An excellent playground "floor is lava" themed, shade, street parking, picnic tables and restrooms…read more Baseball field, splash pad, and tennis courts. Really impressed by the renovations to this park, and it's one that the kiddies will love!

Very cool park for youngsters. Everything was upgraded recently from the looks of it. Gentle drop…read morefrom the slides, adventurous playground layout, splash pad, huge picnic areas, etc. There is good parking present. Very conveniently located next to the freeway. If you have toddlers or young ones, do check this park out!

This was a fun find. We drove about 30 minutes and it was worth it. Beautiful fun, clean park with…read morelots of shade. Small splash pad to cool off, and many picnic tables.

I recently walked through a variety of parks in Evanston and I think Dawes was my favorite. It's…read morealong the lakefront and provides access to the beach and amazing views. But there's also a gorgeous water fountain and seating to enjoy both the water and the park. Not to mention all the squirrels, ducks, and dogs everywhere. There was just a hustle and bustle from all creatures with this great park as a backdrop.

Dawes Park is lakefront park in Evanston. It is along Lake Michigan and near Northwestern…read moreUniversity campus. There is a lagoon with a beautiful fountain with plenty of ducks. The park has a paved path along the lakefront. The spacious grass lawns has plenty of shade trees, picnic tables, and barbecue grills, A nice park to enjoy waterfront views.

Beautiful park in Evanston. I like that they have the small children's and big children's…read moreplaygrounds separated. There's plenty of parking available. There's a large pond for fishing and there are ducks roaming around. The shelter space is very large covered with seating available too.

I grew up down the street. It was a sand and gravel pit, then became the town dump. In the 50's…read morethere was a movement to preserve it as a bird sanctuary , but that diden't take. In 1980 finally constuction was complete, and always ongoing . Absolute beauty , along the lines of a botanical garden,The picnic grove was established in 1929, and has beautifull rolling hills!

It was great taking my family out here for outdoor activities. My kids love it. They were playing…read moresoccer with some random friends on the fields for a few hours and got exhausted

Thanks to Google maps, i found this park. I wanted to cycle in Evanston, and needed a turnaround…read morepoint. This was it! Peaceful park, with a playground for children. This is one of those so peaceful you can take a nap type of parks; also have a picnic. I do see many more trips to this park in the future. Enjoy, if you decide to visit this park.

Used to run the Softball field with LO$. They got ice skating in the winter. Farmers market…read more sometimes they do a haunted house as well. Couple Basketball courts to shoot the rock.

The Zumba Gold Class at Ridgeville Park District in Evanston held on Friday mornings at 10am is…read moreuser friendly for Seniors in all physical conditions! Because the teacher has her own physical challenges she is very patient and encourages the students to participate even if it means sitting in a chair. I was surprised to be sweating while sitting in a chair and I felt great after the class because of such a sense of accomplishment. Anna Christina Nelson

I've been coming to Gillson Park since I was a kid, and it's been great to see it evolve and get…read morebetter over the years. The Lake Michigan views, beach, and open spaces make it a great place to spend the day, and the lake is a great temperature for swimming toward the end of summer. On this visit, I saw these two dogs wearing sunglasses and had to get a picture!

I love this beach so much! It's beautiful and clean, but just recently, they fenced up a few parts…read moreof the beach and now require payment for residents and non-residents AND when you leave one part of the paid beach to move to another part, you have to pay again! Which is absurd. I was also thinking about renting out a shelter for a party, but the park doesn't allow you to bring your own grill, doesn't allow alcohol, only provides you with two tables, and you have to still pay for parking and access to the beach. It all just seems like a money grab, which sucks because the beach was free to the public for so long! I know a lot of people are upset about the new rules. Aside from that, there is a park, tennis courts, and Fat Shallot, where they serve food and drinks. There is also a patio area to eat and drink, and outdoor showers. PARK ON MICHIGAN AVE and just walk down to avoid some fees!

This is a hidden gem for the city dwellers. Even though "Emily Oaks Nature Center" is surrounded…read moreby the residential area and one can hear the CTA trains passing back and forth, cloud and clear, it can still be considered as a mini "escape." In other words, it is a place to experience what mother nature has to offer, for both adults and kids. I would say the trail paths are kid-friendly and not too long for the little ones to explore. However, I think it is better to visit when daylight is available. Bike routes are separate from the walking path, so one doesn't have to watch out for bikers passing through. The Lakeview (or pond view) is serene. There are a few benches to sit down and enjoy the scenery. I see they have camp fires and other activities from time to time. I bet these are fun, as weather permits. In the beginning of the trail, a small scaled playground definitely can pull your kiddos away to release their energy. Parking is plenty and convenient. I think "Emily Oaks Nature Center" is going to be a re-visit for our family this summer.

If you can ignore the sounds of the Skokie Swift and passing traffic just outside the northern and…read morewestern boundaries of the nature preserve, Emily Oaks is a darling little slice of woods and lagoon tucked into a residential neighborhood of Skokie. They host camps here during the summer months, so you'll find chalk drawings on some of the paths and signs on some of the trees around that time, but it doesn't really detract from the atmosphere. (This is where my sibling and I learned to canoe and build campfires back in the day.) Chipmunks and geese abound; be sure to also check out the fish in the lagoon. They have shelters with picnic tables scattered throughout the preserve, so this is a peaceful place for a picnic lunch when camp's not in session. Just remember to leave the area as clean as you found it... and don't try starting any campfires without permission.

Tucked away in a tranquil residential area in NW Evanston, Cartwright park offers fun recreational…read moreactivities for people and pooches of all ages. There is a nice little playground for the children, a cute sculpture that can be used as a sled, a gazebo for picnics, a small hill, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a large grassy area that is perfect for frisbee, various children's sports, and for exercising the dogs. Although the playground structure is a little older than the ones in other parks we frequent, I love that this park feels very peaceful and does not get too crowded. One thing I wish this park has is a public bathroom. Overall, a very nice park! Highly recommended!

I came here for a Starlight concert and the food truck fest. First of all, parking was decent but…read moreyou definitely had to drive around a bit. The food trucks were a fabulous touch and the food was delicious especially Hummingbird and the Tamales. The park itself was okay - the playground is decent with wood chips which makes it not as little kid friendly. Also, there was a mob of older kids who are jumping off the top of slides and pushing/running into toddlers. We probably won't be back just because of the setup of this park. Also, Expo '76 would be a great band if they started up on time instead of having to wait nearly an hour for them to get started.

Expo '76 is a great band and they're playing at Brummel Park tonight! I'm definitely not going to…read moremiss it. There's supposed to be a Food Truck Fest as well. I would definitely check out events at this park--it's clean, spacious, great for kids.