Fairly simple yet a great park with lots of trees and a fountain. It's a nice oasis in the middle…read moreof busy hipster businesses and craziness so it's good no matter how small it is. Washington Square Park is popular with dog owners. Has plenty of room for them to run around. This is also a place where there's lots of demonstrations, speeches, and things. A good park for a pretty popular area. It's around the neighborhoods of both Streeterville and the Gold Coast. There's not a whole lot of green space around this area, so this is one reason why it's popular with dog owners. Has quite a few trees and benches. Quiet for the most part except for the surrounding traffic. Has a pretty nice fountain. This is also next to the Newberry Library, so you can check out a book and then come here for reading. Even with issues, it's still a very good park to hang out at. It's not as nice as it was of course, but it's still pretty clean considering everything. The park can be busy or quiet depending on if there's any events happening or whatever.

Washington Square Park is a fine park. It's across the street from the Newberry Library. It's a…read morefairly simple one with a lawn and some benches, and there is no formal programming at this park in general. However, they do have Movies in the Park here and this summer, at least (2022) they are having Broadway in the Park in collaboration with Porchlight Music Theatre. There is a garden area on the north end of the park, at least--perhaps other sections too that I didn't explore as much. You're likely to find lots of dog walking happening here, and they have what's called The Bark Bathroom for the dogs to do their business. About 10 years after Chicago was founded, the land for this park was donated to the city. I suspect the donors had an ulterior motive, as it was a land company that did so, and to what I'm sure was their great delight many fine homes were built near and around the park. The original fountain placed here came in the 1890's, but by the turn of the century the park had fallen into disrepair. Robert McCormick (yes, of THE McCormicks) donated his aldermanic salary to revitalizing the park he added a new fountain. A third fountain--the one currently in place today--was added after the prior one was removed. The character of the neighborhood changed over the years and WSP earned the nickname Bughouse Square; "bughouse" was a pejorative for mental health institution. The park's true legacy lies in its history as the center of oration and discourse for residents of the neighborhood and beyond. People would get up on their soapbox (yep, just like the idiom) and have their say whether it was a lecture, political rant, poem, or other things of that ilk. This legacy continues in the annual Bughouse Square Debates that take place every July, hosted by the Newberry as part of their annual book sale.

Love the track and tennis offered. Pleasant environment with gorgeous flowers and swing set :)read more

Summer entertainment! It allows individuals to experience outside the house entertainment too! It…read morealso can show examples to new neighbors that the area is safe for entertainment!

Convenient dog park in this area. I have been here a number of times with my daughters 4 dogs. I…read morehave never seen any problems with any dogs fighting. I found the dogs that go here are friendly and will come to you for a rub on the back. At one time I had 3 dogs on my lap. Enough room here for dogs to run a bit. A greyhound May need more room , but most dogs can let loose and run. There is a sand/stone area and a cement area separated by a brick wall. The wall is low enough to sit on and dogs have no problem getting over it. Also a water fountain is here and a few stainless water dishes. You have a few park benches to sit on , also the wall. A double entrance gate to help reduce dogs escaping.

Came to use this dog park after hearing good things about it. It seems to be one of the better…read moreplaces in River North to let a dog loose. Ward Park has a dog friendly area on the north side of this. A fenced in area with the ground covered in concrete. This means there won't be a muddy mess going home from the dog park. A pretty small area so it's pretty limited to how many dogs can be inside. It's big enough for a few but not a whole lot. The ground is made of concrete and stone. A good thing about it is this helps the dogs stay cleaner. This also makes it easier to see piles of poop. Has a fountain. There's also poop bags you can grab if you need these. Good place to bring dogs. It's mostly safe. The fence is totally secure and there's no dogs running off or whatever.

This park is incredible. The landscaping is stunning and sets it a part. The playground is super…read morenice and has lots of shade but it can get VERY busy at certain times of the day. It also has a water feature that kids can splash in on hot days. Just FYI fur babies seem to out number kids in this area. I've seen dogs in tutu skirts, dogs being carried in a baby carrier, and dogs in wagons. They are always on leashes and people seem to do a pretty good job of picking up after them. My only complaint is that it isn't bigger. Also for some reason the fountain installations on the southeast corner don't have any water in them which is a little bit of an eyesore. It also is super easy to access the lakefront and river walk from this park! Definitely check it out if you are in the area.

