Oakwood Beach

Located near the neighborhood of Oakland in the South Side of Chicago, Oakwood Beach – also called 41st Street Beach – is a curve-shaped beach with light brown sand, a cement pier, and a nearby famous mermaid statue. 

Oakwood Beach is a part of a larger recreational park named Burnham Park, and is open between 6 am and 11 pm.

Oakwood Beach has lifeguards from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day – during this time, lifeguards are on duty here between 11 am and 7 pm.  In addition to lifeguards, the beach and the area around it have many other amenities including a beach house, restroom, concession stands, a nearby walkway, biking and walking trails, nearby grassy recreational areas, a playground, volleyball courts, basketball courts, and drinking water fountains. 

Dogs are not allowed at Oakwood Beach.

Oakwood Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, picnicking, swimming, volleyball, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, boating, scuba diving, and snorkeling.

Oakwood Beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers, kayakers, canoers, surf-skiers, and paddleboarders because the water here usually has manageable waves.  If you like long distance swimming, there is a long-distance swimming area near Oakwood Beach and this swimming area is located parallel to Oakwood Beach’s shoreline.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, canoe, snorkel, or paddleboard near Oakwood Beach, we recommend being careful because the water here can have dangerous rip currents and occasional strong waves. 

Please also note that swimming near Oakwood Beach is permitted only within the designated swimming areas and when the lifeguards are on-duty. 

Oakwood Beach offers wheelchair access for visitors with disabilities and it has an accessible walkway for people with disabilities.

Getting to Oakwood Beach is easy – this beach is located near 4100 South Lake Shore Drive and it is easily accessible from United States Highway 41.  There is a paid parking lot near this beach – you can easily walk to Oakwood Beach after parking here.

Oakwood Beach is an artificial beach that was opened to the public in 2010.  In addition, this beach also hosts many fun events including the Silver Room Sound System Block Party and the Mamby Festival.

There are many attractions near Oakwood Beach.  Dunbar Park is a recreational park that offers many amenities including baseball fields, picnic groves, tennis courts, a running track, a batting cage, a reading garden, multiple playgrounds, and a water-based play area.  Palmisano Park is a nature park that has a fishing pond, wetlands, a running track, an athletic field, remnants of a quarry, and walking paths.  This park also has a hill that offers amazing views of the city of Chicago and this park is also an ideal birdwatching site.  The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures is a research center that has a museum – this museum has many interesting exhibits mainly on ancient cultures of Western Asia and Northern Africa and it has around 5,000 artifacts on display. 

Frederick C. Robie House – also called Robie House – is a historic house that was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and it displays Prairie-style architecture.  This house has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you can explore this beautiful house through guided tours – you can visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust’s website for more information regarding the tours.  If you are looking for another attraction near Oakwood Beach, Garden of the Phoenix – also known as the Japanese Garden – is a garden that has a Ho-o-den (Phoenix Temple) built by the Japanese government in the late 19th century.  In addition to this temple, the garden also has cherry blossom trees (that bloom between late April and Early May), a Japanese-style pavilion, a koi pond, and many types of native and non-native plants.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Oakwood Beach.  Boka Restaurant – also called Boka – is another popular upscale restaurant that is a 25-minute drive away and offers delicious seasonal American-inspired cuisine.  This restaurant was featured in the MICHELIN guide and the Chicago Tribune newspaper.  Norman’s Bistro is an American Creole restaurant that serves a variety of delicious Creole dishes with Brazilian and Caribbean influences including jambalaya, blackened catfish, and jerk chicken.  This restaurant also offers occasional live music performances.  Pearl’s Place serves delicious Southern United States-style soul food including shrimp-and-grits, jambalaya, po’boy sandwiches, and short ribs.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Oakwood Beach, Valois Restaurant offers many amazing dishes including breakfast dishes, sandwiches, salads, short ribs, baked chicken, seafood, and pork chops.  Another good and affordable restaurant near Oakwood Beach is Just Turkey Grill which offers delicious barbequed dishes prepared with turkey meat including Turkey tenderloins, burgers, wraps, and hot link sausages.

If you are looking for a hotel near Oakwood Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star The Langham Chicago offers many amenities including a restaurant, a lounge, a health club, a pool, a spa, and a hot tub.  Another popular and upscale hotel is the 4-Star The Drake that is a 20-minute drive away – this hotel was opened in the 1920s and offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a fitness center, and multiple shopping stores.  Another great upscale hotel is the 4-Star The Wheeler Mansion that is set in a 19^th century mansion and offers many amenities including a courtyard garden, a ping pong table, croquet equipment, bike rental facilities, and complimentary breakfast. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center that offers many amenities including a fitness center, a bar, a pool, a snack bar, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Oakwood Beach, the 3-Star Chicago Lake Shore Hotel offers a pool.  This hotel is also located conveniently close to some of the major attractions of Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood.