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    Ravinia Park

    3.6 (25 reviews)

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    The main entrance in 1955, served by both the C&NW RR and the North Shore Line.
    Eric B.

    Through the years, I've observed many upgrades to Ravinia Park's grounds, facilities and services. Just when I think it can't possibly get any better ... it gets better. Visiting the park for an event is always a special treat. To get the most benefit from the experience, especially if you're an occasional or first-time visitor, I can offer some tips. My "hacks" won't work equally well for everyone, but fwiw ... Getting there: The Missus and drive to downtown Highland Park and park for free in one of the lots adjoining the Metra station. From there, a free Pace shuttle bus takes us directly to the park. The only downside is the return trip; following a popular event the wait to board a bus can be long. For anyone with mobility issues or tons of picnic gear to schlep, I suggest arriving early-early and parking in Ravinia's main (pay) lot. Dining: We bring our own food (alcohol is permitted on the lawn) and eat picnic-style, or we dine at one of Highland Park's fine restaurants before or after the event. Ravinia does have restaurants and concession stands, but their menu prices range from absurd to ludicrous (a paper cup of coffee at Ravinia Market will set you back $5.00) and the quality of the food does not justify the stratospheric prices. Lawn or Pavilion? The lawn is a high-falutin party place. Its cachet and people-watching are incomparable; wine goblets, candelabras and foofaraw abound. Those desiring a coveted spot near the Pavilion line up early, before the gates open. Audio from the Pavilion is piped to loudspeakers throughout the park. But for those who abhor chatter and screaming kids, and actually want to see and hear the performance (imagine that!), the lawn is not so great, especially when it's raining. Us? We love the lawn, but we splurge on Pavilion tickets and when showtime nears, we mosey over to our reserved seats. Note: Picnic gear is not permitted inside the Pavilion and it's best to stow this stuff in your car if you're parked close by. Otherwise, the ushers will point out where to stash non-valuable items. If you attend Ravinia events regularly, donating $100 or more to Ravinia's Annual Fund will get you and your family a bunch of perks, including early park entry and discounts.

    Celeste B.

    I love LOVE Ravinia! Always a great time here and have seen so many shows! Don't bother paying the premium for pavillion seating because everyone knows the party is out on the lawn. It's amazing how elaborate some of the lawn set up is! If you're a first time lawn participant, here are a few tips: 1) Get a cooler on wheels and fill it with lots of ice and your desired beverages. 2) Get a collapsible wagon and fill wagon with the following items: - lawn chairs in a bag - tarp to lay under blankets (it gets dewy in the evening) - picnic blanket to lay on top of tarp - blankets in case it gets chilly - socks (if you wear sandals there, you'll wish you had some socks to put on during the show) - foldable low table/coffee table height - picnic food - glasses/cups for beverages - BOTTLE OPENER (we still forget this sometimes) - games/cards to play while waiting for show to start I hope it helps and happy concert picnicking!

    Lawn for Culture Club at Ravinia
    Jacqueline B.

    I had not been to Ravinia in years until Saturday 9/1. I heard about the elaborate lawn setups, and they did NOT disappoint! I saw so much care and meticulousness, but we didn't go with the intention to impress, we came to hear/see and save money! Here's the thing: Rain!! We arrived for Culture Club (with B-52s and Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins) at 5:15pm for the 7pm show knowing the lawn would be hectic. Around 6:30 or so the rain started and basically kept up for the next 3 HOURS on and off! People were prepared with umbrellas and panchos (I guess also to put away their food/drinks/tables too) We came by train so I didn't want to lug my lawn chair, so I rented one. It was small, damp from yesterday's rain and had some dirt on it! Glad I saw it before I sat down. I realize Ravinia makes their moolah from the pavilion seats, so of course there was never a question of delay or cancellation, even with LIGHTNING on the horizon. Other outdoor venues clear out or evacuate when that happens, but since the money seats are covered, they rarely cancel a performance due to weather. On the plus side, everyone sounded great, and the audience was in good spirits, they must have been pros. We stood at the perimeter of the pavilion and I got some good pics and video of Boy George and his 30-year partners in crime. I visited the ladies' room early and it looked fine, as I remember it to be.

    For Kids
    Belle L.

