Editing Oak Park, Illinois (section)

=== Park District ===
The Park District of Oak Park was first organized in 1912 as the Recreation Department of the Village of Oak Park. Under the direction of Josephine Blackstock and her successor, Lilly Ruth Hanson, it embarked on a vigorous program of recreation for villagers. The playgrounds were named by Blackstock after famous children's writers.

In the late 1980s, the Recreation Department was dissolved, and the Park District of Oak Park was created as a separate tax-levying body. It comprises thirteen parks scattered throughout the village, for a total of {{cvt|80|acre|m2}} of parkland, a historic house available for functions with payment of fees, the [[Oak Park Conservatory]], and two outdoor pools. The Park District also provides dog exercise areas where dog owners may bring their pets with payment of fees. A second outdoor pool, an official-sized ice rink, a green roof and synthetic-turfed playing fields are at Ridgeland Common at the corner of Lake Street and Ridgeland Avenue, originally built in 1962. It was completely renovated from March 2013 to June 14, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pdop.org/about/park-facility-improvements/ridgeland-common-renovation/ |title=Ridgeland Common is Now Open! |access-date=July 6, 2015 |archive-date=July 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707104230/http://www.pdop.org/about/park-facility-improvements/ridgeland-common-renovation/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/6-5-2014/Ridgeland-Common-ready-for-public/ |title=Ridgeland Common ready for public |date=June 5, 2014 |author=Farmer, Marty |publisher=Wednesday Journal |access-date=July 6, 2015 |archive-date=July 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707091020/http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/6-5-2014/Ridgeland-Common-ready-for-public/ |url-status=live }}</ref>