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    Jackson Park

    4.5 (32 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Cherry blossoms.
    Ci H.

    Love this park. Back for the cherry blossoms. It's a safe area of Hyde Park because it's right by the museum of science & industry.

    Padma A.

    Love love the city's green spaces . We tried coming over the weekend to catch the cherry blossoms but saw the insane crowds and decided to come back on a weekday since we live within. 10 mile radius. An early day off work and a warm one in April tempted to stop by and catch the seasonal beauties. Plenty of parking and very few enthusiasts made the experience worthwhile.

    Japanese Garden
    Joneice B.

    After four years of living in Chicago, I finally got to see the Cherry Blossom in Jackson Park. It was very beautiful to finally see mother's nature in full swing. It was very nice day, warm for a Spring day. I enjoyed walking to the park and also visiting the Japanese garden. The cherry blossoms were lovely to see. Makes me wanna go to DC and then Japan to experience them all over again.

    Wendy L.

    We love coming to Jackson Park to go on a nature walk and to enjoy the peaceful vibe of the Japanese Garden. Today we got to catch the cherry blossoms in full bloom, which was a first for me. So worth it and special!

    Aesha E.

    Jackson Park is one of the largest parks in the city, and significant piece of Chicago's history. Designed by Frank Law Olmstead, who established the profession of landscape architecture, it was the backdrop of the World's Fair Columbian Exposition. The park is filled with lots of interesting features. There's a field house, and many programs and classes that take place here. The Museum of Science and Industry, one of the few remaining structures from the Fair (it was at that the known as the Palace of Fine Arts), is still technically in the park. The Garden of the Phoenix, also known as the Japanese Garden, is in Jackson Park (somewhere; I have yet to find it myself!). There are sculptures and statues scattered throughout. I did, however, find a natural garden area hidden within Jackson Park! Bobolink Meadow is actually landfill (as is so much of Chicago's impressive lakefront). There's a nice trail through the meadow, and a few areas where one can stop and view other areas of the park. It was quite a surprise to me to find it, and a pleasant one at that. Jackson Park is a beautiful place in Chicago and I hope I'm able to spend more time appreciating this beautiful and historic park.

    Lagoon
    Steve A.

    Another very nice park on the South Side that isn't appreciated. It has a lot to offer and has many beautiful features. Jackson Park has quite a lot to check out. Has a golf course and a lagoon. The Japanese Garden is another feature of importance that's fairly popular. Basically it's a big park and there's a lot here for almost everyone. It's better in warmer months but has its own kind of beauty at any time. There's a humongous lagoon in the middle popular for photo taking. Maybe most notable is the Japanese Garden. There's a pretty cool looking pagoda. It's also close to the Museum Of Science And Industry. This is a nice place for getting sunlight after being inside a few hours or so. Getting here is kind of annoying. It doesn't have free parking. There's meters if you come by car but it also has many bike paths and it's also easy to get here by train.

    Chicago's House Music Festival
    Michele B.

    On july 8th was the annual chosen few picnic and festival. We all had a good time. The park is big enough to hold a lot of people. Year after year it gets better. The greener the basketball court. The golf course. Since they are building the library around it will be better than ever. The other side has a dog park. They have built a bridge that you can cross under to get to the other side from Stoney Island. They still have the pond for the geese and ducks that have lived there for years. After everything is finished you should visit.

    Araceli C.

    Cherry blossom season We went to the park this morning cold day but the trees Was beautiful

    Jacqueline B.

    Interesting how many reviews list Jackson Park but not this actual building /fieldhouse. The area around is quite gorgeous in the daytime. I have only been in this building a handful of times, and it is nicely constructed and spacious. The walls and hallways make it seem like an 'institution', but there are SO many positive messages and artwork about African-American heroes around, which is educational for children and adults. I went to vote, so there were chairs set up in the hallway to sign in, and the room (smallish) contained 6 or 7 booths, as well as the staff. A table with snacks for the staff was in the corner and music was playing. Some kids were entering as I was leaving apparently for a party. I have been to schools for voting and they usually put us in a MUCH bigger room, but with this being early voting and a Saturday maybe they didn't anticipate a huge crowd. The line never got unreasonable but for someone who's claustrophobic this could be a nightmare! I could maybe see going back later to see what's going on, and with the 63rd Street YMCA across the street, it won't be a dull moment! I'd advise early day hours, not dusk.

