Dedicating my 500th review this this beauty!!! We visit Horner Park frequently. They have a little bit of everything: baseball/softball fields, playgrounds, walking paths, tennis + pickleball courts, basketball courts, and more! There's even a dedicated dog park, but dogs are welcome throughout the whole park. We love that there is a large parking lot which (usually) makes it pretty easy to snag a spot. There is so much open space to lounge, have a picnic, or have your 1.5 year old run around and burn off some energy. The big oak trees make it easy to find a shady spot on sunny days. It's our to-go spot for the whole family when we want to get out of the house without having to go too far. Starting in June, they have a farmers market on Saturday mornings. We are so excited for that! read more

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Horner Park Natural Area has several paths riverside. There is the low end and upper end. Trees, wild plants and flowers abound. Some area for low key fishing. read more

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I love this park. I grew up here at Montrose and Mozart in the 80's! I miss the old rocket slide and Kitty who was the gymnastics teacher! Great park along Chicago's river and I was glad I grew up in ravens-wood manor to enjoy this park every day as a kid! read more

Great park Friendly people great neighborhood to roam around meet new dog people also

Good park to go to if you like playing sports or just watching any. Horner Park is one of the biggest on the North Side. It has so many athletic fields that it's hard to keep track of these. Among the events it hosts is the popular Doggie Egg Hunt. There's also concerts and movies. A quite big park with so many athletic fields. It's over 57 acres in fact, with something to do for everyone it seems. There's three baseball diamonds, four basketball courts, two football and soccer fields, nine softball fields, and five tennis courts among the outdoor things. Another popular feature is the dog friendly area. This is located close to the Irving Park Road entrance and includes a water play area that's good in summer. Also there's quite a few picnic groves. Kids can play on the soft surface playground. Has a bunch of sports leagues. Youth activities also include gymnastics and tumbling. Adults can get involved in several leagues. There's also classes for all ages on woodcraft. An interesting history about the park. This was formerly the site of a brick manufacturer, who excavated the clay by the river. Later the site was abandoned. This became a garbage dump. It then was acquired by the Park District in an effort to increase recreational opportunities in the city. The park began to come around as it's known in the 1950s, with a playground, tennis courts, and tobogganing hill. It's named in honor of Henry Horner, the state's first Jewish governor. This man first became attorney for the Cook County Board Of Assessors, then Cook County Probate Court Judge. A man well known for integrity. Through his efforts, he got support for a sales tax to fund Depression era welfare programs. Certainly he accomplished a lot. This park is an honor surely. Has many things for both dogs and humans. It's quite a big park. This has a long and proud history for the community and is the site of countless athletics and other things. read more

Horner Park - Park - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Space was rented out for a family reunion. It was spacious and convenient for large gathering. A tyme was had despite it raining. It didn't rain on our parade lol read more

Horner is one of the largest parks on the north side of the city. In addition to the standard grassy parkland, it has nine softball fields; three baseball diamonds; five tennis courts; soccer fields; basketball courts; and several picnic areas. It is named in honor of Henry Horner, the first Jewish governor of Illinois, who was a Chicagoan from birth and gained support for a state sales tax during the Depression to fund necessary welfare programs. There's also the Horner Park Natural Area, which is a trail along the Chicago River bearing native plants. The native plant section has many of the usual suspects: Cornflower; nodding onion; wild bergamot; butterfly weed; perhaps some sea oats. There's the higher area of the trail that runs roughly parallel to the paved trail in Horner Park, and there's a lower section of the nature trail that runs much closer to the river. There are no bikes or dogs permitted in the natural area. Given the size of the park, and its large field house, there are a great deal of activities here for people of all ages from toddlers to seniors. They do woodworking classes here for teens and adults, and there are music events as well. Adults may take part in some more advanced art programs as well as the Horner Park Jazz Band. Something special about this park is that it offers two levels of American Sign Language instruction, and has activities for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community as well. Once the site of a brick manufacturer that excavated the clay along the riverbank for its products, the site of this park has come a long way--from a garbage dump to a park that is used by thousands each year. read more

