General Use Permits
Small groups (between 13- 30 people) who would like to hold a casual event (family picnic, birthday party, etc.) in a park without a designated picnic area available may apply for a General Use Permit. This permit allows the group to gather in the park, but does not guarantee any specific space or feature within the park (everything remains open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis including athletic fields/courts). This permit is required by Park District Code and generally provides restroom access for groups when available, as well as help to eliminate having conflicting groups in a park at the same time.
Requirements:Â Â Group Size:Â Up to 30 individuals
Application Requirements: Completed General Use Permit Application ($10 per hour)
Permit Fee:Â None
Picnic Shelter and Patio Rentals
The Park District has several designated areas available for groups to rent for your upcoming picnic, birthday party, or reunion in the park. Reservations are available at each location for a minimum of 3 hours. Reservations are required between the hours of 9am-8pm. Online permitting opens on March 15th for event dates between April 15th and October 31st. These reservations can be booked 120 days in advance.
Picnic Shelter and Patio Rental is available at Field Park, Lindberg Park, Maple Park, Rehm Park and Taylor Park. Grilling is permitted only at the Taylor Park Patio site.
See rental availability online here.
Please Note: Picnic and Park permits are non-refundable and non-transferable, with the exception of very severe weather that may affect the safety of users, wherein a transfer may be possible based on availability.
Athletic Field Rental Permit
Organizations interested in the use of an athletic field should first visit our PACT Program page.  Due to high demand for sports field space, the Park District allocates space through a Facility Use and Allocation Management program, known as the PACT program. Field permits are issued to our PACT Partners each year in early January.Â
Individuals looking for field space for a one time only, informal game or practice, are able to use the fields when not otherwise permitted or in use as part of park district programming (camps, clubhouse, etc.).  Individuals may apply for a one time permit to guarantee availability if preferred. Â
Courts – Tennis / Pickleball
Oak Park residents may reserve one hour of court time Monday – Friday between 8:00am – 3:00pm. Courts may be reserved for a maximum of 1-hour per day with a limit of one court per day.
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