LaFollette Park

What You'll Find Here

Spread across 18.70 acres in Chicago's Austin community, LaFollette Park is a green oasis with something for everyone. The fieldhouse is the park's central feature, housing an indoor pool for year-round swimming, a gymnasium for basketball, a fitness center, an auditorium for community events, and two kitchens that support various programs and gatherings.

Step outside and you'll discover plenty of options to stay active. The park includes basketball courts where pickup games regularly happen, baseball fields, tennis courts, and an artificial turf athletic field used for football and soccer matches throughout the year. If you're visiting with little ones, two playgrounds provide plenty of climbing and sliding adventures, while the interactive water spray feature offers welcome relief on hot summer days. There's also a pavilion where you can gather with friends or find some shade on sunny afternoons.

The walking track loops around the grounds, offering a nice spot for morning strolls or evening workouts in a relatively peaceful setting.

Programs and Community Life

LaFollette Park stays busy year-round with engaging programs for the community. During the school year, after-school programs provide a safe and enriching environment for local youth, while the six-week day camp becomes a summer highlight for many children. Sports enthusiasts might recognize the LaFollette Park Junior Bears Football team, which has built quite an impressive reputation in local leagues.

The park's calendar fills up with special events during the year, from fall pumpkin patches to various Night Out in the Parks activities that bring neighbors together for entertainment and community building.

A Bit of History

The story of LaFollette Park begins in 1918 when Jens Jensen, a visionary landscape architect, included it in his concept for a new kind of neighborhood center. The West Park District acquired the land in 1919, but it remained undeveloped for several years.

In 1926, the park was named after Robert M. La Follette, a progressive political figure who served as a U.S. Representative, Senator, and Wisconsin governor. The following year, after residents approved a bond issue, the magnificent Italian Renaissance Revival-style fieldhouse was constructed, establishing the architectural character that still defines the park today.

Over the decades, LaFollette Park has continued to serve the Austin neighborhood, adapting to community needs while providing space for recreation and fitness activities.