    Metra train (Ravinia Park stop, 3rd stop from Ogilvie, 3+ stops to Ogilvie) is the best method of transportation. $8 weekend pass. Otherwise, it $7 one way. You can purchase Metra tickets via VENTRA. Metra is the WEST GATE entrance. Plentiful of trains to Ravinia. 30-mins before show, there is a dedicated train coded as RAV. There are 3 other gates/entrances: North, South, and East. For CAR PARKING, to/from shuttle buses are provided. When the concert ends...there is a LINE...like 3-4 rows. A Metra Train waits outside when concert ends...no line, just a seat. *wink* Look into RAVINIA's SPECIAL PROGRAM (Reach Teach Play) especially CPS for freebies and opportunities. Giving back to the community is a wonderful thing. PAVILION SEATING is easy, convenient and you pay more. LAWN SEATING is about $25 depending on Performers. Ravinia also hands you a clear garbage bag for self cleanup. You only hear the live performers as you would in a CD. You can't see performers at all, unless you go to the pavilion that is mostly packed. But, LAWN SEATING is hanging out with La Familia. Children are free to play without disturbing others. There are events for kids well: pizza making, graffiti, ice cream stand. Bring a cooler and STUFF it! At intermission, some were playing music. :-) "Without música, life would be a mistake." - Friedrich Nietzsche RESTAURANT food is good with decent price and portion, depending WHERE you go. If you forget to bring a bottle of wine (BYOB), you can purchase a decent glass for about $5 at the cart area. For BYOB, make sure you bring a twist off bottle as you go through security check and your wine bottle opener may NOT make it. BATHROOM line can be long, but it goes fast. Well maintained.

    Camping out on the lawn watching the show.
    Steve C.

    Just a spectacular venue! Sitting in the cool summer air on a blanket with a packed picnic dinner and a bottle of you favorite adult beverage (that you can bring from home) turns a normal music performance into a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. The environment here is incredibly welcoming and fun, with people of all ages getting up to dance or laugh throughout the performances. The lawn space is very well taken care of, making the act of sitting on the grass not as messy as you would think. Packing a blanket brings the whole experience back to a summer picnic, while a table (with candles if you like) makes the ambiance a little more romantic. Overall a fun and unique experience that you should try.

    'Standing Woman' (1989) by Fernando Botero.

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    Review Highlights - Ravinia Park

    Don't bother paying the premium for pavillion seating because everyone knows the party is out on the lawn.

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    Millard Park

    Millard Park

    5.0(6 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    What a hidden gem! You get the best of both, beach and bluff and it is HP residents only…read more Accessible by both foot and car; but note that parking space is limited and you have to have a sticker (available at HP Rec center). No matter the purpose of your visit, this place has relax and unwind written all over it. This beach is the opposite of Rosewood, it is more of a DIY beach, which is more my vibe.

    I'm not sure if this review is about the park area, the beach, the lake, or the fact that the North…read moreShore has some beautiful historical hidden gems worth exploring. Millard Park pays tribute to all of it! Thanks to Maryana R and Peter S for helping me discover this jewel. At the very end of Ravine Drive, down a long and winding road, up some stone stairs, you'll discover a piece of North Shore history. Not only will you discover a remaining stone wall structure that was part of the Robert C Schaffner Estate, built by Howard Van Doren Shaw, but the restored Schaffner Garden, which is a magical place made for a fairy princess. In the midst of wild flowers, you'll also discover planted trees and benches dedicated to loved ones who have passed on. This garden overlooks the lake and the Millard Park Beach. I can't wait to come back when the flowers are in bloom. On the beach you will find a rock garden and a fun wooden structure/rock identifier displaying native rocks. Kids and kids at heart can take the rocks they discover on the beach and match them to the rock identifier as a learning tool. It's kind of difficult to explain, so you'll just have to see for yourself! Overall, an incredible place to escape to. Note: You can only park there with a Highland Park sticker and dogs are not allowed on the beach.

