The Coliseum Park dog park is a Chicago Park District dog area at 1466 S. Wabash Ave. in the South Loop, in a small park built on the site of the old Chicago Coliseum. The South Loop Dog PAC, a volunteer group, places it at 14th Street by the ‘L’ tracks. It’s a convenient neighborhood run, but it closes earlier than most, at 9 p.m.

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Coliseum Park dog park at a glance

• Address: 1466 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605
• Official name: Coliseum Dog Friendly Area
• Parent park: Coliseum Park (formerly Park No. 507), 0.75 acres, Near South community area
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
• Permit: Chicago Park District DFA tag

Only tagged dogs may use the run; the Chicago city guide explains how to get a Park District DFA permit.

What we could and couldn’t confirm

Coliseum Park is small. The Park District lists 0.75 acres in total, shared between a playground, a passive lawn and the dog friendly area, so the run itself is compact. The Park District’s page for the dog area gives its address and parent park, but not its size, surface, fencing or water.

If a separate small-dog area matters to you, Fred Anderson Dog Park, a block and a half south on Wabash, is the one to choose. The Park District lists separate enclosed areas for small and large dogs there.

What dog owners notice at Coliseum Park

Most Google reviews of Coliseum Park, read in September 2026, are about the playground, but the few that mention the dog area agree on its shape and setting. It runs along the side of the park beside the ‘L’, and reviewers describe it as long and narrow rather than open; one estimated it at no more than about 15 feet wide. That same reviewer thought it suits dogs that never stop playing, and found the owners friendly.

The train is the main gripe. Several reviewers mention the tracks right behind the park and say it can get loud, which is worth weighing if your dog is sound-shy. Reviewers also note that a fence and gates keep the dog area separate from the playground, and that there is seating in the park for a break after the run.

Hours: this one closes at 9 p.m.

Many Chicago parks are open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., but the Park District lists Coliseum Park at 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. That matters for a late walk: after 9 p.m., you’ll need to go elsewhere. Fred Anderson Park’s park page also lists a 9 p.m. close, though its dog-area listing says 11 p.m. The Park District lists Grant Park, home of the Grant Park dog park, at 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The Chicago Coliseum story

The park is named for the Chicago Coliseum, a sports arena and events hall that stood on this stretch of Wabash Avenue. According to the Park District, candy maker Charles F. Gunther bought a Confederate prison in Richmond, Virginia, had it dismantled brick by brick and reassembled it here as a Civil War museum. After an earlier Coliseum hall burned down in 1897, investors turned the museum site into a new sports and events hall. President William McKinley dedicated the new Chicago Coliseum in August 1900.

The Coliseum hosted Wild West shows, political conventions, hockey, basketball, roller skating and rock concerts until 1982. The Park District acquired the land in 2000 and commissioned Site Design Group to build the park. Its design, including a cast-stone and metal entrance pavilion, a playground, a perennial garden and lawns, takes its cues from the old building.

More dog parks in the South Loop and downtown

• Fred Anderson Dog Park, 1611 S. Wabash Ave.: two enclosed areas on artificial turf, with water play fountains and shade structures.
• Grant Park dog park, 951 S. Columbus Drive: the big downtown run near Museum Campus.
• Lakeshore East dog park: a small enclosed run in a downtown park.
• In the West Loop: Bartelme Park dog park and the West Loop 569 dog park.

Frequently asked questions

What time does the Coliseum Park dog park close?

The Park District lists Coliseum Park hours as 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, two hours earlier than many Chicago parks.

Where exactly is the Coliseum Park dog park?

The Park District’s address is 1466 S. Wabash Ave. The South Loop Dog PAC places the dog run at 14th Street by the ‘L’ tracks.

Do I need a permit for the Coliseum Park dog park?

Yes. It’s a Park District Dog Friendly Area, so every dog needs a DFA tag.

Does the Coliseum Park dog park have a small-dog area?

The Park District doesn’t list one. Nearby Fred Anderson Dog Park has separate enclosed areas for small and large dogs.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Sources: Chicago Park District Coliseum Park, Coliseum Dog Friendly Area, Anderson (Fred) Park and Dog Friendly Areas pages; South Loop Dog PAC, South Loop Dog Parks. Park details change, so check before you go.

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.