This is a great place to visit for everyone. There are so many things for kids to interact with:…read moresplash pad, playground, giant sundial, chimes they can play, pond (fishing), log house, walking path (wheelchair accessible). It can get busy, but there is so much space it rarely feels crowded.

Beautiful park! Went Sunday and took nice walk. Just breathtaking setting. For sure will be back.read more

What a fun spot to stop. Three Dambo Trolls made by college students. You can explore a troll…read moretrail. Careful to check under the bridges. Spot a fairy house and garden. Visitor center to grab a map and a sack. Donations are always welcomed.

This was such a fun place to go. They have lots of jogging trails. They have both paved and…read moreunpaved ones. Making this place a good handicap accessible place. They also have free community classes. I did a mushroom foraging class, and a maple tapping one. Lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. They have an indoor and outdoor bathrooms. They also have a free parking lot to park. The staff are very nice and helpful in the visitor center. I definitely plan to go back here. It was such a beautiful, nice relaxing place.

I've always loved Washington Park! It's very clean, peaceful and one of my favorite places to see…read morenature, take in beauty and get some good walking in and/or a morning run! Being back in the city for a few weeks has really brought back many memories from years ago! This is where I had so many highlights as a teen. Prom pictures, family gatherings, awareness walks and so much more. This is such a beautiful park, located in a beautiful and calming part of the city! Park closes at 10:30 but it's very large, clean and many places to sit.

Beautiful park, lots of wildlife. Loved walking around and seeing all of the landscape, and the…read moreflowers around the botanical garden!

We absolutely love Ergadoozy! When you walk in, on the left…read moreis the welcome desk. If you hadn't been here before, they will explain everything to you! It's $12 for kids over the ages 1-12 and $3 for adults (ages 13+). If you have a crawler or an infant, it is also $3. They also offer fun passes, which saves money in the long run if you plan to go often. 6 month pass for 1 child is $120 and a 12 month pass for 1 child is $220. 2 children for the 6 month pass is 170 and 2 children for the 12 month pass is $320 and so on. They have up to 4-6 kid packages and I'm sure they have more if you need it. They also have prepaid fun passes which is a punch card for $100. 10 punches allows you to bring 1 or more children at a time. Regular price for 10 entries is $150, so you're getting $50 off. 1 punch = 1 child and 1 adult entry. No expiration dates. My 15 month old has loved this place since she was 8 months old. They have plenty of rooms and things to do. I definitely recommend it here. It is mostly clean but certain areas could be maintained a little better.

I was happy with the front of the facility which catered to littles. Of course, my four year old…read moregrandson wanted to go into the climbing structure in the back. There were no signs regarding age, so I saw no reason to refuse. There was another little boy about three back there, too. Both of them got up in the structure, couldn't see their mom and grandma and wanted to come out. The complexity of the structure made it confusing to find their way out and they both started screaming for us and panicked. The man at the front desk just kept on reading his book or phone and ignored the chaos. I am way too old to try to climb up into the thing so I was lucky that the young mother retrieved her son then went after my little guy. Much better supervision is needed there. I won't be back.

Lincoln Park in Springfield is a fantastic destination that offers a wide range of activities and…read moreamenities for visitors of all ages. The park is beautifully maintained, with lush green spaces, well-paved walking paths, and plenty of shade provided by mature trees. It's an ideal spot for a leisurely stroll, a family picnic, or just relaxing in nature. One of the highlights of Lincoln Park is its excellent disc golf course. The course is well-designed and offers a fun and challenging experience for players of all skill levels. The layout makes good use of the park's natural terrain, with a mix of open fields and wooded areas that require a variety of shots. The course is well-marked and maintained, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable game. There is a north and a south course! Which gives diversity and more fun and options! In addition to the disc golf course, Lincoln Park features playgrounds, sports fields, and picnic areas with tables and grills. There's also a beautiful lagoon that adds to the park's charm and provides a peaceful setting for fishing or simply enjoying the view. Overall, Lincoln Park is a wonderful place to spend a day outdoors. Whether you're there to play disc golf, have a picnic, or just enjoy the scenery, you're sure to have a great time. Highly recommended!

Great park in Springfield and you can get some exercise walking while your their. As a local…read more watercolor painter I love painting around the scenic stone bridge area plus it has a storied history with many tales to tell.

This Park is huge. Great for walking and catching great scenery. Also a bit romantic if you are…read morestopping to just sit in the garden. Full of live nature and of course free of charge plenty of parking. Be sure to remember where you parked the walking trail will have you walking for a long journey. There's a park on the other side for kids to play. Bridge to cross if you find view of ponds calming. Trails to walk through the forest preserve and plenty of people out walking, running or picnicking. It's absolutely beautiful and a staple here in the state capital.

I recently visited the Washington Park Botanical Garden in Springfield and had a lovely 4-star…read moreexperience. The gardens are well-maintained and make for a peaceful escape from the busier parts of the city. There's a nice variety of plants and flowers throughout the grounds, and depending on the season, there's plenty of colour and interesting displays to enjoy. One of my favourite parts was simply walking through the conservatory and taking my time exploring. It's not a huge attraction, but that's part of its charm--it feels relaxing rather than overwhelming, and you can appreciate everything at your own pace. The grounds are clean, the staff are friendly, and it's a great spot for photos, a quiet stroll, or just spending some time surrounded by nature. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it's relatively small, so you can see most of it fairly quickly. I also have not explored the entire garden yet so I can't say I experienced it fully. Still, it's a beautiful local gem and well worth a visit if you're in Springfield. Overall: 4 stars. A peaceful and well-kept botanical garden that's perfect for a relaxing afternoon.

One of the best places to hike around in Springfield. There is a playground for kids, a grassy area…read morewith mowed paths for walks and hiking/mountain bike trails in the woods. Great for dogs too! It's never over crowded like some of the other parks. The trails in the woods link up with the Sangamon Valley Bike Trail.

This is a very well maintained state park/campground. The sites are electric only, so plan ahead to…read morehave water available. Our lakefront site (#1} isn't really on the lake. But many of the sites are directly on the water. The available shade varies widely by site. If shade is important to you ask for a site number in the 50s. The park is a ways off I-55 (~17 miles) so it isn't ideal for a quick stop on your way from A to B. But it's a great place to unwind and do some fishing.

For the past 15 years, my family and I have made Hickory Point Campground at Sangchris Lake our…read morehome away from home nearly every year. Years ago, the main camp host set the gold standard for hospitality. He was incredibly welcoming, driving around to wave, checking if campers needed ice or wood, and even delivering it straight to your site. He even gave my son an unforgettable golf cart ride, making us feel like true family. Unfortunately, the experience over the last three years has been a stark contrast. The host (the same host as before) acts as though guests are a massive inconvenience. He has a sign instructing new arrivals to check in, yet treats you with open annoyance when you actually follow his rules. On a recent visit, when we politely asked if he still delivered firewood, he shot us a look that could kill and snapped, "No!" When we apologized and mentioned we hadn't realized the policy changed, he barked, "It did this year!" We didn't expect special treatment; we simply asked based on years of past practice. On the bright side, the woman sharing his site is always an absolute delight. We adore Sangchris Lake and Hickory Point Campground, but if hospitality isn't your job anymore, sir, it might be time to pack up the camper and haul off into the sunset.

The park was initially constructed in 1920 and was renamed in 2020 after Colonel Otis B. Duncan…read more(1873-1937) who was a Springfield native. Col. Duncan was the highest-ranking black officer to serve in the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe in World War I. There are three parking lots in the park, one along MacArthur Boulevard that can hold about 55 cars, one along Mason Street that can hold about 90 cars, and one along Salome that can hold more than 50 cars. The park does not have any vehicular traffic. However, a walkway connects the Mason Street parking lot with the MacArthur parking lot and brick shelter, passing the band shell. The restrooms were recently renovated in 2019 and now feature a modern playground system, three picnic shelters, and eight pickleball courts. The trail branches south to get to them. A brand-new disc golf course circles the park. The northernmost area of the park has a sledding hill. Picnic shelters, pickleball courts, an 18 hold disc golf course and a fitness court. The playground area includes a small zip line, see-saw and some other interactive toys. And the bandshell in the middle of the park looks like it's ready for the next music festival. [Review 19697 overall - 149 in Illinois - 669 of 2023.]