Barrett Park dates to just after 1900, when the surrounding Lower West Side neighborhood was home to thousands of newly-arrived southern- and eastern-European immigrants. The park began as a playground leased and operated by the Gad's Hill Center, a local social welfare settlement house. The City of Chicago's Special Park Commission took over the lease in December 1907, furthering its goal of operating playgrounds and small parks in the city's most densely-populated neighborhoods. That spring, the commission installed playground equipment and constructed an attractive frame building with a kindergarten room and toilets. In 1928, the city renamed the park in honor of John V. Barrett, a member of the Cook County Board of Review. Barrett was active in social and civic affairs, and was known as a strong supporter of athletics for West Side youth. The Bureau of Parks and Recreation replaced the make-shift fieldhouse with a new brick recreation building in late 1952.

Barret Park also features a walking path. Distance: .08 miles