The Churchill Park dog park is the Chicago Park District dog area inside Churchill Field Park, 1825 N. Damen Ave. in Bucktown, set east of Damen against the raised embankment of the 606 trail. At 0.16 acres, with a dog drinking fountain, it is a neighborhood run that works best if you live nearby or want to fold a play session into a walk on the trail.
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What’s at the Churchill Park dog park
The Park District’s listing is brief: 0.16 acres, “located adjacent to train tracks, east of Damen,” with a doggie drinking fountain. The “train tracks” are the old Bloomingdale rail embankment, which now carries the 606. DNAinfo reported in 2013 that the embankment forms the dog park’s southern wall.
A website dedicated to the dog park, churchilldogparkchicago.com, places it in the southeast corner of Churchill Field Park and says it has pools for dogs to cool off in and free poop bags. The site doesn’t say who publishes it, and the Park District doesn’t list those extras, so treat them as a bonus if you find them.
No source we found describes a separate small-dog section or the ground surface, so we’ve left those out rather than guess.
A Park District dog-area tag is required for each dog here, as at other city dog areas. See our Chicago city guide for how that works.
Living next to the 606
The dog park’s neighbor has shaped its history. When construction on the Bloomingdale Trail (now the 606) started, DNAinfo reported on 4 October 2013 that the dog area would close for about two weeks while murals containing lead paint were removed from the embankment wall.
In November 2019, Block Club Chicago reported neighbors saying the dog park needed a $200,000 overhaul, and in April 2021 it covered a neighborhood cleanup there. We could not find a report that the overhaul has been carried out.
The upside is access. The Park District lists Churchill Field Park as one of the 606’s access points. The trail is open 6am to 11pm, and dogs are allowed on a short leash.
Churchill Field Park
The parent park covers 1.39 acres in the Logan Square community area, on Damen Avenue four blocks south of Armitage Avenue. It holds a junior baseball field and the dog area, and it is open 6am to 11pm daily. There’s no structured programming here; the Park District points people to nearby Holstein Park instead.
Around 1970 the Dana Civic Association began urging the Park District to acquire the lot, which was privately owned and used as a Little League field. The Park District bought it in 1973 with federal HUD grant money, gained more land in 1976 when an adjacent right-of-way was closed, and added permanent bleachers. Trees went in around 1990 as a buffer from traffic and the elevated railroad. In 1991 it was named Churchill Field Park at the request of the Near Northwest Neighborhood Network.
The name has nothing to do with Winston Churchill. The Park District says it refers to the property’s former owner and to Churchill Street, which runs along the park’s southern boundary, and notes that M.E. Churchill subdivided nearby land in the 1890s. A 2015 Time Out article instead credits the Churchill Cabinet Company, which it says owned the lot until 1973.
Getting there
The CTA Blue Line’s Damen station, at 1558 N. Damen Ave., is about a third of a mile south, and the #50 Damen bus stops there. On foot, the 606 brings you straight to the park from Ashland to the east or from points west.
Quick facts
- Address: 1825 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
- Hours: 6am–11pm daily
- Size: 0.16 acres
- Water: dog drinking fountain
- Permit: Park District dog-area tag required
More dog parks nearby
About half a mile east along the 606, Walsh Park dog park reopened in 2015 with separate pens for small and large dogs. Half a mile south on Damen, Wicker Park dog park was rebuilt in 2025 with turf and a large sun shade. To the west, Logan Square Dog Park was reported at about 8,000 square feet when it opened. See all Chicago dog parks.
FAQ
Where is the Churchill Park dog park?
Inside Churchill Field Park at 1825 N. Damen Ave., east of Damen and right against the 606 embankment.
Does Churchill Park dog park have water?
Yes, the Park District lists a doggie drinking fountain.
Is there a separate area for small dogs?
We found no source describing one. Walsh Park dog park, half a mile east on the 606, reopened in 2015 with a pen for dogs under 25 pounds.
Is Churchill Field Park named after Winston Churchill?
No. The Park District links the name to the site’s former owner and Churchill Street.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Sources: Chicago Park District: Churchill Dog Friendly Area, Chicago Park District: Churchill Field Park, Chicago Park District: Visit the 606, churchilldogparkchicago.com, DNAinfo, 4 Oct 2013, Block Club Chicago (18 Nov 2019, 20 Apr 2021), Time Out Chicago, 2015, CTA: Damen (Blue Line). Park details change, so check before you go.