Discover 12 Best Parks in Elmhurst (Illinois)
If you’re looking for fun activities for the whole family, you’ll love these parks in Elmhurst. The city, which sits about 15 miles from Chicago, is filled with parks where everyone can relax and have a refreshing time, regardless of age.
Each park offers a unique combination of peace and outdoor entertainment, from the enchanted tranquility of Wilder Park to the charming allure of Berens Park, which is perfect for families.
The parks in Elmhurst have something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a quiet retreat, entertaining play areas, or lovely places to have a picnic.
Explore the parks of this charming city to find its heart, where you can embrace special moments and the beauty of nature.
The exciting features of these parks will surely make your day. Here are some of them.
What Are The Best Parks In Elmhurst, Illinois?
#1. Ben Allison Park
Ben Allison Park has a playground and a junior sledding hill. A paved pathway to the Illinois Prairie Path links the playground and West Avenue.
1964 the district was christened after the previous mayor Ben Allison (1957-61). The Park District received the original tract and an additional 1.45 acres of land from the City of Elmhurst in 1981. The playground was most recently rebuilt in 2003.
Ben Allison Park has a playground for kids of all ages. There is a section with more straightforward equipment for toddlers and a section with more difficult equipment for older kids. Additionally, there are swings, a climbing frame, and a sandbox to play in.
Families can have a great time outdoors in Ben Allison Park. Everybody can enjoy the pond, playground, and sledding hill. You can easily walk or ride a bike to restaurants, shops, and other attractions from the park because it is close to downtown Elmhurst.
Features:
- Amenities
- Playground
- Sledding Hill
- Picnic Table
Events & Activities:
- Adopt-A-Park
Address: 444 S West Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#2. Berens Park
Berens Park is a big park with numerous sports fields, two synthetic turf. The park contains a running route, a famous sledding hill, and two playgrounds, one in the southwest corner and the other at The Hub.
Seasonal attractions at The Hub include four-station batting cages for softball or baseball, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and a 6,000-square-foot spray ground.
The Lee A. Daniels Pavilion, which offers a multipurpose room suitable for party rentals, meetings, and corporate events all year, is also included in the central hub.
Berens Park’s property was purchased between 1963 and 1965 and constructed in 1966. Known initially as Armitage Avenue Park, it was renamed Helmut Berens Park in 1967 in honor of Elmhurst Historical Commission founder and local author/historian Helmut Berens.
Other tracts of property were purchased between 1976 and 1978.
The Hub project began in the fall of 2002. The Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners authorized naming the main pavilion after State Representative Lee A. Daniels was essential in completing the Berens Park reconstruction plan on September 23, 2003.
On June 5, 2004, the Hub celebrated its grand opening, with the first 300 people receiving a souvenir cup packed with vouchers for discounts on concessions and park activities.
Features:
- Amenities
- Batting Cages
- Basketball Courts
- Seasonal Concession Stand
- Water Fountains
- Football Stadiums
- Diamonds with Lighted Balls
- Tennis Court Lighting
- Picnic Area
- Playgrounds
- Mini-Golf
- Restrooms
- Trails for Running
- Courts for Sand Volleyball
- Soccer Fields on Sledding Hill
- Spray Ground
Activities & Events:
- Facility Rentals
- Adopt-A-Park
- Picnic Rental
Address: 493 N Oaklawn Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#3. Conrad Fischer Park
Conrad Fischer Park, located in the northeast part of Elmhurst, has a playground, many sports fields, and courts, including a futsal court. Because of its unusual placement between two schools, it is ideal for playtime and after-school play.
The Fischer family, a German immigrant who moved to the area in 1836, owned the initial park property. Conrad Fischer’s five acres of land were purchased in 1966, and construction began in 1967.
Conrad Fischer Elementary School and Churchville Middle School are nearby. A lease for a school site extension of the park was signed in 1971, and a master plan and agreement with District 205 were finalized in 1972.
The playground was most recently refurbished in 2018, focusing on children aged 2 to 5, but with increased climbing options. The park courts were also renovated to incorporate a futsal and half-court basketball.
Features:
- Amenities
- Diamonds balls
- 2 Half Basketball Courts
- Drinking Fountains
- Picnic Tables
- Futsal Court
- Playground
- Football Fields
- Tennis Court
Events & Activities
- Adopt-A-Park
Address: 200 E Diversey Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#4. Centennial Park
Centennial Park, located in the heart of Elmhurst, has a playground, geyser fountain, picnic pavilion, and adult workout equipment.
