Kids Castle is one of the best parks and playgrounds around. The playground has so many different…read moreareas to explore that kids can easily spend hours playing without getting bored. Everything is well maintained, and there's plenty of space for families to spread out and enjoy the day. One of my favorite things about this park is its location. It's close to great walking trails, so it's easy to go for a relaxing walk before or after visiting the playground. There are also fishing ponds nearby, which make it an even better place to spend the afternoon outdoors. Whether you're bringing young kids to play, going for a walk, or just enjoying the peaceful surroundings, Kids Castle is a fantastic destination. It's one of those parks that keeps you coming back because there's so much to do, and it's always a fun place to visit.

Entertaining for all ages! Took my step daughter (5/6 year old) and husband here one summer…read moreafternoon. Clean, updated and a blast for all 3!

We absolutely love this place. A small forest preserve along the shores of Lake Michigan. Good for…read morehiking,biking and even cross country skiing. The beach is rocky which makes for great rock collecting and bird watching. There is a small parking lot which fills up quickly especially on the weekend. Ft. Sheridan is rich in history dating back to the Great Chicago Fire. Definitely a hidden gem in Illinois.

This is a lovely spot to feel cool breezes off the lake on a hot summer day. We enjoyed walking…read morethe beach, bird watching and all the native wildflowers.

Lake Forest Park! This is a pretty big park, with lots of…read moregrass, trees, and good nice landscaping. There's a playground that looks inviting. I didn't see any restrooms, but I read elsewhere that there are some nearby. The sidewalk that takes you across the park is smooth, and there's plenty of green grass along the path to hang out in. The park feels safe. It's in a really nice neighborhood with picturesque large houses along all sides of the park. I wonder if this park is named after Kanye West, the rapper, or Adam West, the original Batman, or Mae West the actress...

Great little park. Some shade. Benches and a few tables. Bathroom nearby. Parking.read more

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!!

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.

Such a special spot. I feel so grateful that this place exists a short drive away. We love going to…read morebuy quality meats and produce at the market, play with the goats and attend various events. Now that they have their little cafe, it's just the perfect destination. The cafe is tiny and there is always a long wait. I almost walked away when they told me it would be a 40 minute wait but another lady in line leaned towards me and whispered "trust me, it's worth it." I was honestly surprised at how delicious and unique all the dishes were. I've never seen "brothy beans and pancetta with country bread" on any menu before. I don't really eat beans and wouldn't dare order something like that at any other restaurant. But I sure am glad I ordered it here. It was perfect like everything else we tried.

The setting gorgeous, probably what Aspen feels like on a beautiful summer day. Granted, I've never…read morebeen there. The people look like they belong in this place. The vibe is quiet elegance we are in the Midwest after all. Outdoor seating is always a plus. The menu selection is limited for breakfast but enough for the basics. Food was great, we had the peach pancakes and gravlax(salmon) platter. Both quality especially the salmon which they were generous of. Until the food came out, and the bees came swarming in and totally ruined the vibe. They didn't bite, however they were intimidating. Thus the 3 stars.

Beautiful Views, very peaceful quiet spot usually only locals are down there. They have a…read moreplayground for the kids with a playground and swings. The swings have a disabled swing as well as ones for babies/toddlers. Bathrooms are air conditioned next to mini food shop. They do have a mini food shop with snacks, drinks, and ice cream. The beach is beautiful and they have lifeguards on site always watching. Very beautiful for pictures and to come to calm down. I recommend this place

I fully admit that having teenage boys at home during the pandemic has been a lot. At some point…read moreeach day, my hubby and I get in the car and talk through all our troubles (translation: complain about having children) while driving up north along the lake. We often end up parked in our car staring at Lake Michigan at Forest Park Beach. We're convinced that all the other couples we see there are also doing the same thing ;-) Last week, our laziness and overwhelm forced us to get out of the car and take in a fresh air walk along the lakefront. We walked south past the concessions and over near the boating facility. We typically don't leave our car unattended, just in case we might get a ticket. We took the risk, and it was so worth it. TBH I don't think they are monitoring the parking lots or ticketing right now, but I'm not 100% sure. What an absolutely gorgeous discovery! We honestly felt like we were on vacation (without kids). The air was fresh, the water was fairly calm, and we felt grateful to be living near such a beautiful oasis. Along the walkway we discovered a play area for kids, boats ready to launch, a covered area with picnic tables, tall lampposts and pristine landscaping. At the very end of our walk was a goose waiting for her goose companion to come back from sea (lol). We learned from a local that the goose had been there for a few days. Anyway, the sidewalk came to an abrupt end, something like out of a Shel Silverstein poem. We turned around, took a deep breath, and received a call from one of our sons that he and his brother were about to bring a bunch of friends over to our house. And just like that, our peace and calm came to a stop. Until next time...

It is a Lake Bluff residents beach. Not sure if some people sneak in or what…read more... We were enjoying the beach with lots of space. All of a sudden a family came and sat in front of us for no reason. Speechless!!

Was way too crowded. Not nearly as nice as it used to be. The beach was not well maintained (weedy,…read moredebris). It was also very noisy. Disappointed.

I recently attended this park for a pickleball event but I am here to express my appreciation for…read morethis beautiful public park. Several years ago I took tennis lessons here. I also took taekwondo lessons (outside) here and I used to drop a family member at the ice arena for ice skating lessons. In winter, the sledding hill is a fun way to enjoy some outdoor activity. The children's play area looks well maintained. The accessible all gender restrooms are clean and in order. This is a beautiful park to watch sports, participate in sports, or enjoy the great outdoors.

This park has really blossomed over the years with a lot of activities. We only explored the…read moreplaygrounds on this visit, which were really nicely spread out. The playgrounds were fenced in and had soft cushioned surfaces. There was plenty of seating nearby too. By the playgrounds were tennis courts, pickleball courts and a basketball court. The park is just missing permanent bathrooms and a refillable water bottle station. The rest of the park has a frisbee golf course, ball fields, soccer fields, ice skating rink, sledding hill and plenty of parking.

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.

Best playground for hours of fun. Huge sand area with running water and toys built in. Bathrooms…read moreand tons of equipment with recent updates to be safer/more inclusive. My kids and I love it there. My only complaint is sometimes there are intimidating groups of people (ie. Teenagers not there to "play" or enjoy the grounds)

Great park to take your kids to. Just don't go when the buggers come since they're a little too…read morewild and start cursing.