I only use Margate Park for the gym which has all of the equipment I need. The front desk staff is very friendly and I see them coming through the area several times while working out cleaning the equipment. My only frustration is that it takes time for equipment to be fixed when broken and it is rarely, if at all, replaced. 2025 hours: M-F: 9am - 9pm Sat: 9am - 5pm Sun: 9am - 3pm Sun Gym: 9am - 2pm read more

Margate Park - Hours of Operation 2025 - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Basic looking park with fieldhouse. It has a location in the neighborhood of the same name. Margate Park seems to be an extension of Lincoln Park. Just seems to be a part of it on the far north side of it. The fieldhouse is the main attraction, along with a dog friendly area and community garden outside. A part of the bigger Lincoln Park is what it seems to be. It's still got its own characteristics. The most prominent thing here is the fieldhouse. Kind of musty inside but it's clean. This has a fitness center and gymnasium. Also you can rent the clubrooms. Outside there's a baseball field. Also has a dog friendly area. There's an ADA approved playground with cool mosaics. Good area with lots for children and dogs too, so basically the whole family. It's located east of Sheridan, and is like a part of Lincoln Park. There's programs for kids and adults including pickleball and volleyball. read more

Margate Park - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Margate is fine. It's where I can bring my Christmas tree after the holiday is over so that is super handy. It's actually part of THE Lincoln Park--yes, all the park areas between Fullerton and Foster is Lincoln Park (the park, not the neighborhood). The field house is a good one with lots of services, including a gym, and if you need a rental space you could consider this one (they even have a kitchen, I believe). There's a good deal of parking here if you're attending an activity in the field house. There's a lot of programming here for, for all ages, year round. read more

Let me not mince words: there are no frills here but the gym does the trick. In total, the facility has about 4 treadmills (one is very old), 4 ellipticals, and 4 bikes. There's one rowing machine as well but it's in the corner and somewhat difficult to access if the cardio room is full. There are plenty of windows to open in the summer when it's hot as well as an air conditioner. I don't spend much time in the weight room but it seems to have all the basics as well. The crowd very much reflects the neighborhood. Definitely no LA Fitness vibes or body builder types. Just a collection of average folks working to improve their health and wellness. As for cons, the hours aren't the best. If you work a 9 to 5 job there's no way you'll be able to get an early morning workout in because the facility doesn't open until 9:30am. I've never used the bathroom or shower so I can't comment on those. If you live anywhere near Marine Drive between Foster and Lawrence or Wilson and don't need fancy equipment, Margate Park is definitely worth pursuing. read more

This review is for the YOGA class at Margate Field House only. Let me be clear...I love Margate Park. Margate Field House seems nice enough, though I haven't worked out there. The yoga class (currently) offered at the Field House, however, sucks. I just moved to the area and I was excited that there was a yoga class so close to my apartment. The setting wasn't fancy, but I didn't mind that at all. The class was HORRIBLE because of the instructor, Azure. She knows the name of poses and can do them herself, but that's about all I can say for her. It seemed pretty evident that yoga was nothing more than a job for her. I've never met a less friendly, less helpful, less engaged yoga instructor. She barked out the names of poses and was absolutely silent otherwise. (It was actually a little freaky. She said NOTHING else. A beginner would have been utterly lost. They also could have hurt themselves pretty badly because she offered no guidance whatsoever. Literally. None. This is what the class sounded like: A: Prayer hands (20 seconds of silence) A: Tree pose left leg. (20 seconds of silence) A: Tree pose right leg (20 seconds of silence) A: Forward fold (20 seconds of silence) A: Chair (20 seconds of silence) &c. What I found even more odd is that she never made eye contact with any of us. She never even looked at us. She never walked around the room, nothing. For a solid hour she stared above and beyond the entire group of approximately 20 people. She spoke in a flat, disinterested monotone. I have never thought of walking out of a yoga class until tonight, and I almost did. It was such a disappointment. Finally, at the end of the class she said, "Ok everyone. See you Wednesday. Oh by the way, when we do poses that require you to lean your head backwards, be careful because that can cut the blood flow off to your brain and you might pass out or something." (or something?!) First off, no Namaste? Secondly, (and more seriously) ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Don't you think that would have been helpful DURING THE CLASS? Yikes. If you're new to the area (like me), I say this is a total no-go. With so many other great options, it's not worth the $5 or the hour of your life. read more