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We were waiting for a show nearby, and killed some time walking through this park. There is street parking as well as a small lot near baseball diamonds, there were some games going on for Sunday. There is a fun nature preserve with seats and some wood sculptures. The north branch of the Chicago River runs on the east end of the park with a nature trail overlooking the water. A nice large clean park is a great part of this neighborhood read more

I have been going to this park very frequently for the past 6 months, specifically to play pickleball. The park is HUGE and there are so many different activities you can do. Tennis/pickleball is in the same court but you have to bring your own net for PB. Basketball courts are next to tennis/PB. Nearby you can play soccer on turf. They also have a dog park on the opposite end of the park. Tennis/PB has lights that stay on until about 11:30 pm and after daylight savings it is now about 10:30 pm now which is still pretty good. The community there is great with plenty of people that socialize with each other and not just there to play sports. Highly recommend checking this park out. Also there is an abundance of free parking, on the street or parking lot available. read more

Took our Tacos and Beer on our bikes and relaxed in the park watching people, puppies, and kites while sitting on the hill. read more

Horner Park - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is like my home away from home and probably the most "naturey" place within walking distance. I love H. Park (I won't say won't myself and my commarades call it). This park has so much happening and there is always such joy pulsing from its insides. To make it easy to read for the ol eyes, here's a list of what to expect: - mile running path that brings you through scenic paths around hills, trees, the river. Surprisingly, there aren't too many actual surprises that are notoroious in the city (such as untended bags of dog poo, pot holes, etc.). -Park is very clean -Water fountains that are turned on in APRIL yes folks, April, not after Memorial day -Sports related: Basketball court, 4-5 baseball fields, Outdoor enclosed soccer field (so COOL), 6 volleball courts, big hills for running -field house with bathrooms -fast food house, cash only -Farmers Market June - Oct -Day people who are friendly (like me) running or biking around I could go on but you get the picture. I will say that once in a great while there is a waft of sewage smell from the river but if you're like me, you either attribute that to childhood memories or let it literally pass over. read more

I like this park. Big fields, tennis courts, a huge dog park, baseball diamonds, playground area, basketball courts, inside and out, a mile long paved running path, plenty of parking. Pretty much has it all. The bad part is that it needs maintenance, and is not being maintained as well as it should be. My biggest gripe is the running path, which has been neglected for years and has irrigation issues. If it has rained it has many spots that are completely flooded. Right now, in those same spots it has sheets of ice. Almost fell several times. I would recommend avoiding the running path in winter because it is too dangerous. Also, their huge parking lot is half covered with mountains of snow and ice. They have plenty of space to put snow without leaving half of it in the parking area. The most ridiculous and misguided plowing of a parking lot that I have seen ...and just a bit odd. read more

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The many young children that run after 3 o'clock are really encouraging for dog walking turning into running! Much to the delight of my dog I did this today on a beautiful sunny day. I'll just say they should offer a service "we will run your dog well we're running" as the field is Alive with so many active kids. The Pilates classes are a great deal and have a great instructor too! If you stop and it's only five dollars. read more

One of the bigger parks in this area at almost 55 acres it's known for its size and athleticism. The park has 2 football/soccer fields, 9 soft ball diamonds, 3 baseball d's - 2 w lights for night games, 5 tennis courts, 4 basketball courts, a snack shack open sometimes, 13 picnic groves and a long winding paved path for runners & walkers. They also boast cultural stuff w I know nothing about...like classes in a building on the premises for pottery, ASL (American Sign Language), and alternative nights for teens who live clean. I feel the parks biggest asset might be its only flaw. The sprawl and utilitarian design makes it lack character and warmth. Very generic. The landscaping is typical, the only interesting plants or flowers were in a teensy area which looked absurd given the park size. Nice but kinda mundane. read more

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Really, folks? Five stars. Poor drainage and the circular pathway around the park is often flooded and impassable. But, hey, there was plenty of money to cover even more grass with a new unneeded walkway to the street. There was plenty of money to build a soggy riverfront path that's already eroding away and, also, often impassable at several spots due to drainage issues. How about that new wooden fencing, eh? Nice. But I wished they had spent money to maintain the main pathway so that I can do my laps around the park. And this space should never be appropriated by the local high schools. Another example of a city trying to be NYC or SF when we need to return to basics. read more

