Schaefer (Edward) Park is a 0.25-acre Chicago Park District playlot at 2415 N. Marshfield Ave., half a long block north of Fullerton Avenue and one block west of Ashland Avenue, at the western edge of Lincoln Park. It is supervised from Wrightwood Park.
What it’s known for
The site began as a public bath. In 1907 the City opened Henrotin Bath here, one of 14 public baths run by the Chicago Department of Health and named for physician Fernand Henrotin. The bath drew 24,000 patrons in 1945, more than two-thirds of whom paid no admission. In the mid-1950s the City’s Bureau of Parks and Recreation planned a small playground next to the bath house, and both passed to the Chicago Park District in 1957. The Park District demolished the bath house in 1971 and extended the playground onto the site.
The playground is named for Edward J. Schaefer (1895–1955), a local civic leader, Republican precinct captain and aide to 44th Ward Alderman John Burmeister. A soft-surface playground went in in 1992, and the playlot was later renovated under the Chicago Plays! program. Photos on the Park District page show climbing structures, swings and a wood-chip surface.
Good to know
- Hours: Daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., per the official site, October 2026. That is earlier than the 11 p.m. closing at many Park District parks.
- Programs: None here. Classes run at nearby Wrightwood Park.
- Contact: (312) 742-7816 (Wrightwood Park).
- Best for: Young children who live near the Fullerton and Ashland area.
See the kid-friendly Lincoln Park guide for more playgrounds.
Sources: chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/schaefer-edward-park
