McDonald Farm

(234 reviews)

9.5 mi

Cantigny is beautiful in all seasons. It's become a favorite place for my daughter and I to go with…read morethe grandkids. There is something to enjoy for all ages. Last year, they had a row of swings suspended from the trees near the parking lot. It was always a highlight of our visits. In 2026 there is only one swing and it's near the tanks, so there is a wait to use the swing. Cantigny is a bargain because they charge admission by carload instead of individually. Admission is only $6.00 on weekdays, and Wednesday is free if you register in advance.

Updated Review: We…read morewanted to see the 1893 Columbian Exposition exhibits that are thru out the gardens paying tributes to the Architecture,Culture and Foods that debuted at the Worlds Fair. In the Summer,the gardens are full of color! We like to go on Wednesday as the parking is free as long as you pre-register online otherwise it is 6.00. This offer is available March thru October. A real Hidden Gem in the Western suburbs.

Holiday lights 2025

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Indoor museum

Culinary Gardens

(4 reviews)

4.0 mi

Sophia of Culinary Gardens is a great garden coach. I had tried my hand at vegetable gardening last…read moreseason but my efforts were pretty unproductive. From soil prep to plant selection, location and when and what to plant, she has been an excellent resource. I have already picked more pole beans in the last two weeks than I did all last season...can't wait to start picking my tomatoes!

My family and I are thrilled with the raised vegetable garden that Sophia designed and installed…read morefor us. We have a small backyard but Sophia was able to maximize our growing space. Our garden is now thriving and we're getting an abundant harvest. Sophia is knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to share her expertise- her printed instructions for garden upkeep has been very helpful. And, Sophia's coaching continues even after the garden was planted; we really appreciate that she came to check up on our garden and has offered us encouragement and advice. Sophia offers year round gardening services and we look forward to her helping transition our garden from summer to fall. I highly recommend Sophia for your culinary garden needs!

One of our recent installations!

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The Morton Arboretum

4.3

(843 reviews)

7.8 mi

It's been a very long time since I've been to this place since I was little and it's still as…read morebeautiful as I remember when I was little girl When you drive up to the cashier in your car, you can pay one dollar with your WIC card if not general admission is $27 The service is very nice and very quick

The Morton Arboretum is a must visit for everyone in the Chicago suburbs and visitors! There is so…read moremuch to see and do. Tons of walking paths and trails and such a wonderful and expansive children's garden with water play, opportunities to explore nature and get hands on plus a fun hedge maze! We always have a great time visiting. If you live near enough, getting a family membership is worth it to go a few times a year including their holiday lights walk through which is AMAZING and a yearly tradition for my family.

Still pretty in the Winter

Ginko Room

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The snail and I

Lilacia Park

4.7

(65 reviews)

13.1 mi

Visited Lilacia Park for the first time this past May, and it's a beautiful oasis of flowers, trees…read moreand pathways next to the Lombard Metra station. Parking was a breeze! And we had great sunny warm weather in mid-May 2026. But because of the record April showers peak bloom time was 1-2 weeks earlier this year. Watch their Instagram for updates! This park was designed by Jens Jensen (Central Park, Humboldt Park), and it shows from its winding pathways to separate elevated area that proved a perfect picture perch for local prom kids. Ample signage of lilacs, flowers and trees helps with ID. You gotta visit once in your lifetime during peak lilac bloom, and its worthy of strolls all year round.

Beautiful park in Lombard with incredible views of lilacs and tulips. This is very well maintained…read moreand has a large variety of different colored flowers. Parking was a little challenging during my late April visit with all the beautiful flowers in bloom, but it was well worth parking a few blocks away and walking over for the experience. Scattered throughout the park are plenty of benches, a scenic lookout area, iron deer statue, and more. A stroll around the park is super relaxing here since you're surrounded by plenty of colors and pleasant aromas. Definitely a must visit for any tulip or lilac lover. Worth a special trip due to the quality of the park and the beautiful views.

