I've been hearing about this park for a while and we were able to take a visit over there today…read more I'm glad I knew what I was looking for because Google Maps was going to take me to a small playground on the other side of the school, rather than Little Bear Park which is on the very corner of Patriot and Chestnut (and is almost entirely fenced in, which makes it attractive with little kids). The Little Bear Park is actually a section within the larger Gallery Park, so you may need to put that in if your GPS is confused about LBP. This park was established as part of the redevelopment of the military airfield in Glenview. Overall, I was disappointed in the park, but there were some things I really loved about it along with those that left a bit to be desired. First, it looked like a gorgeous, romantic garden like you might envision from an Austen novel. Truly a beautiful setting, with a small hedge maze and a several picnic tables. Quite an idyllic little spot within the larger park, and ostensibly where it gets the "garden park" part of its name. There's also a really awesome water feature here. It's really large, and unlike some "splash pads" that are little more than a tall pipe sticking out of the ground, this one had several arms coming out of the ground of different heights. It also had some water coming from spots in the ground, for a lot of different ways to play. My kiddo got soaked and loved it. Sadly, the playground section looked kind of old and worn. It has a cute castle/medieval theme, but all the play equipment was quite faded. Of more concern was that the playground terrain, which was that composite rubbery stuff, was broken off in quite a few places; more than once my babe brought me small or large pieces. Seems potentially fraught in a few different ways, but it was weird since in all the parks I've been to with that kind of ground cover I haven't seen chunks of it missing throughout the playground. There's lots of parking at/around this park, because it shares space with a middle school and park district headquarters. The playground itself isn't the attraction for me--though if we are already in Glenview, I might stop--but I would absolutely return for a beautiful picnic in the garden, and that's what really makes it shine.

Heads up if your kids like swings: there are none at this park. But there's a cool splash pad, a…read morehedge maze, a play structure, and a huge sand pit area.

I visited Shelton Park because I struggled to find a solid area to park in Wilmette, which is where…read moreI had hoped to connect to the Green Bay Trail for a run. The park was my last hope to connect to the trail as I searched for an entrance to it as well as places to park within a reasonable distance. Its parking space appears to be well enough for its in-and-out flow of visitors throughout the day. During the times of my visits I have never once struggled to find a parking spot available. If that ever is a problem there is also availability along Old Green Bay Rd. Shelton Park appears to be very peaceful with a neighborhood appeal. It is an ideal place to play tennis or bring the children to play on its playground, Phil Thomas Memorial Playground as it is referred to. If you are yearning to get a small workout in, the park has fitness equipment: a built-in elliptical, pull up bar, and a place to do sit ups. As one who made this park my gateway to the Green Bay Trail I was able to get in a solid workout because of its fitness equipment. The park is well-manicured, consisting of picnic tables and benches if it becomes your pit stop while on trail or within the neighborhood for whichever activity of your enjoyment. Nearby sits the Metra railway, which temporarily drowns out the beautiful sounds of birds chirping or any humankind activities whatsoever within the park. In the meantime I plan to continue utilizing Shelton Park as my connector to the Green Bay Trail until I am fully accustomed to running in the area. I recommend it if you are in search of an area with activities I aforementioned or one that connects to the trail as I was. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

This is a review of the playground here: it is maybe the best playground on the north shore. I…read morethink folks want to keep it on the qt- it is not mentioned on yelp. It's primo as far as equipment and frolicking space with flowers and trees! It's amazing!

This is a super cool playground in Highland Park. My children had a blast running around the three…read moreseparate playgrounds. I even took a nice long walk around the park. I also saw a dedicated area for skateboarding. The restrooms were clean.

This is my kids' favorite park, 10/10! The main attraction is a huge rocket ship that they can…read moreclimb in all sorts of different ways, and it has great slides too. There's also a separate play area for younger kids, which is perfect if you have little ones. One of the coolest features is a spinning swing where you sit on a rope and hold on while it takes you around in a circle. It's so much fun! We could spend hours here and the kids never want to leave!!

We happened upon the North Shore Artisan Market at this park. They had an eclectic collection of…read morevendors -- vintage clothing and accessories, foodstuffs, jewelry, art, plants, pet products, health and beauty items. It was a really nice assortment, the booths lined the paths, there were four or five long aisles. This is the only weekend for this location -- other markets in Chicago, Oakbrook and Naperville.

They're 10 and still loving it...yes!…read more I'm absolutely amazed that there is still something for my boys to enjoy at this park. C + E have now re-imagined the climbing structures into American Ninja Warrior Parkour training. Who would have thought? Tonight was lovely and amazing. Not only was the park crazy crowded with the nicest bunch of families, but my boys weren't intimidated or frustrated to take turns. There is a structure or activity for all ages... slides for older and younger kiddos, a well-maintained sandpit, climbing walls, swings, and so much more. Tons of benches and wall structures for sitting. What I particularly love about this park is the fact that it's humble without parent pretension. Every time we go we meet and chat with some random family. Though it's a super busy area, there is always parking right by the park. However, I imagine on game days that might be a different situation. Great atmosphere, lovely families, shops and restaurants withing walking distance. Note: There is no fence around the park area, but everyone keeps an eye out for all kiddos, so it seems.

