A welcoming campus in the heart of Chicago’s North Center, Ravenswood & Lincoln Square community

At North Park Elementary School, we believe a child’s environment matters. Our campus is designed to give students room to learn, create, explore, play and grow – all within a warm, welcoming community where children are known and families feel connected.

Located in Chicago’s North Center/Ravenswood community, near Lincoln Square, NPES brings together three buildings, a dedicated playlot and a collection of specialized learning spaces that give our students opportunities to learn well beyond their classrooms.

Today, our school community represents families from 16 zip codes across Chicago and nearby suburbs, bringing together families from throughout the North Side and beyond.

More Than a School Building

Our campus includes:

• The Main School Building on Montrose Avenue, extensively remodeled in 2021
• The NPES Annex, directly adjacent to the main building and remodeled in 2025
• A dedicated gymnasium across the alley on Pensacola Avenue, in addition to a smaller gym within the main school building
• A large connected playlot, updated in 2025
• Specialized spaces for innovation, science, art, music, performing arts and more

Each space has been thoughtfully developed to support the different ways children learn and experience school.

The Main School

Our main building is bright, welcoming and designed with children in mind.

The building includes:

Early Childhood Classroom Suite
Dedicated early childhood spaces provide our youngest learners with an environment designed specifically for their developmental needs – with room to learn, play, explore and build independence.

Innovation Lab
Our Innovation Lab gives students a dedicated space to design, build, experiment and solve problems through hands-on learning.

Library
A welcoming space that encourages students to discover new books, develop a love of reading and explore ideas beyond the classroom.

Art Studio
Our art room includes a kiln and provides students with opportunities to work with a wide range of materials, techniques and creative processes.

Science Lab
Updated in 2025, our science lab gives students a dedicated environment for experimentation, investigation and hands-on scientific learning.

Bright, Inviting Common Spaces
Throughout the school, public and shared spaces are designed to feel welcoming and purposeful – places where students gather, display their work and connect with one another.

The NPES Annex

Just steps from the main school building, our Annex provides additional space for our growing school community.

The Annex was remodeled in 2025 with the generous support of the Nielsen Family, whose commitment helped make the renovation possible and established the Nielsen Family Performing Arts Studio – a dedicated space where students can explore music, performance and the arts.

The Annex is also home to our Board Room and administrative offices.

The building features one of the most distinctive pieces of our campus – a new historically significant mural created in 2026 celebrating Chicago’s Indigenous history and honoring Kitihawa, the Potawatomi co-founder of Chicago, alongside Jean Baptiste Point du Sable.

Created by Indigenous artists and incorporating student contributions, the mural connects our students to the history of the city they call home and adds a meaningful artistic landmark to our campus.

The transformation of the Annex is a wonderful example of what can happen when our school community comes together to invest in the student experience.

A Place to Play

Just outside the main school building is our large, dedicated school playlot, updated in 2025.

For our youngest students, the play area includes early childhood climbing equipment and age-appropriate opportunities for active play and exploration.

Older students have spaces designed for them, too – including areas for gathering, playing games, socializing and simply enjoying time outside with friends.

The playlot provides something that can be difficult to find in an urban school setting: a dedicated outdoor space where students can be kids.

Room to Move

Physical activity is an important part of the NPES experience.

In addition to our smaller gym within the main school building, NPES has a dedicated leased gymnasium across the alley on Pensacola Avenue. The additional space allows our students to participate in physical education, athletics, basketball and other activities without having to leave the immediate school campus.

A Chicago Neighborhood We Love

NPES is located in the North Center/Ravenswood community, near Lincoln Square – a walkable, vibrant neighborhood that offers families access to parks, restaurants, shops, community organizations and other neighborhood amenities.

Our location also makes NPES accessible from throughout Chicago and the nearby suburbs.

Getting Here

CTA Brown Line
The Montrose Brown Line station is approximately three blocks east of school.

CTA #50 Damen Bus
The north-south Damen bus provides convenient access to the school.

CTA #78 Montrose Bus
The east-west Montrose bus runs near campus.

Metra
The Ravenswood Metra station is approximately 0.8 miles from school, providing access to both downtown Chicago and the suburbs.

Driving & Parking
Ample free street parking is generally available within one block of the school.

A Campus That Continues to Grow

Our campus reflects the same philosophy that guides our school: small, personal and thoughtfully designed – but full of possibilities.

From the Innovation Lab to the art studio, from the performing arts classroom to the playlot, our students have spaces that encourage them to create, discover, move, collaborate and imagine.

And because our campus is intentionally connected and close-knit, students don't get lost in a large-school environment. They get to know the spaces, the teachers and the people who make NPES feel like home.

Come See It for Yourself

Photos can show you our classrooms. A visit lets you experience the difference.

We invite you to tour the NPES campus, meet our teachers and see firsthand what makes our small school such a special place to learn and grow.

Contact our Director of Admissions to schedule a visit today, npesadmissions@npeschool.org.