Lilac bush

Some of the black tulips

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Fabyan Villa Museum & Japanese Garden

(41 reviews)

13.8 mi

Beautiful Japanese garden and historic home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The home offers tours…read morefor I think $5 per adult. I've been on it once or twice before but can't remember if I enjoyed it, so I'll have to go back someday. I mostly love visiting the gardens. It's free to enter. The garden is small and takes about 5-10 minutes to walk through, but it's so peaceful and a great spot for photos! I love the bridge and admiring the bright green foliage. It's worth the stop if you are nearby. It is very close to downtown Geneva and Batavia, and both towns have plenty of things to do! You can definitely make a day trip out of it. There's also great walking and bike riding paths in the forest preserve.

This is a free museum, but suggest a donation for two dollars for adults and one dollar for…read morechildren. It's beautiful inside and it's nice to see a piece of history. It's a beautiful windmill on the outside and inside and everything is basically made of wood. And you have these really friendly staff or volunteers who teach you about the history of the windmill. There's also a beautiful Japanese garden with many different types of plant entries. It's a great place to take pictures if you're having an event or for a wedding.

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Rooted Outdoor Living

4.9

(20 reviews)

9.2 mi

I made the right move when I called Dawn from Rooted Outdoor Living to get some work done in my…read moreyard! Existing perennials needed to be split, overgrown plantings needed to be modified, and a stone step was needed for the garage service door. Dawn walked my yard with me and we talked about what I wanted to accomplish, and our plan came together! She moved things around, took out a few tired plants, and added some beautiful perennials and shrubs to fill the empty spaces. Dawn knows a lot about plants and design and I'm thrilled with the outcome. Her crew was detail orientated and very efficient and neat. it's a joy to do business with a company that communicates well too!

Rooted Outdoor Living is amazing; I have used them the past 2 seasons and couldn't be happier with…read moretheir work. Dependable, efficient and everything is cleaned up when the job is complete. Dawn, the owner is a pleasure to work with and has wonderful ideas to give your home outdoor beauty!

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Rent A Gardener

4.1

(66 reviews)

6.1 mi

I knew when I hired Arun that he'd charge me more than most other companies. I hired him 9 yrs ago…read moreand have since hired many others who were cheaper. I saved money with the others; however, I also never got the attention to detail that I wanted. I was always disappointed with the end result. After neglecting my landscaping all summer, there was a lot of work to do to prepare for winter. Deadheading a ton of plants, cutting Ivy back from my house and trees, trimming tree branches away from my house, shaping my boxwoods, and removing tons of leaves because I live in an established neighborhood filled with huge trees... it was way more work than I have the capacity to do. Arun gave me an estimate of $1700. I knew it would be high, but it was even higher than expected. I considered going back to one of my previous landscapers, but ultimately, I wanted my property to be done exactly as I wanted it. I didn't want the snow to melt in the spring and be faced with landscaping that still needed more work. My yard looks amazing. It was everything I wanted it to be. Yes, it cost more, but I got what I paid for

Help me design my backyard and flowers for the front. The person that came seemed clueless and…read morevery negative about helping us with ideas. I can't say anything about the value bc she left quick and we felt like we had wasted everyone's time

Incomplete work. There was supposed to be grass removal, weed barrier and mulch in this area.

Removed raised bed that was NOT approved for removal. Love that the rebar was left.

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Incomplete work

1st Impressions

4.7

(30 reviews)

9.5 mi

Laura and her design team were an absolute pleasure! She really took the time to explain all the…read moredetails, kept us constantly updated on the job status, and maintained complete professionalism throughout. Best of all, they designed a gorgeous landscape layout! We couldn't be happier with the results and highly recommend them for any and all landscaping needs!

Laura and team were great to work with! I appreciate her willingness to revise our plans until we…read morehad something that was beautiful and in our budget. The install was quick and the results are gorgeous!

Old landscaping removed.

