Dorothy's Playground at Oz Park
📍 Lincoln Park, IL
Fenced wooden playground at 2021 N. Burling St in Chicago's Lincoln Park. Multiple climbing structures, slides, and a tire swing on rubberized surface. Wizard of Oz character statues throughout the surrounding park. Free entry, pram accessible.
The playground at Oz Park is a unique and wonderful space. Oz Park is named in honor of Lyman Frank Baum, the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and features statues of characters from the universe. According to the Chicago Park district website, the name of this playground - "Dorothy's Playlot" - references both the main character from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" but also Dorothy Melamerson, a retired school teacher who donated money to park improvements. The massive play structure is one of a few wooden play structures within the Chicago Park District and while it features slides and swings, the massive, meandering, multi-level wooden structure is clearly the main feature of this space. It contains stairs and bridges and outlooks that children can explore independently (some of the spaces are quite small for some adult bodies). The play area is completely enclosed and heavily shaded by large trees. There are some benches and a small picnic table within the play area and additional picnic tables and a drinking fountain just outside one of the entrances. The play surface seems to be a soft rubber covered by artificial turf. This playground is truly a destination playground; highly recommend.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for families with active kids aged 3–10 who want a climbing-focused playground with real variety in structure. The fenced perimeter and rubberized surface make it low-stress for parents of younger children. Weekday visits are quieter — weekend mornings draw established neighborhood groups.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →39 Google reviews
Andy Meyer
3 years ago
“The playground at Oz Park is a unique and wonderful space. Oz Park is named in honor of Lyman Frank Baum, the author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and features statues of characters from the universe. According to the Chicago Park district website, the name of this playground - "Dorothy's Playlot" - references both the main character from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" but also Dorothy Melamerson, a retired school teacher who donated money to park improvements. The massive play structure is one of a few wooden play structures within the Chicago Park District and while it features slides and swings, the massive, meandering, multi-level wooden structure is clearly the main feature of this space. It contains stairs and bridges and outlooks that children can explore independently (some of the spaces are quite small for some adult bodies). The play area is completely enclosed and heavily shaded by large trees. There are some benches and a small picnic table within the play area and additional picnic tables and a drinking fountain just outside one of the entrances. The play surface seems to be a soft rubber covered by artificial turf. This playground is truly a destination playground; highly recommend.”
Diana Cervantes
2 years ago
“When googling parks I found this one and liked what I saw. I’m not a local this was a one time thing. Super fun! My son enjoyed playing here. He loves climbing and there was so much to climb. Different size slides, a tire swing was fun. Dorothy & Toto are very near the playground. If you want to see the Tin man he is located on the corner and the Scarecrow is inside the garden in front of the playground. Didn’t see and didn’t look for the Lion. There are benches for the parents to sit. I also saw picnic tables. There’s a Target on the corner of Webster & Larrabee St. As a mom I need this kind of information.”
Daniel Otto
a year ago
“Great playground, lots of different structures and apparatus to climb up and slide down. Clever use of the space, they've packed a lot of fun stuff into a not-huge area and there's still plenty of space to run arohnd. I appreciated the many well-placed benches inside the park, and there are more picnic tables just outside.”
Ahmed M.
2 months ago
“Great playground that is fenced and worry free. Parking is relatively easy despite being on a man street.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Dorothy's Playground features custom wooden climbing structures packed into a well-designed fenced space within Oz Park. Multiple levels, slides, and a tire swing give active kids a range of challenges. The rubberized surface runs throughout. Benches are positioned inside the fence for parents. Wizard of Oz character statues — Dorothy and Toto near the playground, Tin Man on the corner, Scarecrow in the garden — extend the visit into a themed park walk.