This is by far the best field house in the city. We've hosted two of our daughters birthday parties here and it's been great. The room rent is cheap (about $100 for 2 hours) and the large room is even air conditioned. The staff is friendly and extremely helpful when it comes to setting up and tearing down the room. They have a pretty decent workout facility and for the prices they charge, it can't be beat (something like $40 for 4 months - it's been a while since I used it). But the best part of all is the park itself. Consistently acclaimed by the Mayor's office as the best park in the city, this place has great amenities for kids of all ages. It doesn't have any water features, but then again, you can't have everything in life. There is a parking lot that has since gotten a pay box installed. The hours you have to pay are pretty random, so be sure to check it! read more

This review is for the fieldhouse fitness center. I started coming here in 2010 because I lived in the building right across the street and it was a really convenient (and cheap) place to work out. I've since moved and keep coming back for a couple of reasons: the price ($150/year), and free (or 1 dollar) parking. Plus, membership is flexible - they also have month to month and 3-month purchase options. It's easy to access (right off lakeshore drive) and the parking lot is right behind the building. Couldn't be easier. I typically just use the treadmill (there are 4, 2 of which are "modern") and I've very rarely had to wait for even the "good" machines. Almost always, I can stay on for longer than the 30-minute recommended time because nobody else is waiting. That said - you get what you pay for. This is a really bare-bones, no-frills fitness center with two rooms - one with a few cardio machines, and one with weights. The temperature is typically hot, they have the heat cranked and you can feel it even with the windows open. And they keep the women's locker room locked at all times (why, I have no idea). I just change clothes in the restroom. And, sometimes the place smells funky. But, if you can get past all of that, it's clean and it gets the job done. If you want a spa experience or luxury, do not go here. However, if you're looking for a convenient, bargain place to ride out the winter months, this might do the trick. read more

My friend and I went to this fitness center for the deal the Park Districts were doing earlier in the year - from Jan 2-16th they let you use the facilities for free! It was a great deal and my friend and I went about 6 times total. Only once did we have to wait for equipment, most of the times it was just us or a couple other people - we usually went 7-9pm. The staff there is helpful and friendly, the equipment was actually updated while we were there, and the only complaint I have is the lat machine is lopsided. read more

$15 a month gym! Say what?! Yep that's right, Margate Park has a really nice gym for $15/month. It's really small, but it has a lot to offer. Treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machine, bikes, stability balls, ski machine, free weights, weight machines and I know I am missing some others. Park has it's own parking lot (though I am finding out it gets really busy for Fall park district acitivites so parking has gotten harder to find). The gym itself though is never busy and even at 6:00pm I have never seen more than 5 people in the cardio room. It's a nice facility which has a basketball court you can rent out, some classrooms and a nice outside playground. Gym has windows so you can look out while burning off those calories. I have a feeling I will belong to this gym for a looong time! read more

I recently moved to Uptown and although I have a Bally's membership, there is not one convenient to me from home and I do not like the downtown location so I joined the park district fitness center at Margate Park. The fitness centers at the city parks are treated just like any park program, with a winter, spring, summer, and fall session and during each seasonal session, there are 2 sessions. The hours are okay, I just wish they were open slightly earlier so I could go before work but it does not open until 7:00am and is open until 9:30 during the week and then 9:00-4:30 on the weekends. I have found that they are the least busy on the weekends but during the week, you may have to wait for a machine. The equipment is obviously not the best or what you would be used to at a gym but it all does the same thing. Depending on which session you sign up for, the prices are between $20-40. read more

