Avondale Park (Chicago) facts for kids
Avondale Park is a fun, green space in the Avondale area of Chicago, Illinois. It's about 1.7 acres, which is like a little over one and a half football fields! The park has cool places to play, a building called a fieldhouse, and even an outdoor swimming pool. It's a great spot for kids and families to enjoy the outdoors.
Contents
The Story of Avondale Park
How Avondale Park Began
Avondale Park was created by a group called the Irving Park District. It got its name from the Avondale neighborhood around it. In 1929, the Irving Park District decided to build a big, new park that would be about 5 acres.
That same year, a famous architect named Clarence Hatzfeld designed a beautiful brick building for the park, called a fieldhouse. Soon after, the park was filled with green lawns, pretty shrubs, trees, and colorful flowers. By the early 1930s, Avondale Park had lots of cool features for everyone. It had a large playfield, separate playgrounds for boys and girls, a shallow wading pool, a sandbox, and even tennis courts!
Big Changes for Chicago Parks
In 1934, something big happened in Chicago. The city decided to combine its 22 separate park groups, including the Irving Park District, into one large organization called the Chicago Park District. This happened during a tough time called the Great Depression, when many people didn't have jobs or much money. Combining the park groups helped manage them better.
How the Expressway Changed the Park
In 1959, Avondale Park became much smaller. A large part of its northeast side was used to build the Kennedy Expressway, a major highway. This meant the park lost its big playfield and tennis courts. But the park was redesigned to add new places for sports, like volleyball and basketball courts. Even though it's smaller now, Avondale Park is still a great place for fun and games!