The geyser fountains are set to run seasonally from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will activate irregularly for small periods, 2-3 times every hour. There is no external button to turn them on.
The site was purchased in 2019 to increase the green space available to Elmhurst residents in this region.
Dedicated in 2020, during the Park District’s 100th year, the park’s name looks back with pride on the District’s previous 100 years while looking forward with hope and optimism to the future. The park was built in 2022. It’s also one of the best parks in Elmhurst, Illinois.
Features:
- Amenities
- Fitness equipment
- Geyser fountain
- Picnic shelter
- Mary E. Kies Recreation Center
- Drinking fountain
- Playground
Events & Activities
- Adopt-A-Park
Address: 155 E St Charles Rd, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#5. Wilder Park
Unsurprisingly, Elmhurst, Illinois’s Wilder Park, is regarded as one of the most excellent parks in the Chicago suburbs.
This attractive garden, conveniently located between downtown Elmhurst and Elmhurst University, is one of the locals’ and visitors’ favorite things to do in Elmhurst.
It was decided at the stately estate of the namesake mansion, which was built in the 1860s. There is no getting bored in Wilder Park.
Whether you enjoy a calm picnic in the sun on your family excursion, a restful stroll among the formal gardens to admire the seasonal show, or a wild ramble on the well-equipped playground for the smallest family members.
Features:
- Picnic equipment
- Mini Golf
- Playground
Events and Activities:
- Picnic
- Wedding
Address: 175 S Prospect Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#6. Sky Zone Trampoline Park
The winters in Illinois can be long and harsh, while the summer heat can be oppressive. So, what should one do if they have extra energy but the weather isn’t cooperating?
Look no further than Sky Zone Trampoline Park, which will surely be one of the most enjoyable things to do in Elmhurst this weekend for both the young and the young at heart.
You can play basketball or dodgeball with your sports team or climb a bouldering wall with bare hands while bouncing about on a trampoline. It’s a beautiful workout that also assures much fun and laughter. This is also one of the best trampoline parks in Elmhurst, Illinois.
Features:
- Sports equipment
- Recreation Building
- Playground
- Running Trail
- Soccer Field
- Tennis Courts
Events/Activities
- Basketball
- Dodgeball
- Climbing
- Trampoline
Address: 325 W Lake St Ste A, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#7. Illinois Prairie Path
Do you yearn for some green space and solitude? Before traveling down the Illinois Prairie Path, wear your jogging shoes, get your bike, or saddle your horse (if you’re lucky).
The Illinois Prairie Path, with its complicated network of 61 miles of trails, was one of the country’s first rail-to-trails.
We’ve been enjoying this lovely piece of property since 1963, owing to the efforts of volunteers and environmentalists like naturalist May Theilgaard Watts (1893-1975), who gave us what is still one of the nicest things to do in Elmhurst.
Features
- Trails
- Playground
Events and Activities
- Biking
- Horse racing
Address: Illinois Prairie Path, Elmhurst, IL
#8. Elmhurst Art Museum
The Elmhurst Art Museum, located in Wilder Park, one of the most beautiful parks in Elmhurst, Illinois, dazzles visitors with its remarkable permanent collection – which includes works by Peter Saul, Ellen Lanyon, and Barbara Rossi, among others – and changing exhibits.
If you appreciate modern art, this is one of the top things to do in Elmhurst.
Take advantage of the McCormick House, a marvel of minimalistic design and mid-century modern style created and built by renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and one of just three dwellings he has left for posterity in the United States.
Features
- Works of Art
- McCormick House
Events and Activities
- Art exhibition
- Story walk
Address: 150 S Cottage Hill Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#9. Lizzadro Museum
The beauty and claimed abilities of gemstones have always captivated collectors. Elmhurst is fortunate to have one of the country’s most substantial collections of lapidary art and the legacy of notable businessman Joseph Lizzadro (1898-1972), who began collecting valuable pieces in the late 1930s.
Mosaics, precious stones cut or engraved, cameos, and a fascinating series of 20 dioramas with creatures carved from gemstones are on display at the Lizzadro Museum.
The varied museum is located within walking distance of the Elmhurst station, making it a convenient stop on your itinerary of weekend activities in Elmhurst.
Features:
- Collection of arts
- Mosaics
- Engravings
- Dioramas
Events and Activities:
- Exhibitions
- Story walk
#10. Elmhurst History Museum
Elmhurst has a long history dating back over 165 years. The Elmhurst History Museum is the greatest site to learn about previous events and the town’s famed architecture. It should be high on your list of fun places in Illinois for instructive and participatory families.