Margate Park - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tuesday nights, Margate offers open intermediate-level volleyball, and I finally had the time to check it out. It's pretty well organized, and after a few drills, they count you off on random 4 person then 6 person teams. Alot of attendees have been playing together for a while, and know each other, and if you go to enough of these sessions, you get a good sense of who doesn't share the qualities of sportsmanship we all aspire towards... I didn't have the time to play for a few months, so I was really eager to get back into it. Unfortunately, by the end of the nite, I may have overdone it and sprained my ankle. The staff lady however, and the other rec director were incredibly helpful. She brought me some bottled water, ice, and aspirin to reduce the swelling. I got additional good advice on how to minimize the injury for the next few days while I filled out an incident report. I may not have physically fared well, but this gym totally earned my respect! Lastly, I have to say the parking lot in the back was really handy, when I hobbled out for a much-needed and -appreciated lift from my friend. read more

Hot water in the showers, pretty please? The gym is decent for how inexpensive it is. I wish the gym card was normal sized, not a laminated behemoth that doesn't fit in my wallet. The staff is very friendly. I just want hot water after I work out. Otherwise I'm Mr. Stinky. read more

3 stars is just based off the $45/3 months for a fitness membership. Nowhere else in Chicago has that kind of deal. They have most equipment you need. Kind of crammed, mostly older equipment with no music or tv, and the heat pumps into the room so you sweat just by being in there. They keep it fairly clean so no complaints here. read more

Even though we live close to this park, we seldom come here. We come here once a year to drop of our Christmas tree. It's amazing to see all the Christmas trees to be recycled. You also get a great view of lake. read more

thank you, chicago park district, for being awesome. i love your bike trails, your tennis courts, your skating rinks, your beaches, your movies in the park, and your gardens. i love walking along the lake and seeing the soccer and baseball games going on, the golfers on the greens, the joggers on the trail, and the beautiful landscaping. some people might take it for granted, but your programs and services make this city a great place to live! read more

My friend lives walking distance to this park. We went to graduate school together and now she is pursuing her PhD and needed a "break" from her dissertation. We packed up some sandwiches and several bottled waters and a small container of salad. We walked over and took advantage of a beautiful Chicago summer day -- it is a clean park. It was not very crowded when we came. There are plenty of shady spots which we appreciated. I was surprised at the size of Margate Park, because I was expecting a much smaller version. The landscape is sparse. I didn't see a lot of color in terms of blooming flowers, but they have maintained the beauty of its simple landscape. Since it wasn't crowded the noise level was semi-quiet. There is a wonderful bike path. We saw a few people biking and jogging on the path. It was nice to have a conversation in a more quiet park. Having a nice lunch in the park, enjoying a great Summer day in the city was very relaxing. This park is also dog friendly and kid friendly. If I am ever in the area again, and it is Spring or Summer, I would go back again. I have been to much better Chicago area neighborhood parks with so much more amenities, so this is the reason I am rating Margate Park with only 3-stars. read more

Wonderful playground, equipment is new, surface is that nice bouncy squishy stuff (which is nice when you've got a 1 y.o. that still likes to eat wood chips). This place will be perfect for us when my kids get older, but right now they're 1.5 and 2.5 and my older kid likes to climb on stuff she's not quite ready for, so it is a bit difficult to keep an eye on her while I'm holding her sister. There's an area that's good for crawlers/ younger toddlers, a really cute fire truck to climb on, a smaller play structure for toddlers, and then a huge play structure for the bigger kids. Next time I'll bring the husband, but we had a great time at this park! read more

Great playground. The quality and assortment of climbing and playing equipment is terrific. There is enough going on that if you're on your own, it can be tricky to keep track of more than one kid. There is parking available and it is close to the lake, so when the weather cooperates I bike up the lakeshore path with my kids in a trailer. read more

The earlier negative review of the yoga class almost scared me off, but I went for the first time yesterday and it was excellent. The current instructor, Leona, is calmly cheerful and engaged, her comments and instructions well delivered. There were about a dozen in the class, room for more. Good mix of poses and moves, and an incredible deal @ $5 for an hour. The gym was VERY warm -- not quite 'hot' yoga, but close - apparently temperatures can vary wildly, so layers are recommended. Free parking. read more