Horner Park - Horner Park. Drain the swamp - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was walking with my dog in this park yesterday. At that time, suddenly a stranger dog came running toward us and then a stranger dog started bite my dog!! And this stranger dog didn't let my dog loose for 3-4 minutes. My dog is Pomeranian it's small tiny dog just 6 pound and this stranger dog was Golden retriever it was pretty big. It was really seriously dangerous situation. My dog was desperate to escape and I tried rescue her but that stranger dog could not stop an attack and was too strong. Finally I got my dog in my hands. But MY DOG HAD SERIOUS EXTREMELY UGLY WOUNDS IN HER BODY AND LEGS!! Fortunately my dog narrowly ESCAPED DEATH. I couldn't believe THAT STRANGER DOG HAD HAS NO LEASH!!!!! Once again THAT STRANGER DOG HAD HAS NO LEASH!!!!!!!!!! The dog's owner, he just watching while this situation. Also he didn't call his dog and didn't do anything. He didn't make stop his dog's attacks!!!! He just only standing...WHY?! How does this dog's owner take a responsibility if my dog died? This park is NOT free dog run. This park has dog run space separated from main park space!! I had have really BAD experience in this park. It was nightmares. I hope that City of Chicago make a rules in this park for keep peaceful and prevent bad accidents like us. THE DOG MUST WEAR LEASH WHEN WALKING IN THE PARK. read more

I recently visited Horner Park for the first time the other day. I have been to a lot of parks in Chicago and I enjoyed what Horner Park had to offer. First, parking is good. Unlike a lot of Chicago parks, parking here is easy. Street parking is free and plentiful. Also, the park as an actual parking lot that is free of charge. This is a nice feature. Second, it's a very big park. I had a good, long walk here. I didn't even cover the entire park, and I was walking for almost one hour. It features some nice open fields that cover at least a few square blocks. Third, it has some interesting features. When you are there check out the Hornor Park Natural Area. It is a section along the Eastern part of the park. It features two trails right long the North branch of the Chicago River. The ability to get down to the banks of the Chicago River is the most interesting and best part of this park. No matter where you live in Chicago, this park is worth a visit. read more

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Horrible situation this summer. The baseball director took the kids basement money. They had no coach or team. Never gave the kids there money. Unorganized and unprofessional. People should know Horner Park is unprofessional. Kids never received there refund. The president of Horner Park doesn't care about the kids and parent. No response over 40 calls we made. The parents and kids are extremely upset. read more

A huge park (55 acres) where you can jog, ride your bike, have a picnic, play tennis, basketball, take your kids to the playground, and much more. They offer many seasonal activities and events, such as concerts and movies at the park; day camp, music camp, and art camp for the kids; wood craft, and an an annual pumpkin patch. As a kid, I went to their summer camps and when I got older became a day camp counselor. This is a real community-based park, with so much to offer for the whole family. read more

Before summer 2001 I weighed 218 pounds. I picked up the Body-For-Life by Bill Phillips and ran 5 laps around the big circle at horner, three times a week for the summer. End of summer I weighed like 185. Very scenic place to run...back during my high school days at gordon, sometimes we'd hold gym class here. Used to be there was a candy factory across the street on irving that graced the area with some great free smells (and the occasional "what the hell is that smell" smell), but that has since been torn down long ago and replaced by fancy shmancy townhomes. great playground, tennis court, basketball court (indoor and outdoors), all that good stuff. I wish I joined little league here when I was a kid - My next door neighbors were the Hansens and were almost always at the fieldhouse or helping out at the park one thing I love about Horner is that it's spacious, it never gets seriously packed, and it's got a really scenic route for running read more

Horner Park is large. It has a lot of room for people to do a lot of different things...baseball, soccer, running, star gazing, whatever. It's often very crowded, but if you get away from the California side, there is some solace along the river. On certain nights in the summer, there is free live music and movies in the park. That's a definite plus! I also would NEVER go to this park at night. There are a lot of questionable folks (mainly teens) hanging around wearing the same colors, if you get my drift. Daytime hours, early evening...no problem! Enjoy! read more