The Elmhurst History Museum is housed in the beautiful Glos Mansion, which has Romanesque Revival architecture and many well-preserved architectural elements. The best part is that admission to the Elmhurst History Museum is free for the entire family.
Features:
- History of past events
- Arts exhibition
- Amenities
Events and Activities
- Interactive sessions
- Exhibitions
Address: 120 E Park Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
You may like to check out Union Valley Reservoir Camping, and Aquila Private Game Reserve & Spa.
#11. Eldridge Park
Eldridge Park includes two playgrounds due to its size, one along Spring Road and one along Commonwealth Lane. The park also has Eldridge Lagoon, a fishing and ice skating pond, and a lighted sled hill on the park’s north side.
A trail that winds around the park’s perimeter connects to the Salt Creek Greenway Trail.
Eldridge Park is located on the west bank of Salt Creek, about northeast of the intersection of Butterfield Road and Commonwealth Lane. He has an ADA-accessible canoe launch on the far eastern edge of the west parking lot.
No motorized watercraft is allowed at the launch, and it is open from dawn to dusk. Eldridge Park Recreation Building hosts preschool and early childhood programming.
This site was used as a dump because it was swampy and unsuitable before the 1950s. The dump created some usable property, and the Park District purchased 33 acres on the east bank of Salt Creek in 1956.
Eldridge Park construction began in 1960. Additional land on the west side of Salt Creek was purchased in 1962.
Several lots were purchased from the city in 1961, 1962, and 1970. Eldridge Park Lagoon was finished in 1970. The recreation center’s construction was completed in 1975. 1983 a new bridge across Salt Creek was erected, connecting the park’s east and west sides.
The park’s most recent renovation occurred in 2022, when the east playground was restored and replaced.
Edward Eldridge, an early homesteader and the first supervisor of York Township, came to the area in 1835 and planted his crops in what is now Eldridge Park. The name was chosen in 1957 following a ‘Name the Park’ contest.
Features:
- Basketball Court
- Ball Diamond
- Butterfly Garden
- Ice Skating
- Lagoon
- Playgrounds
- Recreation Space
- Roller Hockey Court
- Trails for Running
- Sledding Hill
- Fields
- Storywalk
Events & Activities:
- Adopt-A-Park
- Summer Camp
Address: 363 Commonwealth Ln, Elmhurst, IL 60126
#12. Salt Creek Greenway Trail
The Salt Creek Greenway track is an approximately 25-mile-long regional pedestrian/bicycle track that connects Elk Grove Village’s Busse Forest to Brookfield’s Brookfield Zoo.
It is an essential link in building a 210-mile integrated trail network in northeast Illinois that includes, among other things, the Illinois Prairie Path and the Great Western Trail.
The Salt Creek Greenway Trail generally runs parallel to the creek. It can be accessed in Elmhurst from Eldridge Park, the Illinois Prairie Path (along St. Charles Road just west of Route 83), Maple Trail Woods (just south of Madison Street), and Pick Park, which is located at the intersection of Thomas Street and Monterey Avenue.
The concept of a regional Salt Creek Greenway Trail was initially discussed in Elmhurst Park District planning documents in 1964, and it was first promoted during a series of meetings beginning in 1994.
In April 1997, the Elmhurst Park District Board of Commissioners adopted an intergovernmental agreement to create the regional trail.
In total, nearly a dozen elected officials and staff from almost a dozen agencies saw the potential for a north-south regional trail that could serve walkers, joggers, bike riders, and runners from northern DuPage County all the way to Cook County along one of the region’s genuinely underutilized resources – Salt Creek.
Features & Amenities:
- Running Path
- Playground
Events and Activities
- Facility Rentals
- Picnic Rental
Conclusion
There’s a lot to explore in Elmhurst when you need to have fun and relax. These parks in Elmhurst are packed with great features for everyone in the family. So, go ahead and explore them this summer.
Elmhurst, Illinois, serves as an example of how urban living and natural beauty coexist harmoniously by providing a selection of the top parks representing the spirit of community, leisure, and rejuvenation.
Elmhurst’s best parks serve as treasured spaces where the heart of the city comes alive, whether indulging in recreational pursuits, exchanging laughs at picnics, or merely soaking up the tranquility of nature.
These parks inspire well-being and foster a sense of community that truly makes Elmhurst shine as a remarkable place to call home as they continue to flourish and welcome generations.