My 4 year olds' favorite playground. The kids and parents are pretty friendly- Hence the name! I've…read morebeen coming here since I was my child's age. We have some classic photos decades apart.

There's no shortage of great parks in Glencoe so I was surprised when we moved here last winter…read morethat the "Friends Park" smack in the middle of downtown Glencoe was pretty shabby. Soon after moving we learned it was getting a major facelift and watched as they built it all summer long. I had high hopes it would be ready before the end of summer, but as the days progressed that looked unlikely. And soon there were flyers all over town promising a park dedication party. My 2 1/2 year old obviously can't read, but somehow she figured out that this was a party she needed to attend...and reminded me everyday for a month. Tonight was park dedication night and even the threat of a storm didn't keep all 8000 people in Glencoe from attending. It was an absolute madhouse of excited children and my daughter literally ran around screaming "I LOVE GLENCOE." And I gotta admit there's a lot to love about this park. Besides the ideal location for a quick stop here during a trip to town it has park equipment to put smiles on the faces of kids of all ages. My daughter isn't really into climbing structures, but she couldn't get enough of the swings and a stationary choo-choo train that does a nice job of providing shade on a hot day. Although tonight may have been the "official" opening of the park, it's been in use for almost a week now. And based on the crowds each day I think it's safe to say this was one successful facelift.

One of the grand-darlings started her 2026 softball season and this park is her team's home field…read more From what I saw, the huge 113 acre park and the facilities are extensive and top notch. I only experienced the use of their well maintained, well equipped, and lighted youth softball fields on my first visit here and there are 4 of those, but there is much more here. There are batting cages, a snow sledding hill, a 9 hole golf course, a 22000 ft2 skate park, soccer/lacrosse fields, walking trails, and an activity center building which includes a fitness center and basketball courts among other things. There are also well spaced and adequate parking lots for all of these facilities. Impressive public sports and fitness venue and a big thumbs up!

I've driven through Techny, but I have never heard of Techny Prairie Park and Fields. Northbrook is…read morehaving a plein air photography festival open to the public (even the non-Northbrook-resident public) so we made our way up here to take photos fitting the challenge, one of which is to take a photo here. This park is really quite extensive. They have a workout facility which had fewer folks there than I expected for a Sunday afternoon. The parking lot of the park is very large as well, which is good to support all the activities. They have multiple ballpark fields (three, I believe), as well as batting cages and a soccer field. There's a skate park, and I was surprised to see the breadth of folks who use it--there were some younger folks here but I also saw someone in his 50s or 60s skateboarding. They have a playground. There's a picnic-type shelter for people to have gatherings, complete with a fire pit. And there's a golf course! I don't know anything about golf but it certainly looked large. I think the golf course is free, as may be the other activities (unsure about the batting cages). There are also walking trails, and you can fish here but you must release what you catch. And near one of the ballparks, there was a tall hill... perhaps tobogganing in the winter? Really nice, well-kept park for all to enjoy. Glad to have learned about it and hope to return.

Great park! It was our first time there and the kids had a blast. There's so much to do, lots of…read moreclimbing, musical instruments to play with, and overall a really great playground!! There's even a skate park right up ahead for older kids. We spent a long time there and the kids never got bored. Definitely a fun spot and one we'll be coming back to!

Prior to the Covid shut down, Jewett Park was in the midst of a significant overhaul. All projects…read morecame to a halt, but they've since finished the new skate park. It's new and smooth! For a little background information, this skate park is one of few poured concrete skate facilities in the state that are open to the public. The Vernon Hills skatepark is another one I've been to. This park is 11,000SF with one bowl, a vert quarter pipe, ledges, and rails. There's a hangout area that *had* benches, but the benches were most likely taken away to help avoid gathering and encourage social distancing. There are currently no benches or designated places to sit. There is no shade, so wear your sunscreen! In case you didn't already know from my other skate park reviews, I'm a mom of two boys who take their scooter riding very seriously. I've been to my fair share of skate parks, and Jewett has now been added to our rotation. However, the boys don't go here as much as I had hoped, because it gets pretty crowded.

Pretty decent neighborhood park not too far off of Willow Road. Emphasis on "neighborhood" park as…read morethere is no designated parking lot for this park; you'll have to hop on a residential side street and park your car there, and walk across the street. Greenview Park has a small little playground, swings, a few outdoor exercise equipment, like a rower and leg press. There's also a half-court basketball court, a small little field, and a small walking trail. Not too bad, if you're in the area and looking for a secluded park to hangout with the family and enjoy the fresh air.