    Statue of the Republic
    Orest S.

    The park is under construction and looks poor. I would recommend the Wooden island and Japanese garden in it. Everything else is boring. Nothing left from World's Columbian Exposition in 1983

    John T.

    Gorgeous. Stunning. Breathtaking. No, I'm not talking about the way I look as soon as I get out of bed. I am talking about my new Chicago park crush. I'm sorry, Humboldt. You may have just gotten bumped. Lush. Peaceful. Immaculately designed. Jackson Park WILL fool you. You won't feel as though you are in the middle of the city. You'll feel as though somehow you got lost, deep in the woods... and wound up at a country club. Yep. A country club. There's an impressive golf course, French statues, gigantic trees, and expansive greenways. What? Where did all this come from? Don't call it a comeback. It's been here for years. Seriously. Blues Brothers. White City. It's all Jackson Park. Japanese garden. Foot bridges. Bird watching. Jackson Park. I'd read about the lack of free parking, but I managed to find some without much difficulty. Yeah, I may have walked a bit, but that gave me an occasion to stroll through all the beauty. Likewise, I walked right up to the Statue of the Republic. Maybe I have super powers. There's so much to see and take in at Jackson Park. I'd love to dedicate a full day -- from sun up to late afternoon -- to exploring the various foot paths and water ways. I was struck by true serenity as I walked on the green grass. I didn't trip over liquor bottles. I didn't get run over by soccer mom's on cell phones pushing their double-wides. I didn't see many people at all. I felt as though I had the grounds all to myself as I surveyed my kingdom. I loved it. I loved every glimpse I took in. I could spend hours just staring into the lagoon and contemplating its mystery. Truly, with every new scene I observed, I wondered what the heck took me so long to get down here and check it out. Why Lincoln gets all the press, I'll never know. Well, actually... I have a pretty good idea why...

    Dan H.

    This is one of these most extraordinary hidden pleasures of Chicagoland! It is located right behind the Museum of Science and industry around 57th off of Lake Shore Drive but you'd never know you're in the city. It's remarkable. The history of the island goes back to the 1893 World's Fair and is easily researchable. But to me the simple beauty and seclusion of the island makes it a respite that I stop at anytime I am close. I also walk with a birding group that meets every Saturday and we sight the most interesting birds on this island. JacksonParkBirding dot org has our info. It is very near the Obama Library and we LOVE this park!

    Chrissy N.

    The park just south of the Museum of Science & Industry bordered on the east by LSDrive, and on the west by Stony Island. I've seen this park referenced in Devil in the White City, and if you've seen Jeoffrey Baer's Chicago History specials, you know the pivotal role this park played in Chicago's World's Fair in the late 1800s. In fact, in the park, you can view original bridges which stood in the 1800s, built for the fair, light posts, the Osaka Gardens, and resting stations. And of course- the Museum played its part too. The Osaka gardens with its footbridge and lovely waterfall is a real refresher for the eyes and ears. My friend and I were walking for fitness, and took advantage of the cool & breezy June evening to stroll this area. Beautiful wild flowers all through the bird and butterfly sanctuary (south of Osaka Gardens.) The place is pretty deserted except for some fishermen along the lagoon. So I'd recommend not coming here after dark. But if you have time to wander around and explore the paths- do come here. A bit of history, a lot of nature, and a great location for fun, fitness, or refreshment. We decided we'd bring our cameras for sure next time.

    The Chosen Few House Picnic

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    Ask the Community - Jackson Park

    Review Highlights - Jackson Park

    We love coming to Jackson Park to go on a nature walk and to enjoy the peaceful vibe of the Japanese Garden.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

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    Millennium Park - The famous Bean

    Millennium Park

    (1.5k reviews)

    The Loop

    The wife and I visited "The Bean" and the surrounding area for a bit…read more The mirrored bean is cool and drew a hefty crowd on this Saturday afternoon. It is pretty massive and iconic for this city. I captured some fun "funhouse" type reflection images of us in it. This area with the river makes for a nice walk and visual architecture splendor on full display. There were some huge mural water fountain art displays nearby. During the summertime water runs vertically down them.

