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    Little Bear Garden Park

    4.6 (28 reviews)

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    View from swing at Little Bear Garden.
    Joanna B.

    Little Bear Garden is entirely enclosed by a wrought iron fence. Areas within are separated so that there isn't a huge mess of kids in one spot. Sprinklers cool off kids in a padded area by the main slides park. There is a large, clean sandbox spot with some umbrellas and benches. A huge circle of wooden old-fashioned porch swings face inwards to grass for kids to run and play. A small shrubbery maze and flowered garden allows kids to stop and smell the roses. There is also a padded fort-like playground with a stage, two slides and lots of little places to sit or hide. A circular wall ledge provides more room for imagination. There are plenty of shaded picnic spots throughout the Garden. Book pages are hidden throughout the park with numbers so older children can enjoy a scavenger hunt to finish a short story. Outside the Garden is a huge nature preserve with ponds to fish in and fabulous trails. My friends and I enjoy this destination for a playdate-lunch in the Glen and walking on the trails and to the park, and playing in Little Bear Garden for the little ones!

    Angela S.

    Nope! You won't find any little bears here, but what you will find is a beautiful enclosed refuge in the middle of Gallery Park. Come here for storytelling in the storyteller's corner, the shrubbery maze, flower garden, children's play area, covered sandlot and fun water feature. If you're a kid you'll love the fact that your parents, grandparents or caregivers can sit under the trellis and safely watch you frolic about doing your thing. The wooden bench swings spaced throughout and under the trellis make the perfect resting spot to enjoy a book or sit with friends and family. The flower garden alone makes it worth the visit. Chauncey Gardiner would be proud of how meticulously this place is kept up. Alan R does a great job of capturing the essence of this place, so I'm not really sure what else I can add... other than the fact the bathrooms are super duper clean (outside the garden of course), and yes, you will find a good old fashioned pay phone for making those important calls. Without a doubt worth the visit and worth the bookmark. When you're done, head over to The Glen.

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    8 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The most adorable playground ever. Love that it's fenced in and has so many features.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great summer park for kids with large sand area and splash pad feature! Could use a bit of updating and better signage to find.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Great for kids. Fenced/gated kids area. Bench swings that can support the whole family was awesome..

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

    So much fun. My daughter's favorite part was relaxing on the swing and running through the sprinklers.

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Wow...great place for kids...slides, splash pad, sand, swing...very nicely packaged into 1 place...and all for free.

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    Review Highlights - Little Bear Garden Park

    On top of all that, there is a hedge maze that the kids can go through and a small flower garden.

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    Gallery Park - Aerial view,, facing southwest

    Gallery Park

    4.1(37 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Gallery Park started out as a collection of flat aprons and runways in the Glenview Naval Air…read moreStation. The Naval station closed in '93, and the hundred and fifty acres that now comprise Gallery Park became available, and were incorporated as this park. Tip: There are several different trails here, all of which loop around Lake Glenview. The lake also has several piers, some small islands, and a bridge My two favorite trails here are the Lake Trail (one and a half miles long) and the Park Trail (one point eight miles long). I used to also very much enjoy the Lakeside Trail, but I ran into far too many ticks the last time I went there, so I've been avoiding it. Over and above the hiking trails, the park also has several soccer fields, tennis courts, and even some catch-and-release fishing spots. Last (but not least) there's a fitness zone with equipment for cardio steps, chest presses, an crunches, etc. But wait, there's more! You'll also find a children's garden, bike racks, water fountains, and picnic tables. All in all this is a pretty cool place to relax and get some nature on :-)

    Gallery Park and Lake Glenview are wonderful parts of The Glen. The lake trails cover less than 2…read moremiles, and are an easy, flat hike around Lake Glenview. The park and lake have been landscaped with native plants and offer great colorful additions from Spring through Autumn. The trails are paved but there are also single track trails of crushed gravel that follow the lake shore more closely. There are also tick warning signs along the lakeside trails which are nice reminders to hikes to check out their shoes and clothes after a hike to make sure you are not bringing home any hitchhikers! The scenery here is peaceful and relaxing. The lake is large and very pretty and it's easy to forget you are in suburban Chicago. The park offers tennis courts, work-out stations, and a small amphitheater. This is a great natural area to hike and enjoy our beautiful native plants!!

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    Gallery Park
    Gallery Park
    Gallery Park

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    Emily Oaks Nature Center - Summer 2024

    Emily Oaks Nature Center

    4.7(24 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    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.

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    Emily Oaks Nature Center - 5/14/26

    5/14/26

    Emily Oaks Nature Center
    Emily Oaks Nature Center

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    Techny Prairie Park and Fields - Batting cage manager.

    Techny Prairie Park and Fields

    4.7(11 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Techny Prairie Park and Fields - Field #27 at left, field #28 at right.

    Field #27 at left, field #28 at right.

    Techny Prairie Park and Fields - Batting cage manager.

    Batting cage manager.

    Techny Prairie Park and Fields

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    Little Bear Garden Park - parks - Updated June 2026

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