There was a family event here so we decided to come check the place out. Even though my kiddo is…read moreonly two, she liked seeing some of the stuff they had on exhibit and they also had coloring pages and whatnot. We got here near the tail end of the event, so we didn't spend much time inside and went walking along the little trail where they had signs up with information about turkeys spread out through a little loop around the woods. It's a lovely preserve, and I'll bet it's particularly beautiful in the spring and summer. The building is small but sufficient to have some programs and there are bathrooms here. There are a few outbuildings as well; I'm not sure if there are programs there too or not. There's a good deal of parking here. Keep an eye on their calendar to have an excuse to come out, or just spend some time wandering the trails in peace and quiet.

This place is stunning. My neighbor told me about it and I promptly took a drive up here that…read moreafternoon just a few days after "peak" fall colors. It's amazing. I wasn't adequately prepared because it was a spur of the moment decision, so I didn't have a jacket or warm enough clothes, so I didn't stay or walk around too long. (And sadly their giftshop didn't have any sweatshirts -- I would've bought one if they had because it would've solved my problem. So, note to Ryerson: sell sweatshirts in the fall!). I've since come back here for an art exhibit (see my review on the Brushwood Center page for that info). I cannot wait to return again in the spring and definitely multiple times next fall. I want to explore it all.

My husband and I went to Willow Stream Park on a Tuesday evening. The weather was nice and we…read morewanted to take advantage of it. We went with a friend and walked around the walking path. There are also basketball courts, soccer and football fields, baseball fields, a frisbee golf course, and a swimming pool available at Willow Stream Park. I highly recommend Willow Stream Park for a great place to enjoy a walk!

Huge park with all the amenities you could ever think of like swimming pool, picnic shelter,…read moreplaygrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, bike path, volleyball courts, baseball diamonds,soccer fields, and ice skating rink. The parking is large and plentiful as well in this park so it can easily accomodate lots of events at the same time. My favorite feature of this park is the disc golf course. It's enormous, well kept, and features a variety of different shots -- without the fear of hitting buildings or roads unlike some of the smaller courses. Definitely worth a visit to enjoy some activities if you live in the area.

I LOVE these trails and could literally get lost in these woods for hours. I highly recommend going…read morein the beginning of fall to enjoy all of the beautiful changing leaves. The trails are nice and wide and make it easy to get around other walkers. These trails are also long enough, that once you move away from the main trail that circles the pond (pink trail maybe??), unless you move over to Half Day Forest preserve (connected trails), you'll very rarely run into anyone else. The parking fills quickly at the Everett and St. Mary's entrance, but you can also park over at Half Day Forest Preserve off of Milwaukee and easily find your way to these trails with a short added mile of walking.

We paid a visit here as an enjoyable venue for getting in some fitness steps.  The daughter and her…read morefamily frequent various forest preserves, and she mentioned this one as a recent favorite.  I personally don't have a lot of forest preserve comparison data, but found the surroundings to be tranquil and uncrowded on a Sunday afternoon, the trails all graveled and well marked, existence of a couple of bridges, a good mix of sun and shade along the trails, and folks and their pets all well behaved and courteous.  Some folks were picnic'ing and there was also a wedding party photo shoot going on.  I'm not sure where this one ranks in acreage for a forest preserve, but there were plenty of trails (4 miles worth) to get in whatever mileage you might like.  So, I guess I'll go with an "it's a good as it gets" til proven otherwise!

A sensational park, trail, nature reserve that has been a gem for decades. As a kid, we would often…read morevisit the forest preserve to fish, go on the playgrounds, bike the extensive well-connected trails, walk..so much memories here. Great spot to host a cookout or party with their rental shelters too. Happy to see it still functioning for many folks after all these years. Wish Charleston, SC had preserves like this!

There was a wedding reception (dinner and dancing) held in Shelter A and B of this forest preserve…read more As a former Illinois resident I thought the wedding party would be uncomfortable, given this time of year. But I was wrong! Both the weather and surroundings were beautiful; I heard they sprayed for insects beforehand as well. Many picture opportunities. Open enough to enjoy the rest of reserve and share the good vibes with passersby. Some bees came out but only when we were already packing up. Maybe more available parking spaces would've been nice. Other than that, it was a good time.

Beautiful trails. Lot of nature . Starts up near Wisconsin and goes to south side…read more They are sandy you can walk dogs, ride bikes, horses have A picnic. I actually had my eldest 2nd bday about 24 years ago at one of the pavilions .

For toddler aged children, this splash pad was a dream! Everything was low to the ground and able…read moreto be reached, there were lots of buckets for transfer play, and plenty of areas with lighter splashing water. My son (almost 2yo) had so, so, so much fun for about 3 hours! He came home absolutely exhausted- a mom's dream for a good nap! It was $4 admission per person, which I found totally cheap! They have plenty of picnic tables to eat, as well as areas to park strollers and lunch bags. There was also lots of seating available if you wanted to sit and watch your toddler play (especially helpful if you're pregnant and need a little break from standing!). The bathrooms were small, but clean. Honestly, all of the essentials were available and it truly made for a great morning!

What a cute place for kids to play! Perfect for toddlers or younger kids. Great on a sunny hot dayread more

Only the service building was open on my last visit as well (it seems you need to schedule a public…read moretour or wait for a special event to tour the main house. But from the part I saw, I was very impressed. Parking is quite plentiful at this site and the signage was very well done and extremely informative. There was also a video available in a dedicated display to provide more information. I'm excited to one day return and see the main house.

Our docent, Nicole, was excellent. She was very cordial and knowledgeable. I recommend going for…read morethe history over the architecture. The house could use some repair, especially on the outside, and many of the rooms lack décor. However, the docent had lots of interesting information to share with us, and there were many items to see in Adlai's former study. The tour was very educational, and I enjoyed it.