The park is named after Jacob Riis, the New York City muckraker journalist and photographer who documented the plight of the poor and working class.

A stone dedicated in Riis's honor in 1929 by Swedish citizens of Chicago can be found in the southwest corner of the park.

[2] The Northwest Park District acquired the property in 1916, inspired in part by a park-building movement that Riis had helped drive.

The park's development took another decade, until 1928 when a ski jump and golf course were installed.

Chicago architect Walter W. Ahlschlager designed the fieldhouse.