Maggie Daley Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maggie Daley Park |
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Maggie Daley Park in December 2014
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| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Grant Park 337 E. Randolph Street Chicago, Illinois 60601 |
| Area | 25 acres (100,000 m2) |
| Created | 2012–2015 |
| Operated by | Chicago Park District |
| Open | 13 December 2014 |
| Status | Open all year (daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.) |
| Parking | Underground |
| Public transit access | Millennium Station |
Maggie Daley Park is a huge public park in the Loop area of Chicago. It's operated by the Chicago Park District, which manages parks in the city. This amazing park is located near Lake Michigan in Grant Park, where another area called Daley Bicentennial Plaza used to be.
Maggie Daley Park is connected to Millennium Park by the cool BP Pedestrian Bridge. A famous landscape architect named Michael Van Valkenburgh designed the park. It officially opened on December 13, 2014. The park is named after Maggie Daley, who was the former first lady of Chicago and a very special person.
The park was completely rebuilt with lots of new and exciting things. These include a new field house, an ice skating ribbon, climbing walls, and a super fun children's playground. There's also an older part of the park with a garden dedicated to honoring cancer survivors. The park is surrounded by Randolph Street, Monroe, Columbus, and Lake Shore Drives. Building the park took two years and cost about $60 million.
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How the Park Was Approved
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On August 26, 2012, Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former Mayor Richard M. Daley announced the plans for this new park. Before this, there were ideas to build a children's museum in the same spot. However, there were some disagreements about using park land for a building like that. So, instead, they decided to create the wonderful Maggie Daley Park for everyone to enjoy.
Building the Park
Work on the park started in September 2012. Some areas were closed off, and the old field house was shut down. By November, many old trees were removed. This was done for two main reasons. First, removing the trees and soil helped fix the roof of the underground East Monroe Street Parking Garage. Second, it made space for a healthier park with many different types of plants. These new plants are less likely to get diseases.
Fun Things to Do at the Park
Maggie Daley Park has tons of cool features! You can find a one-quarter-mile-long (0.40 km) ice skating ribbon where you can glide around. There are also exciting rock-climbing walls for adventurers. If you like sports, you can play tennis and pickleball on the courts.
The park also has three big open grassy areas, perfect for relaxing or playing. There's a café space if you get hungry and picnic groves for outdoor meals. In the northeast part of the park, you'll find the beautiful Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Garden. This garden was first created in 1996. The park's design team, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, also designed the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The old park area used to have 12 tennis courts, and Maggie Daley Park now has 6 new ones in the far northeastern corner, sometimes called Peanut Park.
The Play Garden: An Adventure Zone
One of the most popular parts of Maggie Daley Park is the Play Garden. This huge play area covers 3 acres of the park! It's open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM and is designed for children ages 12 and under. The Play Garden has 6 different themed play areas:
- The Wave Lawn
- The Harbor
- The Watering Hole
- The Slide Crater
- The Enchanted Forest
- The Sea
The Sea
The Sea is a large "play loop" that's about 8,500 square feet. It has several ways to enter and features a big metal play ship. You'll find other fun structures that look like they belong in the ocean. This area is made for children ages 5 to 12.
The Enchanted Forest
The Enchanted Forest is a magical network of pathways, about 3,590 square feet in size. Above the pathways, you'll see archways made from upside-down trees. Their branches touch the ground in many places, and a single tree trunk reaches up to the sky. Inside the Enchanted Forest, there's a Turning Stone, which is an upright stone that spins around. You can also explore a mirror maze called Kaleidoscope.
The Slide Crater
The Slide Crater is a huge play zone, about 12,000 square feet. You enter it from the high Wave Lawn by crossing the Tower Bridge. This is a cool suspension bridge held up by two towers. One tower has two slides, and the other has lots of fun things to play with, like knobs, flags, a viewing scope, and talk tubes.
Some people have wondered if the slides in The Slide Crater are unsafe. However, the Chicago Park District says that the slides do not pose a high risk. They explained that Maggie Daley Park is one of the biggest and busiest playgrounds in the city. They also said that the play equipment meets safety standards set by an international organization called ASTM.
The Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is a fun, animal-themed play space that's about 1,200 square feet. It has several plastic animals, including a large whale. There are also spouts for children to play in the water. This area is designed for younger children, ages 2 to 5.
The Harbor
The Harbor is another area for children ages two to five, covering 2,000 square feet. It features a boardwalk and three full-sized play boats. Beautiful plants from the park surround this area. It's located between the park's swing areas.
The Wave Lawn
The Wave Lawn is a large play area, about 16,530 square feet. It cuts a path right through the middle of the Play Garden.
There are plans for a restaurant in the park, which will be about 10,000 square feet. It is expected to open after the park's first year of operation.