Landscaping

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Nelson & Holmberg

(2 reviews)

4.4 mi

If you seek attentive service and quality plants, Nelson Holmberg operates the finest greenhouses…read morein the Chicago area. They know how to satisfy their clients with the best green and blooming plants for all seasons. Nelson Holmberg knows the value of customer satisfaction and loyalty. They stand behind their plants and merchandise. You can count on Nelson Holmberg to come through and make you smile. Check out their glorious in-house grown poinsettias! or their Easter lilies, Mother's Day gardens or Fall outdoor mums.... ! Support your local, independent retailers for a strong economy! Speak Polish? ... Ask for Liz... Mowimy Po Polsku! Nelson Holmberg is the very best!

Last year I purchased a Meyer Lemon tree and Got my first Pie from it, Thanks to Colin of Mangel…read moreFlorist in Chicago. What a treat. Always loved plants and this was Amazing to me. kevin j herman,aifd,cfd,ms. Chicago

Blumen Gardens

I Love Blumen Gardens - I Always have, but went to the Makers Market today (7/19) and was…read moredisappointed that the Only food truck was an expensive Lobster thing. I already spent $100 on plants ... how about also having a hot dog cart ... not everyone likes seafood or wants to spend $20 for one person to eat. Again, I Love Blumen Gardens - the plants are Top Notch!!

In an old factory building Blumen Gardens is an eclectic mix of garden center, events space and…read moreindoor decor. Between the indoor space and the outdoor gardens it's huge too. We came for an easter egg hunt which was very well done. We had a great time and left with a few new things too.

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Centennial Beach

3.6

(79 reviews)

3.9 mi

We had an extremely disappointing experience before we even made it inside!…read more Before leaving, we checked the Centennial Beach website for information about cooler policies and other guest regulations, and everything made it seem like the beach was open as usual. When we arrived, we noticed a large crowd gathered outside. We walked up to the admissions area, where an employee informed us that the facility had reached capacity due to a major swim event. Because of this, they were only allowing season pass holders to enter and were not selling day passes. We completely understand that facilities have occupancy limits and appreciate the staff for enforcing them. Our frustration is with the lack of communication beforehand. A major event with limited public access should have been clearly posted on the website well in advance so families wouldn't make the trip unnecessarily. To make matters more confusing, the hours listed on Apple Maps and Google Maps were inaccurate, and the website was difficult to navigate. The notice about the capacity restrictions wasn't posted until about an hour before we were turned away. While we were there, we heard several other families expressing the same frustration. No hard feelings toward the employees--they were simply doing their jobs. However, the organization behind the website and event planning should do a much better job communicating closures, capacity limits, and special events to the public.

This place has everything, diving boards, deep end islands, a grill…read more Except you can't use everything. If you have kids, plan on them not being able to use the deep end. They make them do a very difficult swim test (I think so the lifeguards don't have to do their jobs.) that I would not pass, and I am a good swimmer. It's strange to me and kind of crazy, but you can still kill a day here!

Mama and boys are having a blast

Family fun

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Centennial beach w Grand nephew

Rosewood Beach

3.8

(35 reviews)

36.5 mi

This beach is beautiful and worth checking out if you are in the area! I loved the walkway and how…read moreclean the area is. You will need a pass if you aren't a resident, but it's a great experience .

Getting beach ready! Not only myself (preparing for a summer beach vacation), but Rosewood Beach…read morerecently got a clean up and seemed ready for visitors. It's been awhile since I've updated my experience at Rosewood. This review is based on a recent walk I took to get some fresh air and much needed exercise. After parking the car in Downtown Ravinia and walking to Rosewood beach and back to the car (round trip about 1.3 miles), I noticed a bunch of beach updates that are worth mentioning. First of all, gear up, because the beach is open this year and you'll be able to swim! It's a private beach and not free, so you'll have to follow this link (https://www.pdhp.org/beaches/parking-2/) for resident and non-resident fees. This year you can purchase a swim pass and a parking decal. I entered via the dirt path that leads down to the beach so I could make my way back up the stairs for a good stair climb. The path was nicely cleaned up and breathtaking all on its own. Surrounded by lots of foliage and overlooking the ravine, I walked until I met up with the beach boardwalk. The boardwalk is all cleaned up and nicely refreshed. Looks like it did when it first opened! The beach sand is all freshened up and ready for summer. The play structures for kids are covered (but not sanitized). The best part? The steep, really-great-for-your-legs staircase now has handrails! This is such a huge plus for when you can't quite make it up and need to lean over a rail to hold yourself up (don't judge). It was a nice quiet walk, since the beach isn't actually open yet, but it will get crowded for certain. Parking lots have meters.

Covered but there's a sign that says not sanitized.

Kids buried in the sand. Good thing they have a shower!

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Chilly water on a summer day.

Springbrook Golf Course

3.2

(29 reviews)

2.9 mi

Driving range was nice, great grass and area. Simple and easy! Went on a Saturday afternoon and…read morewasn't too busy.

I haven't played Springbrook in a couple years but just finished 9 holes with my 2 grandsons. The…read morecourse was in fantastic shape. But the course has really changed. Gone are the grumpy old curmudgeons who made you feel like you were bringing their daughter home late on a date. From the starter to the pro shop and even the greens keepers, they were great. Friendly, smiling and such a big attitude change. Thanks for finally getting it right and not making the place feel like a place old golfers go to die.

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Another fun day golfing.

Wolf's Crossing Community Park

(9 reviews)

4.9 mi

IT TAKES A VILLAGE…read more Raising children is hard, but Wolf's Crossing Community Park makes life a bit easier. Located on the Naperville / Oswego border where 95th St dead-ends into Wolf's Crossing Rd, this public park incorporates 33 acres of carefully planned and meticulously maintained space. It's the perfect answer when asked by your kid for the umpteenth time "wHaT aRe wE dOoOiNg ToDaY?" This complex features a playground, splash pad, covered pavilion, basketball courts, sand volleyball, tennis/pickleball courts, a lookout point with sledding hill and a ninja warrior obstacle course. It connects to various biking trails and there's onsite public bathrooms with plenty of parking. The ~100ft zipline is a standout feature and draws a considerable line on busier days. Watching kids nearly get yeeted off into the bushes makes for great theater! I assume the weight limit is 200lbs so next time I'ma have a go at it (get outta my way, kids!) The only thing missing is concessions, as the lone pop machine near the restrooms didn't appear to work. I think there's enough people here on a routine basis to warrant building a snack shop! I'd love to serve nachos and root beer to hungry peeps, as long as I got paid $25/hr. * TL;DR * This idyllic, multi-faceted rec area is fully deserving of its perfect rating. Wolf's Crossing Community Park was built with young children and special accommodations in mind, easily accessible to all ages & abilities. The fam spent several hours here (granted, most of them were confined to the splash pad) and we barely scratched the surface. I can't wait to beast through that legit obstacle course some day when I remember to wear close-toed shoes. Ain't no way my clumsy ass is making it through there in flip flops. WCCP has tons of what we in the gaming realm refer to as "replayability", essentially, is there enough stuff to do on repeat visits? You bet there is! See for yourself, check them out before summer's gone!

Wolf's Crossing playground and splash pad are a big hit with the kiddos in the summer months. It is…read moreusually pretty crowded because it is such a fun place. But it's free fun and kids always make new friends to play with. Highly recommended for those days you can't think of anything to do with the kids, and screens are becoming a problem.

Play ground

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Moore Park Spray Ground

4.8

(4 reviews)

14.5 mi

This is a great place to go when you have a little bit of time and don't want to make it to the…read morepool. There's not just the spray pad, but a playground, swings and covered picnic area with tables and benches. There are lacrosse fields right next to it so more open space for the kids to run around. It's run by the Geneva Park District and the stay pad is open from June to September, typically. All of our kids love to be there. From infants up through elementary ages for sure will enjoy it. There's also a lot of shade here!

These are becoming really popular but I count myself lucky this one is so close by. This is top…read morenotch water play area for young children (2+). There's plenty of grassy space with trees for shade, so bring a blanket and snacks. It's a public park, so it should not be a surprise that the public port-a-john is kind of gross. Bear in mind, this place gets super busy when it's warm/hot out and a lot of kids from the neighborhood seem to be there unsupervised. Nevertheless, this place is great.

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Spring Lake Park

(5 reviews)

5.3 mi

Nice little park for anyone who likes the outdoors. There is a long, paved walking path that is a…read morefew miles (not sure how long) long. Decent walking distance and is perfect for a long walk with the dog. The path goes around the small lake and through some residential areas. The park itself has a covered picnic area, playground for kids ages 3-10, sand pit, and swings. There is a private parking lot right off McCoy and there are always plenty of spots. It is right next to the Fire Station so if your kids like seeing the trucks and engines this would be a bonus!

Very nice park with wonderful views of lake. Went for a walk around the park yesterday. Great way…read moreto get your steps in. So very pleasant and peaceful. Stopped and sat by lake to simply take in the moment. Perfect place to bring the kids.

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McDonald Farm - gardens - Updated August 2026

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St James Farm Preserve

4.6

(28 reviews)

One of my favorite birding spots especially in spring. We easily spotted 30 birds on a quick walk…read morearound easy trails.

A great place to stroll around, learn history about the grounds, and take some pics…read more There are numerous trails here that are beautiful. The paths are gravel so be sure to wear gym shoes. There's a gorgeous row of trees that is stunning for a photo shoot. Bonus - It is free to park and explore here. There are picnic tables out front as well as public bathrooms and vending machines. Spend a few minutes or a few hours here. It's a great place to venture and check out. This was a very quiet and calming experience for me.

Peck Farm Park

4.9

(27 reviews)

We came here for the Autumn Fair (September 20, 2025). It was a free event with a lot of fun…read moreactivities: hay rides, kids games, pumpkin painting, demonstrations. They also had other activities for a small cost: pony rides, petting zoo, bounce house. We also purchased food and participated in the gift basket raffle. We were there for at least 3 hours. The park is great for kids older than 4. There's also a water area that is fun for both older and younger kids. The butterfly house was also a hit. Many butterflies landed on us while we were in there. Overall a great place to visit, definitely stop by as well when an event is going on for extra activities.

Star gazing at Peck Farm Park was so interesting. Saw Jupiter and four of its moons. The moon was…read morealso spectacular! The astronomy club has outreached on Saturday of every month, weather permitting. Great experience.

DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center

(61 reviews)

I took an injured bird I found in my yard there. They heal many types of animals. It is a great…read morecommunity resource.

Agree with Rob H. This place is so sad now. It used to be among our top five favorite places, but…read morethey need to tear down that waste-of-space building and make the full-grown trees and nature come back right now! We don't need more strip-mall crap! We need trees, flowers, grasses, meadows, creek, and pond. This place used to have them all, but now you might as well go to chucky cheese.

Waubonsie Lake Park

4.5

(17 reviews)

Have a good jog or just have a pleasant time walking around this park in Aurora. It of course has a…read morelake in the middle of it. Waubonsie Lake Park is located in more of a residential area but it gets outsiders. A few amenities. There's a playground and a shelter. Chill place for the most part with people just walking around. It's basically just a lake with a trail around it. There's a little bit of parkland. All of this is surrounded by houses. It seems most people here are from around it. A few things for families. There's a small playground along with pretend dinosaur bones to climb on. There's also modern playground equipment like slides and swings. Also there's a shelter by the lake. This is good for picnics. Good park for exercising or playing around. It's located on Kautz Road. This is good for children, adults working out, or whoever.

Very nice & peaceful I walk here weekly basic to clear my mind and breathe fresh air a few times I…read moresee deers rabbits lots of fishing near me but I'm not here for that ..let me get my walk on buddy..

Oswegoland Park District

4.3

(4 reviews)

Thank you for allowing my family and I to enjoy one of your parks (Jaycee Park). The park is in a…read morereally nice area and also has great equipment for the kids to play on. The day turned out to be an Amazing day for my grandsons 1st birthday party. So, Thank you again Oswegoland park District.

