Sherman Park
Interactive Park Map
About the Location
Historic Design
Sherman Park is a 60-acre public park located in the New City neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1905, it was one of ten revolutionary neighborhood parks designed by the renowned landscape architecture firm Olmsted Brothers and celebrated Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.
The Olmsted Brothers transformed the originally low and wet site into a picturesque landscape, with thinly planted trees enclosing the perimeter of the island meadow.
Distinctive Features
The park's most distinctive feature is its meandering lagoon, which surrounds an island containing ballfields and recreational areas. Four neoclassical stone bridges, one at each corner of the park, provide pedestrian access to the island and connect the drives that circle the park.
At the north end of Sherman Park stands a classically-designed fieldhouse, one of the first in the world. The fieldhouse and adjacent gym buildings are connected by trellis-like structures known as pergolas.
Historical Significance
This architectural ensemble was particularly meaningful to Daniel Burnham, as the park was named after his father-in-law, John B. Sherman, founder of Chicago's Union Stock Yards and a 25-year member of the South Park Commission.
Sherman Park was designed to provide both open space and social services to the dense, immigrant neighborhoods at the center of rapidly growing Chicago. Today, it continues to serve as a vital community resource, offering a wide range of recreational facilities and programs for residents of all ages.
