Six acres of serenity in the heart of the city, the magnificent Maggie Daley Park is the centerpiece of our community and the epi-center of the Life Time Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K Spring Market Finish Festival.

In 2009, the City of Chicago and the Park District began plans to renovate the underground parking garage and field-house and enliven the outdoor elements in this area. The Park District hired Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, an internationally renowned landscape architecture firm to design the new park space. Serving as a counterpoint to the symmetry and formality of Grant Park, the design incorporates curvilinear forms, dramatic topography, and many whimsical elements.

The Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners renamed the site in honor of Maggie C. Daley (1943 – 2011) Chicago’s longtime first lady, who was deeply committed to improving the lives of children and making the city culturally rich for all of its citizens. Maggie Daley was the co-founder of Gallery 37, a cultural arts program for teens in the summer. This led to the creation of After School Matters, a non-profit organization that offers Chicago teens innovative activities in the arts, communication, science, sports and technology. It is now the nation’s largest out-of-school program of its kind for teenagers.

A dynamic force behind many of Chicago’s non-profit organizations, large and small, Mrs. Daley was a tireless advocate for her city. Today, she is remembered for her grace, perseverance, zest for life, and commitment to a better Chicago.