Chicago Park District Day Camps

Chicago's citywide municipal day camp program

Chicago Park District operates day camps at parks across the city - over 200 parks run some form of summer programming. Central administration sits at 4830 S Western Ave, but camps themselves run at neighborhood parks from Rogers Park to Beverly, Lakeview to Austin.

Full-summer day camp programming

Camps follow Chicago Public Schools summer calendar. Offerings include:

• General Day Camps (typically ages 6-12, varies by park)
• Sports-focused camps
• Arts camps
• Nature/outdoor camps
• Wellness and movement camps
• Specialty camps (cooking, coding, STEM) at select parks
• Full-summer and weekly session options
• Extended-care before/after camp

What's Included

• City-subsidized pricing (well below private camp costs)
• Trained Park District camp staff
• Use of park facilities (pools, playgrounds, fields)
• Many parks offer lunch/snacks
• Scholarships available for qualifying families

Experience

This is where most Chicago kids do their summer - scale and affordability make CPD camps the default option. Quality varies by park and neighborhood, but the network breadth means almost every family has a camp within walking or short-bike distance. Register early; popular parks fill fast.