By Jocelyn Martinez
During my childhood my siblings and I would play in the playgrounds. As a young teenager, I thought that I no longer wanted to go to the parks. Not wanting to play on the playground. Just after COVID my visits to parks went from once every few years to nonexistent. Now I am
revisiting parks.
Riis Park is named after Jacob A. Riis who was the inspiration for the park. In 1916 the land was first acquired and in 1934 the Chicago Park District used funds from the Work Park Administration to renovate Riis park. Many of these renovations still exist in 2025.
Riis park’s lagoon finished construction in the 1940s. Today the lagoon is a peaceful retreat from city life. In the lagoon you can see the fish swimming and the birds on the water. A peaceful area that exemplifies Riis’ goal of breathing nature into the city. This lagoon helped make Riis park its own little world away from the city life. Particularly the Brickyard, that is host to multiple stores, showing a fast city life.
However, not everything from Riis Park has made it to 2025. Riis park used to be home to a Ski Jump, a main attraction at the time. There also was a golf course. These renovations have been transformed into a baseball field, tennis court, football/soccer field, track and field, pool and
lagoon.
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The Ski Jump completely caught me off guard. I had no idea this existed. It was a popular event with competitions that brought the community together. The golf course does not seem as completely outlandish as the Ski Jump in my mind. I would not mind it if golf was brought back, but as mini golf so that there would still be space for the court and fields.
This park that I have lived near my entire life has a rich history that I never knew of. A statue that I’ve seen all my life has been a historical staple of Riis park. However, I am unsure what the statue represents. One of the newest additions to the park is a school. Belmont-Cragin elementary school. To me this was the most shocking change.
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During spring break and summer I would go to the pool or playground with my siblings and family. My siblings would play on the playground while I, a mature fourteen year old, claimed I was too old for this. The following school year I hung out at a park with friends. At the playground.
Walking through the path there are trees planted to provide shade, yet it allows enough sun to peek through. Now I appreciate a nice walk with the trees surrounding the walkway. When I was younger than a teenager this peaceful walk was lost on me. I would rather run around playing with my siblings.
My mother loves water features and Riis park has a lagoon. Unfortunately, for her, as a kid that was not my favorite place. Fortunately as an adult I also love the lagoon. My mother and I spent a long time together at the lagoon. My mother has taken my siblings and I to many different parks. This was because she loves to go to different places, so I got to experience different parks as a child. However, we could not visit as many new parks as she wished. As they were farther away.
Riis park has had many changes over the years, yet it still has a lovely break from urban city life. That Riis believed was an important aspect to have in a person’s health.