Very cute park and perfect for dogs to run and around and play. I loved all the tulips and the big…read moreopen grass field. There's also a fenced in dog park where my boyfriend sat for an hour watching the dogs run around. It's right near restaurants and a grocery store, which is convenient. If we were locals this would be the spot to go to!

FYI this review is for Skinner Bark Park specifically:…read more I loooooove this park. It's clean, it's spacious, there's ample seating (in the shade!) for dog parents. I wish wicker park would get a park just like this. I love the little kiddy pool for dogs and the fact that there's a water bowl and fountain for dogs and a fountain for humans. It's such a chill place and always looks really well-kept. Go to their events! In the spring it's a wine tasting and in the fall it's a park birthday party! So much fun!

Best dog park! Gets filled with dogs which I love! All dogs seem to be super friendly and playful!…read moreDefinitely a must if you have a Dog/Pup

Good place to bring dogs in the West Loop. It actually is located in Mary Bartleme Park and is just…read moreone of its features. West Loop Dog Park is pretty simple. A fenced area. There's a fountain to get water. A few cool things here. It has a couple of kiddie pools for the dogs to splash around it. That's cool literally. Also has some poop bags on hand. The park is pretty clean and free of poop piles like at so many other dog parks. Chill place that's not that busy. It's a small part of the surrounding park. This area is well maintained it seems.

Not our favorite, but it does the trick on a hot day…read more This little park off of Peoria has pretty low paw traffic except for before and after the normal 9-5 work day. When it is populated with pups the owners are nice and responsible for the most part. There's no poop bags and as I mentioned, it is pretty tiny space but there's a kiddie pool to cool off in and parking is usually pretty easy to find. There's better places in town, but if you're within walking distance it's a pretty good choice.

I'm a new dog owner of an incredible 6 month old boxer/husky mix. Seeing as though this park is…read moredown the road from my house, it was a no brained to check it out. It is large enough but does get crowded and dogs are not always monitored well. Keep an eye on your dog and other dogs. This is a pretty tight space for how busy it gets. The owners vary from cordial to uninterested. I have never been approached by an owner but I have approached many. I believe it is important to communicate with owners if my dog is specifically interested in their dog. An owner says a lot about who their dog is. I took my dog for the first six days I owned her and everything went well. Although I felt a little on edge there, I didn't feel like her safety was in jeopardy. Until the seventh day in took her. It was particularly busy and I saw a pretty intense seen. One dog clenched onto another dogs neck and wouldn't let go. Even though the owner was apologetic and provided their information, it freaked me out. If you live in the area, go to this park. Just prioritize monitoring your dog and interacting with owners to know what your dog is playing with. I'll be returning to this park with my dog. She has white/blue eyes, feel free to approach me. If you're driving, just go to Montrose Dog Beach. Much more space, way more natural feeling, and very nice owners. Also, green friendly. I also hear Hamilton Park has a "best kept secret" worth checking out. Whatever you do, stay safe and keep showing up for your dog, we barely deserve them.

Wiggly Field was pretty clean. There were a couple couple of piles left by either oblivious or…read moreinconsiderate dog guardians but overall much cleaner than other dog parks I've visited. They have a time out zone for training or cool down periods, which is very thoughtful. I also appreciated the fresh running water that is available from several sources and all the trees. All of the surfaces are hard, but I'm not sure what else you'd do that would be better.

My puppy and I had our first visit here today, and it was completely empty! Since she's still only…read more3 pounds, that was fine by me and we got a chance to have her run freely around the area. She loved it. There is a huge bin and a hose, and even a water bowl for her to drink out of. When we were leaving, another couple came in with their much larger dog and he just ran STRAIGHT for that bin full of water and looked so happy just chilling there. Great find :). Thanks, Yelp community!

