Washington Park (Chicago park)

Washington Park is a 372-acre park located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is bounded by Cottage Grove Avenue on the east, 51st Street on the north, Martin Luther King Drive on the west, and 60th Street on the south. The park is one of the city's oldest and most historically significant, designed in 1870 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed New York City's Central Park.

The park features a variety of recreational facilities, including a large lagoon, walking and jogging paths, athletic fields, a swimming pool, a cultural center, and the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center (formerly the Ebony Museum of Negro History). The lagoon is a popular spot for fishing and boating.

Washington Park was originally intended to be part of a larger, continuous park system connected to Jackson Park via a grand boulevard, but this plan was never fully realized. The park has served as a gathering place for various community events, festivals, and celebrations throughout its history. Its history is intertwined with the history of the surrounding Bronzeville neighborhood, a significant center of African American culture and history in Chicago.

The park has undergone several renovations and improvements over the years. The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is a major attraction within the park, drawing visitors interested in African American history and culture. The park continues to serve as an important recreational and cultural resource for the surrounding community and the city of Chicago as a whole.