Oak Lawn H.S. – A Gym re-Visit - Illustrious: The Best High School Gyms in Illinois

I’m a sucker for a gym with a balcony

The auxiliary gym at Oak Lawn Community High School in Oak Lawn on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Part of the photo series Illustrious: The Best High School Basketball Gyms in Illinois. (Photo copyright of Vincent D. Johnson)

One of the things I’ve been doing when I’m on assignment at high schools I’ve already photographed, is looking for secondary gyms. Some of the cooler gyms I’ve found have been older gyms of a school, that are now used mainly for JV games and practices.

Champaign Central might be the most prominent old gym that’s still used despite having a new one built in 2020. Other schools like Mount Carmel have a mind blowing older gym, but cramped quarters make them impractical for regular competitive games. Mount Carmel uses their gym for wrestling still.

Today I found Oak Lawn High School has a secondary gym, so I’ve updated the Oak Lawn Community High School gym page with some photos of the rarely seen gym.