We have annual passes and just renewed. And if you get an annual pass you can use this days…read moreadmission against the pass price and use both this year and next!! We buy as Christmas presents! Our seven year old grandson said "we need to make this a tradition!" And they let you bring in food as long as not in cooler. And food is reasonable and get coupons w annual pass too. And refills are $1 on drinks and you can bring back the cups all season! We love the lazy river, the wave pool , and the new splash fountain. And there is an adults only section too. Grandkids love royal flush and slides! We also use the miniature golf and driving range.

I banged my head a few times and some of the slides hurt your back but the ones that hurt are the…read morebest ones I saw a lot of band aides in the lazy river

Cute little park with plenty of picnic seating and a lakeside pavillion! I love what a great view…read moreof the lake you get from here (if you ignore the CWLP smokestacks). There are lots of little ducks and geese wandering around and a bridge that connects the east and west side of the park. I'll definitely be back to enjoy the lakeview and the picnic grilling!

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

Nice little zoo! We took advantage of a free admission day. The kids had a blast, staff was very…read morefriendly and knowledgeable & its so nice to not having outrageously priced food (we all ate for under $15) would definitely return in the future.

Review Visit: April 11th, 2012…read more Penguins, peacocks, chickens, oh my! Henson Robinson Zoo is located in the heart of Abraham Lincoln country. So, it makes sense that there is a zoo that has all it's animals wearing black hats and Lincoln-style beards. Actually, that makes no sense at all. Lets try that again. Henson Robinson Zoo was the destination for Matt and I during the early days of spring. When the warmth of the day is enough to make exploring possible and not miserable. I picked Matt up and we headed out to explore the capital. We got to the zoo around noon, parked, paid our admission, and got hyped to see some animals. I don't remember much about the zoo layout. I do remember a few different things. One. Peacocks and chickens walking around like they own the place. Yep, they had live animals walking around, strutting their stuff. No, they didn't have bears walking around, though that would be one heck of an experience. There were some peacocks strutting around, showing off their tail feathers. I never thought I would see a peacock up close and in person, let alone one I could pet. Whether you should attempt to pet the, that's up to your discretion (and probably some zoo rules). Two. Racing a wolverine is something I can mark off my bucket list. Upon visiting the wolverine exhibit, Matt and I noticed this creature was hyper and running up and down the edge of it's viewing area. Me, being the person I am, decided to mirror it's movements. The wolverine and I ran up and down the exhibit for a solid 5-10 minutes. Back and forth. Back and forth. Matt ended up recording some videos of us racing. I included a photo below where you can see me in motion. My current WordPress plan doesn't allow me to upload videos or else I would include one as well. Since I don't remember much else from the zoo, that leaves me without much else to say. There was a big water exhibit near the entrance. That is where the penguins were. They were fun to watch waddle around and swim around. I would suggest checking it out if you have an itch for a zoo. Maybe you can even race a peacock or pet a wolverine during your visit... or something like that.

A beautiful spot to spend time outdoors, walking, praying, and being alone. There are Dominican…read moresisters who host this space, with some animals, the grounds, an art center, and some retreat space that can be rented. They hosts events seasonally; I recommend walking the labyrinth.

Excellent food, excellent service, excellent view. Great…read moremenu with great atmosphere! The patio bar is simply awesome. The Sunday cookout is second to none!!

The Yacht Club is awesome!! First and most important, best steak you'll ever eat, incredibly tender…read moreand always comes out exactly how you want it. Unfortunately, I haven't dabbled much in the rest of the menu, because that's what I get every time I come for dinner! The staff is all amazing and incredibly friendly - they treat you like family. The bar is also a great area to relax and even have dinner, especially with the remodel that was done.

Review Visit: April 24th, 2017…read more Carpenter Park is more than your typical park. Since the coming of Spring, I have been getting the itch to hike. There are plenty of places to hike in Illinois, but I wanted something different. Something off the beaten path. Somewhere that wasn't Starved Rock or a 2 hour drive for me. After scouring Google Maps for a place, I stumbled upon Carpenter Park. So in my car and off to hike I go! Carpenter Park is located on the outskirts of Springfield, almost in Sherman. Taking Sherman Road in, you will find it on the right. Your turn will take you to a one lane road where it leads to a small but ample parking lot. Beware, this road is mighty bumpy and will test your suspension due to all the dips and holes. Parking at Carpenter Park, you'll easily notice the main board that has a map with the trails marked on it. Food for thought, if you ever go hiking, take a photo this is map with your phone. You never know when you will need it. I have referred to the maps on my phone many times, just to make sure I was where I thought I was. The main parking area has all the entry hiking points, so it is easy to hop on a trail and start walking. I noticed main of the trails tend to intersect and cross each other, so you could easily go from one path to another to another. While this was fine and dandy, it was at a certain point that I noticed all the crossings no longer had markers. So you really need to pay attention to where you are going or you may end up getting lost... like I did. Just like at Matthiessen State Park, I somehow wandered out of the hiking area and into the main road that leads to the parking lot. As for the trails, they are all fairly flat, well-defined and suitable for people of all hiking skills. There are quite a few that had logs laying across the path, so you will have to go around or climb over. Not a hassle for someone who is in shape, but if you are looking for a gentle walk, this may be a problem. Some paths had a path going around the logs, but it's not a guarantee. While kind of getting lost, I did stumble upon some really cool cliffs/canyon of Sandstone. They were facing the Sangamon River. If you view some of the images below, I managed to sit on a part that stuck out. It was a fantastic view as long as you didn't look down and see the rocks and river below. Thrilling! Overall, I was here just shy of 2 hours and it was a fun place to hike. It is somewhat connected to another place called Gurgens Park that seems to offer more of the same as here. So if you felt daring, you could literally cross the road that splits them and hike both places. Carpenter Park has some interesting history, if you read the Wiki link below. Guess it is an Old Route 66 attraction. How cool! If you do hike/camp/fish in nature areas, please please please pick up after yourself. I filled an entire Kroger bag full of trash. Keep Nature Beautiful.

Could use better maintenance and more signage…read more Pro tip- to find this park on google maps search "Historic Stone Shelter" This park is a nice little oasis in Springfield and my go to place for a short hike. I love the views by the river but my biggest gripe with the trails is that there aren't very many signs to delineate where trails are intersecting. The trails that are not by the water are nice for a little taste of nature but don't have any standout features. In all, I enjoy coming to Carpenter Park to hike and enjoy a scenic lunch but I wish there was better marking of the trails.

Nice dog park, but wouldn't know it was there, if you didn't know about it. The park has a walkway…read moredown to the two gated areas; one for small dogs and the other for big dogs. It seems to be well maintained and by little beagle, Cash, has so much fun running around and making new friends each time we go.

i would have rated higher but all parking at dog run is handicapped only . while biking and hiking…read moreis mostly non-handicapped . ball park parking is all non-handicapped . about 5 dogs and 6 human pets usecats this park 360-365 days a year . the play area is very good in large dog area also small dog park is some times used for new dogs to meet regulars one on one . most of the large dogs play with small dogs ( they let small dogs win at play). the only problems is when people puppy (little kids) use dogs pool in summer (kids are welcome to play with dogs but please ask dog and owner first and supervise your child during play time) remember it is a dog park . cats are welcome if their dog friends state the cat thinks it is a dog and acts that way !!! ****** i live in Illinois not California as listed in post ******