A huge park with something for everyone. Wide bike, walking, and running paths, basketball courts, baseball/softball areas, and a great children's park. Seasonal events are great; my favorite is the Farmers Market. You see families gathering here all the time, for barbecues and/or picnics. Wonderful for everyone! read more

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I haven't been here in such a long time, but I grew up at this park and loved it as a kid. I hung out here too with my elementary school friends as well as w/ my cousins. The swing had my name all over it and it was MINE everytime I was there. I also remember rolling down the hill, not caring about whether or not I was getting dirty. Those were the days. This park definitely allowed a kid to be a kid. read more

There used to be a three story rocket slide in Horner Park. It was one of the greatest experiences of my childhood. I am not exaggerating, literally three stories tall. Higher than most buildings in the city. There were three levels of slides, one if you were a chump, two if you were a little bit scared, or perhaps just really young, and then three if you were ready to be a motherfucking astronaut! On a good day, there would be hundreds of screaming kids running up and down, all over this metal structure, leading to all sorts of collisions in the hallways, skinned knees, and crying... but mostly, more fun than you could shake a stick at. Well, one night, some dumb kids went and climbed on the outside of the third story of the slide (and no, it wasn't me), and one of the kids ended up falling to his death. So of course, the city tears out the rocket slide... One of the coolest components to any park I have ever been to in my life. The rest of the park... eh... it's pretty cool. There's part of the Chicago river on the eastern edge of it. It's a cool spot for picnics, but I pour out part of my bottle of iced tea for the memory of the rocket slide every time I'm there. read more

Nearly every penny we have these days goes towards repairing the Crack House, so when the 13 yo sister in law came to visit, we were looking for inexpensive and fun things to do with her. Movies in the Park was a great solution, and Horner Park just happened to be playing the Wizard of Oz. The set up for the movie was great - they positioned the screen at the bottom of a hill, so it was easy to find a good place to sit and watch. The field house bathrooms were very clean, and the free popcorn was a nice touch. We brought a picnic basket, a stuffed pizza, lots of blankets, and bullied Deanna M. into joining us - a good time was had by all, especially the sister in law who had never seen anything like Movies in the Park before. Heads up - they often have music before the movies, so be prepared to sit through hippie jam bands and such, it was wretched. It seemed to be a very nicely maintained park and they did a great job of organizing the event. 1 star off for the barrage of annoying back slapping announcements that were made by the Parks group before, during, and after the music program. Just make with the movie, already, would ya? read more

Dog Friendly Area at Horner Park? Input needed please! The Horner Park Advisory Council is conducting a survey for all users of Horner Park- whether a dog owner or not- regarding a Dog Friendly Area. Please take the time to complete this survey and send it to HornerParkDFAcommittee@gmail.com. For more information click the link below: http://www.centersquarejournal.com/news/horner-park-advisory-council-considering-dog-friendly-area For the survey: http://www.hornerpark.org/hpacaboutus/307-dfa-532011 Thanks for your time!! read more

We heart this park. We used to take our dogs there to run the fields. My husband runs there all the time. Now we all go and run around! We took the kids to the hill for their first sledding adventure this winter. The playground is nice-big and little kid areas. Always busy. Have met nice, friendly people there every time. There's always tons of dogs being walked or good dogs off leash. If you're hungry-there's always vendors or subway at the south end. Its so big and green with so many trees, you can almost forget you're in the city! read more

An incredible expansive park for your year round enjoyment. Whether you play tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer or just want a place to run or walk the dog (like me) Horner Park has the facilities to fit your needs. Had to take it down to only 4 stars due to the funky odors wafting in from the river. They can make the eastern edge a bit less than enjoyable, but the rest of the park is great! read more

Play, walk, bike, run, etc. Whole family and dog love it. Only complaint: Recycle! Take or dispose of your trash! There are bins all over the park! Really now. read more

Nice park and asset for the neighborhood. Probably not a destination park though. Huge, with a lot of open grass for folks to run around on (and dogs to play). Kids playground (which is the primary reason I go to parks) is reasonably well maintained with a good amount of equipment for kids to play on. The playground is all over wood chips, which is safe (my boy has taken a couple of tumbles onto it and bounces right back up), but can get muddy after a rain. The playground is not fenced from the rest of the park but is fenced from the road. (Only concern with that is that there are a lot of dog owners running their dogs off leash in the vicinity and although 99.9% of them are great with kids, I always worry about the .1% that the owner doesn't know is not good with kids.) Lots of parking in the area. read more