Came here on a Saturday morning and there was a variety of big and lil dogs playing around. There…read moreare 2 double gated entrances on either side of park. It is cement and dirt. A few benches and picnic tables present for seating but some owners allow their dogs to jump up on them. I didn't see any available poop bags but there are trash cans. It's a decent park, a little walk from Michigan ave and any close parking.

We brought our dog here for a first time swim. Our guy is not friendly and very nervous of new…read morepeople- Laurie handled him perfectly, and he enjoyed his swim with her. I love that they make sure the dogs are prepared before they allow them to swim alone. They set them up to be safe and successful. Making an appointment was super easy. I left a message, and they called back shortly after. The second time, I left a message with times that would work, and Laurie called back to confirm what she had.

I'm deeply disappointed by my recent experience with Doggy Paddle, despite the fact that there are…read morethings they do well. The instructors who actually swim with the dogs are consistently lovely, kind, and attentive (Julian especially), and the facilities are clean and well maintained. Unfortunately, the customer service and administrative processes completely undermine those positives. Last August, after my friend's dog Maverick passed away, she contacted Doggy Paddle to transfer his remaining swims to me as a goodwill gesture in his memory (he swam there regularly for several years). Doggy Paddle accepted the transfer -- they requested and received my dog's vet records the same day. However, I never received any confirmation via email or text showing how many swims were transferred, what type they were, or when they expired. There is also no online portal or way for customers to check their balance or expiration dates. Over the following months, Doggy Paddle emailed me multiple times asking for a fecal test, which reasonably implied the swims were active. At no point did anyone mention an expiration date or warn that the swims were nearing expiration. When I attempted to schedule a swim this month, I was told the transferred swims had expired and that I needed to purchase a new package. Apparently, the swims my friend had purchased had expired one year after purchase, on January 1, 2026. When I called to discuss this, they acknowledged there had been no communication on their part to confirm the package was transferred or to share terms/conditions, but repeatedly stated that it was my responsibility to ask or my friend's responsibility to tell me the expiration date, and that expiration dates do not reset upon transfer. They refused to make any exception or accommodation and said there was "nothing they could do." Sorry, but asking my grieving friend when her passed dog's swim packages expired wasn't a priority. This should have been on Doggy Paddle to communicate to the customer at time of transfer. They'd already earned the money from the previous sale; they lost nothing by extending the expiration date a little longer. I requested that they extend the expiration by four weeks and we'd come swim during that time, and they said no. Scheduling itself is also unnecessarily frustrating. You can only book via text or email, which often becomes a long back-and-forth, and there is no transparency about available times -- you can't see a schedule, only ask and wait for someone to tell you what's open. Holding customers to expiration policies that were never disclosed, combined with limited scheduling access and no account visibility, is extremely frustrating. The lack of empathy given the context -- a transfer following a dog's death -- made the experience even more disappointing. It's unfortunate, because the staff and facility are unique in Chicago. My dog loves swimming and we relied on Doggy Paddle during rehab, but I will not go again. This was a senseless policy to hold the line on given the circumstances.

Scoville Park was the first thing I saw when I stepped out of the Oak Park station. I'm accustomed…read moreto all the trash-infested parks with homeless people in San Francisco, so I was appreciative of the cleanliness and beauty of this park. Now it's on the list of top parks I've ever visited! There are plenty of benches, strung together by a paved walkway, making this a great place for running. I'm not a runner, so I just sat on a bench for an hour to rest my mind from a long day of exploring Chicago. There are also tennis courts and a playground here. Great location, in addition to the fact that it's conveniently next to public transportation. The public library is within view, and there are lots of restaurants in the area. While there are open grassy areas for frisbee or soccer games, you can stay cool under the shade of all the trees as well. Scoville Park is perfect for family outings with kids or picnics with friends, so come out and enjoy this recently renovated public space!

I came out to Scoville Park in Oak Park for movie night. It's a great park area to come and enjoy…read morenature. Relaxing and calm atmosphere. Great place to come walk with your family or just by yourself. The energy from people was also nice. Nice seating area for you to sit and read a book. There is meter street parking in the area. The Oak Park library is right next to the park and also a lot of restaurants in the area. Nice area and place to come and chill.