Dorothy's Playground at Oz Park

Great playground, lots of different structures and apparatus to climb up and slide down. Clever use of the space, they've packed a lot of fun stuff into a not-huge area and there's still plenty of space to run arohnd. I appreciated the many well-placed benches inside the park, and there are more picnic tables just outside.

When googling parks I found this one and liked what I saw. I’m not a local this was a one time thing. Super fun! My son enjoyed playing here. He loves climbing and there was so much to climb. Different size slides, a tire swing was fun. Dorothy & Toto are very near the playground. If you want to see the Tin man he is located on the corner and the Scarecrow is inside the garden in front of the playground. Didn’t see and didn’t look for the Lion. There are benches for the parents to sit. I also saw picnic tables. There’s a Target on the corner of Webster & Larrabee St. As a mom I need this kind of information.

The old playground was pure magic. There was a sense of wonder, exploration, thrill. There were spaces for adults to congregate that created a sense of community. The new one is less dynamic, has no space for adults to naturally interact, does not have enough seating, and has not held the interest of my two kids. They got rid of the tire swing, a favorite amongst the 5+ crowd. This is what we get for being obsessed with making everything overly safe for kids- a pretty but boring playground. By the way, it's barely 6 months old and the swings already abnoxiously creak (something the old swings never did). This playground used to be 5+ stars.

The playground at Oz Park is a unique and wonderful space. Oz Park is named in honor of Lyman Frank Baum, the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and features statues of characters from the universe. According to the Chicago Park district website, the name of this playground - "Dorothy's Playlot" - references both the main character from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" but also Dorothy Melamerson, a retired school teacher who donated money to park improvements. The massive play structure is one of a few wooden play structures within the Chicago Park District and while it features slides and swings, the massive, meandering, multi-level wooden structure is clearly the main feature of this space. It contains stairs and bridges and outlooks that children can explore independently (some of the spaces are quite small for some adult bodies). The play area is completely enclosed and heavily shaded by large trees. There are some benches and a small picnic table within the play area and additional picnic tables and a drinking fountain just outside one of the entrances. The play surface seems to be a soft rubber covered by artificial turf. This playground is truly a destination playground; highly recommend.

Beautiful experience with my little girl! Not too many people or kids, just the right amount of sunlight on a hot day with wonderful foliage!