Best park in the Northside hands down... Basketball, baseball, tennis, great paths, the guy who sells the corn lol... Plenty of room for bbq'n with your friends and family... A new nature walk that is near completion and plenty of parking... Great place to take your dog... This park has it all... read more

Good sized park, always busy but there's enough room so that you don't feel like you're standing on people the whole time. I regularly take my dog there and throw the ball or Frisbee to him. Seems that most of the other dog that owners come here are pretty cool. My dog gets to run his butt off with other dogs and sniff a little strange here and there. Tons of parking (although desperately needs a resurfacing like 98.7% of Chicago's roads), long bike/running path goes around the whole thing, huge softball/soccer fields in the middle, along with basketball and tennis courts on the North side. Feels pretty safe in the day and early evening, though probably wouldn't recommend checking it out at night. read more

I grew up with this park. I ran away to this park when I was four years old lol. I love this park. It is very scenic for running or walking or jogging, whatever you want to do. There's a beaten path that runs along the whole rim of the park for joggers. I plan on hitting that road and losing some weight here soon!!! Like someone said, I feel totally safe here at this park, except I wouldn't DARE go into that park at night. It's too big, too dark, too scary lol. read more

Great paths so wide enough room for everyone walking running rollerblading etc. They have so many baseball diamonds. There are many games going on now all various ages. The male softball game that they are really intense not just weekend warrior softball games. I wish give this 10 stars if I could:) read more

Horner Park has changed a lot since I first strolled through here ten years ago. Then, the use of the park was not as extensive, and the users of the park were not so diverse. But now, it is probably more of a recreational mirror of the surrounding neighborhood, as the area west of the park has changed demographically. When I do my Big Walk, which includes the mile and a half (more or less) of its periphery, you see those Paris-like smoochers on their blankets, lots of doggies and their owners, individuals sunning themselves,doing yoga, lots of baseball and softball, and family picnics. Of course, the park still has the same grove of beautiful trees, and one of those rare "hills" in flatter-than-flat Chicago. I have a favorite tree here and I'm not even a dog. The river to its east has become a lot less aromatic. And if you cross over east at Montrose, you will find the most delightful little river nature trail, which is of course not a part of Horner Park. But it is really enjoyable as a walking, running or biking spot. Not as crazy as the lakefront, but still full of fun and pure recreation. If you go, look for the Great Dane named Zeus. He's friendly and impressive. His owner is kinda nice, too. Horner Park, it's ten years later, and you seem all grown up. read more

Really nice park, with an updated playground & huge parkland. The nature walk along the river is beautiful & blocks long. The new dog park has been a great addition to the park. The building is fed 60's style but very large with 2 big gyms for kids to play in! read more

When the concrete jungle gets to be to much, I grab a picnic basket, blanket, and book and head three blocks down to Horner Park. The trees are enormous, the lawn is vast, and there is plenty of room to spread out. It almost feels like I am in Northern Michigan...Except that it must be on the flight path to O'Hare. read more

We took our dog to Horner Park yesterday for a meet & greet with another pup. I'd never been before but if I lived anywhere near it, I'd probably go pretty regularly. The park is BIG and our dog loved it. She was particularly interested in checking out the baseball diamonds because who doesn't want to roll around in dust? I see here that others have commented on how crowded it is but I didn't get that at all--and it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. read more

Well, I stand corrected! It looks like there are plans to improve the riverbank at Horner Park. I can't wait for it to be completed!

I'm here several times a day, everyday, as I live in the area and have a dog. The park grounds are fantastic and am hoping for the Riverbank Project to get started very soon ! My only complaints are the baseball leagues bring in some of the most loud and obnoxious people into the park (some of them RUN the league), also, the bike riders who think they are in the Tour de France. Sidewalks are for pedestrians ! If anyone else is interested in viewing the proposed improvements to the riverbanks, here's the link.....http://www.hornerpark.org/riverbank-project/250-riverbank-improvement-project-revived read more