The Play Garden
Where We Are
Known for its famous namesake park, McKinley Park is a vibrant and diverse community. The Play Garden is located immediately to the South of the McKinley Park library at 3518 S. Wolcott Ave.
The Play Garden
Our space was created with the children of the community in mind.
The site was originally part of Longfellow School. It was established as a neighborhood park in 1990 and then acquired in 2002 by Neighbor Space, a nonprofit urban land trust in Chicago that preserves and sustains gardens on behalf of dedicated community groups. In 2016-17 Neighbor Space reached out to neighborhood resident Katie Flores to see if the community would be interested in developing a nature play space. Community stakeholders met with a design team and planned the play garden. Construction started December 2017. Construction of the Play Garden completed in June 9, 2018.
If you are interested in renting the Play Garden click here!
The History of Our Space
1944 Children playing at the Longfellow School, original use of the space.
2002 Neighborhood Park established
