includes Garden Buddies. After school programs are offered throughout the school year, and during the summer, youth can participate in the Chicago Park District’s popular six-week day camp.



In addition to programs, Valley Forge Park hosts fun special events throughout the year for the entire family, such as holiday-themed events.

 

History

In 1970, the Chicago Park District identified the under-served southwest side Clearing neighborhood for park development. That year, Clearing's population had peaked at 24,560, a 77% increase over a decade before. In 1972, the Park District acquired a 6-acre plus property between West 59th Street and the Indiana Belt Railroad, using U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant funds. Preliminary park plans, developed in 1973, called for volleyball, tennis, basketball, horseshoe, and shuffleboard courts, an athletic field, a sandbox, and playground equipment. Around 1980, the Park District brought in a double-wide trailer to be used as a fieldhouse. For many years, the westernmost portion of the property remained unimproved. The Park District considered selling that section of the park, but had given up the idea by the early 1990s. Finally, in 1996, the west end of the park was improved with a soccer field. In 1998, the Park District expanded the park to over 8 acres by purchasing land to the east. A new fieldhouse was constructed that replaced the trailer that was formerly being used as a fieldhouse.

In 1976, the site was officially designated Valley Forge Park in recognition of the nation's Bi-Centennial. On the west bank of Pennsylvania's Schuylkill River, Valley Forge was the Revolutionary War encampment site of General George Washington and 11,000 troops beginning in December 1777. Having been defeated at nearby Brandywine and Germantown, the Continental Army endured an unusually harsh winter at Valley Forge, suffering bitter cold and near-starvation. After weeks of drilling by Baron Frederick von Steuben and an influx of money for supplies in the late spring, the Army emerged in June 1778 as a well-disciplined fighting force ready to press the Revolution forward.

Additional Information

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

Facilities at Valley Forge Park

12 facilities

Programs at Valley Forge Park

Most programs run from Monday, June 16 to Sunday, August 10 Online registration beings In-person registration begins
Day Camp at Valley Forge
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 9am to 3pm
Except the following dates:
Friday, Jul 4, 2025
$380.00

Events at Valley Forge Park

3 Events