    My friend and I were recently traveling to Chicago, and we stayed along Michigan Avenue. We didn't…read morerealize until arriving that it was so close to Millennium Park, which we spent part of one afternoon exploring. Like every other tourist, we took photo after photo at Cloud Gate, also known as "The Bean." We wandered through the rest of the Millennium Park Campus and found the entire area to be quite delightful. It was hard to believe that only yards away were busy streets and hotels and buildings. I was impressed with the level of security in place at each of the two park entrances. There are metal detectors in place and bag searches for a variety of prohibited items from weapons, explosives, fireworks, and open flames to noise makers, narcotics, drugs, and animals (other than service animals). The lines moved quite quickly. The officers were friendly but clearly focused on keeping everyone entering the park safe. Millennium Park is a world leader of art and architecture in a public, outdoor, urban setting. The Millennium Park Campus includes the Lurie Garden, the Chicago Cultural Center, Maggie Daley Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Harris Theater. The Lurie Garden is the Millennium Park's 'secret garden'. This naturalistic garden is a place of rest and renewal for humans and wildlife alike. There are also many events from summer workouts, summer music series, and summer film series to a variety of different festivals. The Millennium Park is open daily from 6 AM to 11 PM, and there is no cost for admission. The Welcome Center is open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily. The Lurie Garden will be closed through early July though. There is nearby parking in the Grant Park Garages (North & South) and the Millennium Park and Millennium Lakeside Garage. You can pay in person at each garage or pre-pay online. You can also take the CTA to Millennium Park where $5 will cover your entire trip. You can learn more about the Millennium Park at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/millennium_park.html. If you're in Chicago, you need to visit the Millennium Park!

    Palmisano Park - Palmisano Park@Night (6pm) BridgePort Cool Place for Relax/Meditation/Walk/Jogging/Exercise/fishing! Middle of the City! Nice!

    Palmisano Park

    (47 reviews)

    Bridgeport

    Underrated and beautiful. It's got a fantastic view of the city skyline and there's a whole…read moreindustrial vibe going on but I don't mind it. It's serene and if it wasn't so warm I'd go to it more often. It's good for a long walk but there's no trees along that walk so I'll be frequenting more in the fall va the summer.

    Check out this incredible transformation of a quarry into a park in Bridgeport. In between it was a…read morelandfill. Palmisano Park has went through a lot of changes to be sure. A lot of nature of course. There's trails and an interpretive wetlands among the many things to come across while going through. Best to know about the transformation before going. It used to be the Stearns Quarry. The city purchased it in 2008, cleaned it up, and opened it the next year. Has lots of nature to see and more to do. There's more than a mile of paths, including recycled timber boardwalks, and walkways. At first this was the site of a coral reef if you can believe it. Limestone was formed, and there's been fossils discovered here that are now in the Field Museum. In the 1830s it became a quarry, and operated until 1970 when it became a landfill. There's a fishing pond that still has the old quarry walls. After opening this park there was cause for celebration. The community before this had a lack of green space. Have to go here if you like parks that have been restored from abandoned areas. It's quite impressive. There's all kinds of plants and wildlife.

    Maggie Daley Park - Chicago Park District - I got stuck up there, fire dot not needed

    Maggie Daley Park - Chicago Park District

    (235 reviews)

    The Loop

    We met friends with their kids at the Maggie Daley Park area of Chicago's Millennium Park before a…read moreday of shopping (Feb 2026). It's a bit of a walk in, and the path from the southwest corner of the park at Columbus & Monroe is longer but less-steep than the winding path uphill from the southeast corner at Lakeshore & Monroe. You get some lovely views of downtown Chicago. We continued past the (seasonal, of course) ice-skating ribbon, because we were not prepared to skate. There are several play areas of swings, slides, and climbing structures, some intended for (and with signs to indicate) specific age ranges. The giant slides and towers, and the ship-shaped climber, were very popular. Busy, but not over-crowded. It was quite entertaining, and we played there over 1.5 hours!

