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Arnold Randall

Arnold Randall

Executive Director of the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; previously General Superintendent of the Forest Preserves of Cook County (2010–2024), Chicago's parks and conservation leader.

Aug 26, 2026

Curious City

Curious City

Why is the island in Washington Park behind a locked gate?

Aug 26 · 16m

Robert Loerzel
Robert LoerzelCORRESPONDENT
6:02
things.Arnold Randall played in the Bynum Adventure Playland when he was a boy in the 1970s.
Arnold Randall
Arnold RandallGUEST
6:10
It was sort of like a spaceship.
Arnold Randall
Arnold RandallGUEST
6:11
Lots of climbing things that were really, you know, beyond what you would see at other playgrounds.
Arnold Randall
Arnold RandallGUEST
6:16
You could climb up inside of them and, you know, and climb on top of them.
Arnold Randall
Arnold RandallGUEST
6:20
It's, it's almost the same excitement you'd get from going to an amusement park.
Robert Loerzel
Robert LoerzelCORRESPONDENT
6:30
Arnold says the Park District did a great job of building the Adventure Playland, but didn't put in the resources to maintain it.
Arnold Randall
Arnold RandallGUEST
6:38
It seemed like a big loss for the neighborhood.
Arnold Randall
Arnold RandallGUEST
6:41
That was, that wasn't the only thing that was sort of going into disrepair in my neighborhood.

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