Bronzeville dog park 591 is a 0.31-acre Chicago Park District dog area at 3902 S. Lake Park Ave., just east of Mandrake Park. Although it is one of the three Bronzeville dog parks, the Park District places it in the Oakland community area, not Grand Boulevard. It has separate spaces for small and large dogs, and a 10-acre park next door for a leashed walk before or after.
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Bronzeville dog park 591 vs. 590 and 592
The Bronzeville Association for Recreation with Canines (BARC), the residents’ group behind all three parks, says they are about a mile apart. This is the easternmost of the three and the only one with a large park beside it.
- Park No. 591 (this page): Lake Park Avenue in Oakland, 0.31 acres, next to Mandrake Park. The smallest of the three, by a hair.
- Park No. 590: Indiana Avenue in Grand Boulevard, 0.32 acres, about a block from the Indiana Green Line station.
- Park No. 592: Vincennes Avenue in Grand Boulevard, 0.38 acres, the largest.
The dog area
The whole of Park No. 591 is the dog area. The Park District says the Oakland community picked this piece of city-owned land for a Dog Friendly Area, the city transferred it to the Park District in 2019, and the Park District built it as a dog park. The other two sites were transferred a year earlier, in 2018.
BARC says each of its parks has separate spaces for small and large dogs. Unlike Park No. 590, this site had no opening-day report: when 590 opened in September 2019, Block Club Chicago said the Lake Park Avenue park was still going through final checks, and we have not found a later account of what was built. Check the surface and whether the water is on when you arrive.
Quick facts
- Address: 3902 S. Lake Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60653 (the Park District’s dog-area listing uses 3900)
- Community area: Oakland
- Size: 0.31 acres
- Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., the Park District’s standard dog-area hours
- Small-dog area: yes, per BARC
- Park District phone: (312) 747-9938
Next door: Mandrake Park
What sets this Bronzeville dog park apart is its neighbor. Mandrake (Henry Brown) Park, at 3858 S. Cottage Grove Ave., covers 10.16 acres. It has a running track, an artificial turf athletic field, tennis and basketball courts, baseball diamonds and a playground. Its fieldhouse is the former Abraham Lincoln Center.
The park honors Henry McNeil Brown (1935 to 1996), an activist who, according to the Park District, began whitewashing billboards in 1990 that advertised alcohol and tobacco to Black and Latino children. The Park District bought the land in 1999 and 2000 and built the park.
Mandrake Park is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dogs must stay leashed outside the dog area. The Park District says it also hosts Movies in the Park screenings and other Night Out in the Parks events.
About Oakland
Oakland runs from 35th Street to 43rd Street, between Cottage Grove Avenue and Lake Shore Drive. At about 0.6 square miles, it is the smallest of Chicago’s community areas. Of the three Bronzeville dog parks, this is the one nearest the lake.
Permit and hours
Bring your dog’s Park District DFA tag; our Chicago city guide explains who needs one and how to buy it. The Park No. 591 page lists no special hours, so the standard 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. applies.
Other dog parks nearby
- Bronzeville Dog Park 590: west on Indiana Avenue, about a block from the Indiana Green Line station.
- Bronzeville Dog Park 592: south-west on Vincennes, with the most room of the three.
- Fred Anderson Dog Park: the South Loop’s turf dog park, with small and large dog sides, a tunnel and shade structures.
See also all Chicago dog parks.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bronzeville dog park 591?
At 3902 S. Lake Park Ave., on the east side of Mandrake Park. The Park District places it in the Oakland community area.
Is Park No. 591 in Bronzeville or Oakland?
Both, depending on who you ask. It was built as one of three Bronzeville dog parks, but the Park District lists it in the Oakland community area.
Can my dog go into Mandrake Park?
On a leash, yes. Off-leash play is only for the fenced dog area.
Is there a small-dog area at Bronzeville dog park 591?
BARC says each of the three Bronzeville parks has separate spaces for small and large dogs.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Sources: Chicago Park District Park No. 591, Park No. 591 Dog Friendly Area and Mandrake (Henry Brown) Park; City of Chicago, Three Dog Parks Approved for South Side Neighborhoods; BARC locations; Block Club Chicago, 5 February 2019; Oakland, Chicago (Wikipedia). Park details change, so check before you go.