Established in 1873 as Congress Park, the land for this park was donated to the City of Chicago by local real estate developers Frank W. and James L. Campbell. The city transferred the one-acre park to the West Park Commission in 1915, at which time the commission acquired an additional four acres. The following year the expanded park was named in honor of John P. Altgeld (1847-1902), Illinois' governor from 1893 to 1897, and an early proponent of neighborhood playgrounds.

Altgeld Park also features a walking path. Distance 0.25 miles.