We stopped by to play the Eagle Ridge frigolf course today, which looks to be fairly new. This is…read morean 18-hole course that really surprised me. The course has a great deal of design variance mixing par 3's, 4's and 5's. Several holes feature hills, turning fairways and good natural traps (yeah..I'm referring to tree's) My favorite hole is in the early teens (I think)..the basket is actually up on wooden/cement pedestal, making the upwards throw unique. The entire course is well marked with photo's of the fairways and baskets at each tee. Speaking of which, each hole has both a regular and pro cement tee pad. Many holes have benches and seats as well. Aside from a few skinny fairways this course is spot on. A departing word to the wise, this is probably a mosquito's haven when the tree's, bushes and warmer temps are in season. Bring your bug juice! Great course though...be sure to check it out.

Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve

4.5

(40 reviews)

There are a few trails that you can choose from depending on how many miles you want to walk, run,…read morebike, etc. the trail is gravel and is surrounded by grass. We parked in the lot off of Plainfield/Naperville Rd on the west side of the street. The parking spots were spacious. There is limited parking but it was not full and had plenty of spots. There was a handicap port a potty, which had no toilet paper and stinky. But if you got to go you got to go. There is also a small area with picnic benches under a pavilion. We wanted to do about 5k walk, so we went south on the path and there is an underground tunnel that connects to the Sunflower trail. We went to the Sunflower trail first, which connects to Henslow's trail. Lots of trees and shrubs. The Henslow's trail is grass and dirt path. Close to the end it goes downhill back to the tunnel. There are wooden posts with the trail name with arrows pointing the direction of the trail at the intersections. Will have to try the Sprinkbrook Prairie Trail that is 5.5 miles. Note, Be sure to check for ticks, I did end up taking some home and found them on my clothes.

Nice place for a walk, run, or bike ride. It's in a loop and had plenty of markers. There are…read morebathrooms at the trail head.

Beau Bien Park

3.7

(3 reviews)

Great place but half closed down for construction. Will be great when all open but at present is…read morenot outstanding

My kids like this park a lot. But they also like throwing cotton balls at each other, pretending…read morethey are in an epic snowball battle. They are disturbingly easy to please is what I'm saying, so I'll just tell you what I like about this park. There's a small parking lot. The park itself is set away from the street and parking lot. There's a relatively clean porta potty. There's plenty of shady areas including a shelter with some picnic tables. There's also a tennis court and a baseball diamond. Cool, fine, I'm just glad my kids enjoy themselves. What I REALLY like about this park is that it's got a four square AND hopscotch court. So whenever we go there I can be ready to school anyone who steps to me. 'Cause I keep my hopscotch game on point y'all!

Mount Saint Mary Park

4.6

(9 reviews)

After having a meal at GIA MIA - Geneva, my husband and I needed to have a walk. We found Mount…read moreSaint Mary Park in St. Charles. This was a great park to take a walk in. There were sculptures all along the walking path. This gave us something to look at and discuss as we walked. In addition to the walking path, there is a playground, tennis court, and skate park at this park. There is also a veteran's memorial at the center of the park. For a variety of things to do, I highly recommend Mount Saint Mary Park.

A nice place to take a stroll in the park. Sculptures, benches, on the river in St Charles. Very…read morenice.

Lyman Woods

(15 reviews)

Nice trails that are fairly well maintained. Lots of wildlife throughout. Loved the Winnie the Pooh…read morethemed items throughout the trails. Definitely would recommend for anyone who likes novice-level hiking trails.

The map is outdated and hard to follow. The trail is flooded in parts and blocked by downed trees…read moreor overgrown plants blocking it to the point you don't know if your on the trail or should turn back. The Winnie the Pooh stuff is lame, no pictures of them, just some spots like small doors or something attached to a tree with a sign that says they live there. It has potential. Too small to jog through too. At least it had bathrooms....

Cerny Park