Elmhurst Park District

The Elmhurst Park District (EPD), about 18 miles west of Chicago, has for over 85 years preserved the natural beauty of this community of over 44,000 residents. Chicago Magazine designated Wilder Park the “#1 Suburban Park for 1997.” EPD won the coveted Gold Medal award in 1992 presented by the National Recreation and Park Association to outstanding park and recreation agencies. In 2006, 2007, and 2008 EPD was a National Gold Medal finalist and received the Outstanding Facility award for Berens Park and East End Pool from the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. Chicago Magazine also listed Elmhurst Park District’s Wilder Park and The Hub in its “Best of Chicago” article in August 2009.

EPD is lead by Rich Grodsky, executive director. Jim Rogers is deputy director of Parks and Recreation. The EPD planning department consists of Jerry Pask, ASLA, with over 30 years of experience in the field, and Colleen Toomey, ASLA, an assistant park planner and recent graduate in the Landscape Architecture program from the University of Illinois.

EPD manages all aspects of park planning and maintaining historic structures and areas. The tree memorial program has given the park district the opportunity to plant more than 800 trees of various species for over 72 years. Design work is via 3D modeling, including virtual reality walkthrough with musical soundtrack using Google SketchUp. AutoCAD 3D 2010, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Acrobat are also employed.

Diana Nicholas Memorial Gardens/Wilder Mansion, Elmhurst, Ill.

The Wilder Mansion, a historic 1868 landmark, was restored by EPD to its original Victorian grandeur in 2008 and now is a banquet hall. The district received a donation to fund the Diana Nicholas Memorial Gardens in front of the Wilder Mansion. The design was inspired by the Victorian style of the Biltmore Estate Gardens in North Carolina designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. There are two upper and two lower formal gardens, side sitting areas and a white, three-tiered fountain as the focal point of the landscape.

East End Pool, Elmhurst

The Park District worked closely with pool architects to build the completely re-designed East End Pool. As a full service pool complex, East End Pool offers many amenities including a lap pool, kiddy pool, diving area, snack deck, etc. Within just a few years, the 90% native landscaping of East End Pool has grown into a beautiful environment. The various self-sustaining gardens and black ornamental fencing used throughout the complex contain plants and small ornamental trees that give color all summer long and separate the different sections of the pool.

Eldridge Playground, Elmhurst

Eldridge Park serves the south side residents of Elmhurst. The playground is adjacent to the Eldridge Recreation Building that holds pre-school classes that also use the playground. There is a pond with a fountain that creates a picturesque backdrop to the scene and soothing sounds of running water. The new playground exceeds safety, handicap accessibility, and environmental standards with the use of poured-in-place safety surfacing. The light color surfacing reduces the heat island effect and the porosity decreases the amount of water runoff. Existing mature trees and fast growing aspen trees provide shade. Picnic tables and park benches surrounded by naturalized landscaping provide seating all park users can benefit from and enjoy. The playground equipment layout is separated by age for 2-5 year olds and 6-12 year olds.

The Hub Miniature Golf Course, Elmhurst

Berens Park is a community park in the northwest part of Elmhurst. The park consists of the Hub, athletic fields, tennis facilities, and a sledding hill. The Hub contains a miniature golf course, playground, batting cages and splash pad. The miniature golf course is an 18-hole course with practice green. The theme for the design is “prairie spirit” using native plantings with a water feature. The prairie plantings hit their peak in height and flowering about midsummer, which gives the player (or group of players) the feeling that they are isolated in a prairie field. Bur oak trees, native to prairie settings, provide shade. Towering prairie plants and meandering greens create a challenging space between the player and the hole. The water feature is used for aesthetic purposes but is also integrated into the greens for a more challenging golf game.