    It was a random 60-degree day in late March here in Chicago. I personally have been wanting to…read morecheck out "Maggie Daley Park" in downtown. With that thought, let the exploration begin! Of course we took our kids along because they would be the ones who could take full advantage of the facilities. The park itself was quite large, but we went for the kids playground. Signs were clearly marked for direction so we got to our destination with no difficulties. Our boys definitely enjoyed the suspension bridge, though my younger one was hesitant to go on first. I did see some older kids who were climbing "outside of the bridge infrastructure. There was a note to remind anyone not to do so. Oh well, it is what it is. Even if some accidentally fell when doing risky tricks, the soft padded ground would reduce the impact. On the other hand, there was one section of playground exclusively for children older than 5 years old. The slide seemed to be more advanced for young toddlers for sure. Therefore, we performed our sightseeing duty and walked away since our munchkins were 2.5 and 4.5 years old. Our older one enjoyed the straight slides. I liked that fact there were multiple slides with various speeds so that kids would not get bored on staying on the same one. Normally I wouldn't recommend anyone to drive to downtown but we did this time. My partner was able to secure a spot via SpotHero at the Harris Theater for a reasonable price. I got there much later than our scheduled arrival time yet he was able to extend for another 30 minutes in the app. Overall, we highly recommend parents to visit "Maggie Daley Park" and let the kids release some energy. We probably will be back again to poke around other areas when spring and summer in Chicago are in full bloom.

    Garfield Park Conservatory

    Garfield Park Conservatory

    (829 reviews)

    East Garfield Park

    Yes, yes, yes! A must visit!! This place has been on my list for years to come visit and I finally…read morewas like let's gooooo!! Came on a nice spring day around 2 pm. The most annoying part was the line to get in. They have qr code to pre-pay in line. But not all guests choose to do this which slows down the line. They only had one staff scanning people in. Beautiful flowers and plants. We saw the turtles as well. Plan to spend about an hour here. There are some people that stop and take too many pictures to block walkways for other guests. Parking was free. Also located right on the green line for convenient public transportation option.

    Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous conservatory! Once you step inside, it does not even feel like you're…read morein the city. The plants are lush and vibrant (except when they are not physiologically mean to be so) and some rooms even have turtles and fish. The signs next to each variety of plant do a good job of explaining what it is, where it is typically found, and how it was brought to the conservatory. One can spend hours just wandering and walking from one room to the other. My favourite is the desert room, which has multiple varieties of cacti. This is definitely a great place to bring kids, but it is important to make sure they don't touch the plants unless specifically permitted to do so. The gift shop is fantastic, with seeds, cuttings, and fun souvenirs. The staff at the conservatory are very friendly. Despite visiting during spring break, the conservatory was not particularly crowded, and I plan to return in the winter. Finally, the conservatory is relatively accessible by public transport, but there is parking available nearby (I don't think they have a specific lot, but I could be wrong). Overall, highly recommend a visit.

    Earl J Field Memorial Playground

    Earl J Field Memorial Playground

    (9 reviews)

    We stopped here whilst waiting for our pizza order to be done. It was just alright; I was rather…read moredisappointed. There are two sections to the park, with the big rocket being the centerpiece. It's huge, multiple levels. There are at least three slides coming out from it. Lots of places for kids to climb and scurry and jump. But that part was too big for my kiddo so we went to the smaller section a few steps away. There was a structure to climb, several slides, some bars, and then even a little further away a bunch of swings. I tried to keep her from seeing the swings, to be honest, since I didn't want to have to deal with an upset kiddo when we had to leave without enough swing time. She played around a bit but didn't seem as interested in the playground. We went down a slide or two, but some of them had standing water since it has been a bit rainy recently. The playground isn't technically fenced in, but it is effectively so because it's behind the practice courts which are all fenced in. It'd be hard for your kid to get away from you. There's a parking lot for the Norridge Park District building but the neighborhood parking could be tricky, especially in the summer because there is restricted parking from Memorial Day to Labor Day (ostensibly because of the large pool structure that would keep the residents from having any parking for three months otherwise). The terrain of the park is wood chips and soil, decidedly not my favorite (maybe especially after a rain) and she got dirty pretty quick. I may bring her back when she's old enough to play on the rocket ship, but this won't be a park that we return to much if ever.

    Very very nice huge playground in the woods. The air is clean, the people are nice... I wish we…read morelived closer :))) it has actually 3 playgrounds near to each orher

    Jackson Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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