Set along the Chicago River on the former site of Riverview Amusement Park, the Clark Park Arboretum reflects Chicago’s layered history, resilient urban ecology, and deep neighborhood stewardship. Where crowds once gathered for rides and summer spectacle, Clark Park now welcomes students, athletes, rowers, cyclists, gardeners, neighbors, and visitors into a shared landscape of open space and tree canopy. The arboretum sits within a dynamic park with a baseball stadium, soccer pitch, rowing facilities and boat launch, bike jump course, Chicago River trail access, native plant gardens, and a future Nature Play area.

The park’s trees tell the story of this place. Some survived the redevelopment after Riverview’s closing; others volunteered into the park’s wilder edges; and many reflect Chicago’s growing investment in urban forestry, including the City’s “Our Roots Chicago” canopy initiative. With support from scout groups, neighbors, and volunteers, the Clark Park Advisory Council has helped expand a collection rich in discovery: sweet gum trees along Rockwell offer distinctive leaves and fruit; flowering apples and chestnuts bring spring color; and bald cypress and tamarack surprise visitors when they drop their needles in fall.

The Clark Park Advisory Council brings the arboretum to life through tree walks, volunteer work days, native garden care, and public stewardship rooted in its mission to conserve Clark Park’s natural open space and enrich the community through stewardship, fellowship, and action.