General Information
About the Park District
The Dolton Park District proudly offers parks, facilities, programs, and services to meet the needs of our community. The Dolton Park District service area covers approximately 4.75 square miles and serves a population of over 22,000 people. Located in the southern end of Cook County, the Park District maintains 11 parks with more than 120 acres of recreation properties which a recreation center with a fitness room, program space, and gymnasium, three indoor rental facilities, one of which contains two separate banquet rooms, four groves, two pavilions, and a golf range.
Our Community Commitment
In 1925, a group of interested citizens met to form a Park District and selected a parcel of 21 acres in the center of the Village of Dolton. This land was owned by Mrs. Matthew VenDersen, and her asking price was $3,000 per acre.
The Village of Dolton had a population of 2,300. Mr. Fred Waterman, owner of approximately 200 acres of land incorporated as part of the Village of South Holland, requested that this area be included in the boundaries of the Park District. The name selected was the Dolton Park District.
1927 – The West Garage was constructed to hold all lawn maintenance equipment for the Park District.
1953 – The Main Field House Banquet facility was built.
1979 – The New Administration Building was built.
1996 – Shaw Recreation Center was built, which holds our gymnasium, fitness room, piano room, and dance room.
2015 – Dolton Park District’s LEED Early Learning Center was built.
2017 – The Park District launched a new and improved mobile-friendly website.
2022 – The Park District updated its website and launched an
Our Mission
The Dolton Park District provides recreational and leisure opportunities for the health and well-being of the community.
Comprehensive Master Plan
In 2022, the Dolton Park District has finalized its most recent five-year Comprehensive Master Plan. This planning process was a detailed evaluation of all aspects of the district’s parks, programs, facilities, and services. It involved redefining the mission, values and long-term goals, a district-wide analysis of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, benchmarking against comparable park districts, researching trends, assessing our operations, and conducting community-wide focus groups and an attitude and interest survey.
2021 – 2027 Comprehensive Master Plan
2012 – 2015 Comprehensive Master Plan
Community Interest & Opinion Survey
To objectively assess usage, satisfaction, and needs for a wide range of park and recreation facilities and programs; To help identify opportunities for the Park District to better serve the leisure and recreation needs of the community.
In the 2020, the Dolton Park District hired ETC Institute to conduct a District-wide survey of the community’s interests. The goal of this survey was to help give direction to the Park District in terms of what its residents feel the best use of resources are for the future.
2020 Community Interest and Opinion Survey
Park Projects