Great Parks! Lake Ellyn Park in Glen Ellyn

Has this steamy summer prompted you to search for a park with a shaded playground? Well, we have a great park to suggest!

Looking out at the small lake in Lake Ellyn. Photo by Tara Burghart.Park Name: Lake Ellyn Park

Location: 645 Lenox Road (at Linden Avenue) in northeast Glen Ellyn. The park is located just to the north of Glenbard West High School. There is no parking lot by the playground, you just park on the street.

Amenities: This 25-acre park features a 10-acre lake, fishing deck, boathouse, picnic area, walking paths, playground, see-saw and swings, including two swings for babies. The public restrooms, located inside the boathouse, are open from April through October. In the winter, Lake Ellyn offers outdoor ice skating and a warming house.

Good for: All ages, but especially preschoolers since the playground equipment is less challenging than some newer playgrounds I've seen.

Our Experience: A friend and I were looking to shake up our playdate routine a bit, so she planned a wonderful July outing to Lake Ellyn Park, followed by lunch at 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill in downtown Glen Ellyn.

My daughter and I met my friend and her two children (ages 3 and 1) at Lake Ellyn Park on a morning that was hot but not yet unbearable. My first impression was that the park is surrounded by some seriously beautiful old homes. My next impression? Shade! Shade! Shade! This lovely park has wonderful old trees, and much of the playground is covered in shade. 

The playground seems especially good for preschoolers. Photo by Tara Burghart.The playground equipment is pretty standard – not old, but not sparkling new, either. It certainly was enough to entertain our preschoolers for 90 minutes, and there were no openings so high up that I got nervous. We also took stroll down to the picturesque boathouse and to check out the water’s edge. Had we brought a picnic lunch, there were plenty of tables under the trees.

Train-Themed Lunch: Instead of a picnic, we had planned to go to 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill for lunch. It’s located in downtown Glen Ellyn at 450 N. Main St, right along the Metra station in a one-story brick building. The restaurant is less than a mile from the park, but we drove since we were all headed home right after for naptime.

All the booths in 2 Toots are located right against the tracks that carry the miniature trains on a counter around the restaurant. Your food arrives in plastic baskets carried by the train cars – yes, our kids thought that was quite exciting. The menu is limited and what you'd expect: burgers, hot dogs, BLTs, chicken breast, tuna fish salad. You can substitute a fruit cup for the French fries in the children’s meals, which come with milk or juice.

Would I go back for a date night with my husband to 2 Toots? Umm. No. But if you think your kids would get a kick out of a visit to 2 Toots and you decide to try the Glen Ellyn location (there is one in Downer’s Grove and will be soon in Bartlett), combining it with a trip to Lake Ellyn will make for a fun, memorable outing.

Do you have a favorite spot that should be featured in our “Great Parks!” series? Tell us about in the comments or by contacting us here.