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    Millard Park
    Millard Park
    Millard Park

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    Little Bear Garden Park

    Little Bear Garden Park

    4.6(28 reviews)
    5.4 mi

    I've been hearing about this park for a while and we were able to take a visit over there today…read more I'm glad I knew what I was looking for because Google Maps was going to take me to a small playground on the other side of the school, rather than Little Bear Park which is on the very corner of Patriot and Chestnut (and is almost entirely fenced in, which makes it attractive with little kids). The Little Bear Park is actually a section within the larger Gallery Park, so you may need to put that in if your GPS is confused about LBP. This park was established as part of the redevelopment of the military airfield in Glenview. Overall, I was disappointed in the park, but there were some things I really loved about it along with those that left a bit to be desired. First, it looked like a gorgeous, romantic garden like you might envision from an Austen novel. Truly a beautiful setting, with a small hedge maze and a several picnic tables. Quite an idyllic little spot within the larger park, and ostensibly where it gets the "garden park" part of its name. There's also a really awesome water feature here. It's really large, and unlike some "splash pads" that are little more than a tall pipe sticking out of the ground, this one had several arms coming out of the ground of different heights. It also had some water coming from spots in the ground, for a lot of different ways to play. My kiddo got soaked and loved it. Sadly, the playground section looked kind of old and worn. It has a cute castle/medieval theme, but all the play equipment was quite faded. Of more concern was that the playground terrain, which was that composite rubbery stuff, was broken off in quite a few places; more than once my babe brought me small or large pieces. Seems potentially fraught in a few different ways, but it was weird since in all the parks I've been to with that kind of ground cover I haven't seen chunks of it missing throughout the playground. There's lots of parking at/around this park, because it shares space with a middle school and park district headquarters. The playground itself isn't the attraction for me--though if we are already in Glenview, I might stop--but I would absolutely return for a beautiful picnic in the garden, and that's what really makes it shine.

    Heads up if your kids like swings: there are none at this park. But there's a cool splash pad, a…read morehedge maze, a play structure, and a huge sand pit area.

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    Little Bear Garden Park
    Little Bear Garden Park
    Little Bear Garden Park

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    Sherwood Park - Playground Equipment - Soft Ground

    Sherwood Park

    4.0(1 review)
    2.8 mi

    In the past year or two, the Park District of Highland Park have stepped up and taken much better…read morecare for Sherwood Park. Previous summers; the main field would be more dandelion than grass, and the Deerfield Rd. embankment would be an overgrown mess. In the past two summers, these issues were tended to much better. As a result, the park has been much more usable. The ground crews must have used a good weed & feed type of product, as the dandelions were mostly gone and the turf grew in MUCH stronger. Before, especially in lower areas that used to fill up as muddy puddles during a modest shower, the grass would tear easily. Now, the grass seems to be deeper rooted, and holds up to vigorous use by two-legged and four-legged kids (and kids-at-heart). When it rains, puddles still form in several spots (particularly in the center of the park), but they aren't muddy. The puddles even drain better. Along the east edge of the park, the Deerfield Rd. embankment - which is fenced off - is far less overgrown. It still has wild plant growing, but isn't as out of control. It also seems like they may have adjusted the pitch of the earth in some spots, as there is no longer standing water near the fences. the past two summers have seen fewer mosquitoes due to the weather, but I feel the above changes will further reduce mosquitoes in the park during hotter and more humid summers going forward. Holes in the fence must have been patched up sometime last fall, and there's an repaired backstop in the northeast corner. The playground equipment they installed a few years back were all premium gear. They've help up nicely to the elements, and still look absolutely brand new. It helps that they were regularly being cleaned, prior to COVID-19. They were roped off for a few months, but are back in use. As a result of COVID-19, I see park crews cleaning them fairly often, and the garbage & recycling cans emptied just as often. All of this attention and effort by the Highland Park Park District have improved the usability of Sherwood Park. The playground is still the nicest feature - excellent equipment, plenty of seating, stroller parking, garbage cans, tables, and soft padding all around. It's been a great destination to groups with younger kids. The improvements to the field and surrounding area have also made the rest of the park more useful. You can now run around on the field, without worrying about kicking up a storm of dandelion puffs or getting all muddy. I had previously scored this park 3 stars, but I'm now inclined to give it 4 stars (I have to grade on a curve, because of its proximity to even nicer parks like Mooney Park, Cloverdale, and Sunset Woods).

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    Sherwood Park - Jungle-Gym Fun

    Jungle-Gym Fun

    Sherwood Park - Kids 3-5 Equipment

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    Sherwood Park - Park sign & picnic tables along Arbor Ave.

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    Park sign & picnic tables along Arbor Ave.

    Ravinia Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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