Glenview, Illinois, is a charming village located 15 miles northwest of Chicago.
Most of Glenview was still farmland when it was incorporated into Cook County in 1899, but the following World War II, developers like Tom Sullivan began to give the community its modern suburban look.
Because of its suburban atmosphere and proximity to the wider Chicago area, it is regarded as one of the most desirable areas to live in Illinois.
Glenview is known for its top-rated public schools, gorgeous parks, and a plethora of coffee shops and restaurants, all of which contribute to it being a wonderful place to raise a family.
Take your folks on a trip and discover what makes this place great for families with our list of things to do in Glenview, Illinois!
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The Glen Town Center is your one-stop shopping destination for all your needs.
Located at Tower Drive and sitting close by Kohl Children’s Museum, The Glen Town Center features 52 stores, including specialty shops, a cinema, restaurants, office spaces, and luxurious apartments.
Opened in 2003, this 450,000 square foot mall resembles a European town with streets beautifully lined with restaurants and shops.
The Glen Town Center also holds events to make shopping and dining out more enjoyable and the ambiance more lively and fun.
Visit Glenview’s premiere lifestyle center and shopping district, a great place for you to stroll, shop, dine, watch, live, and work, all in one location.
The Kohl Children’s Museum, located along Patriot Boulevard, features hands-on and interactive displays for children up to eight years of age.
The exhibits and events are all designed to make learning enjoyable and exciting for young children.
In 1985, the Kohl Children’s Museum received around 300,000 visitors annually and had about 7,000 member families who could enjoy membership perks valid for one year.
Children can explore and play around the museum’s 17 interactive exhibits, such as Adventures in Art, Baby Nursery, Build It, Habitat Park, Pet Vet, Play Cafe, Whole Foods Market, Water Works, and more.
Grab a coffee and lunch at the museum’s in-house cafe offering healthy food options for the entire family, including children who are picky eaters and those with allergies.
Not only does Kohl Children’s Museum caters education to children, but healthy and sustainable food choices to everyone as well.
Gallery Park is Glenview’s largest community park, located at Patriot Boulevard.
The Gallery Park was a major development project of the Glen Redevelopment Plan after the Glenview Naval Air Station closed down in 1993, which covered about 1,121 acres of land.
With an area of 142 acres, Gallery Park has five tennis courts, a 1.8-mile walking path, a garden park, a playground for kids, and a lake.
The park serves as a recreational spot for the community, including the 45-acre Lake Glenview as a boating and stormwater management area.
Gallery Park was developed in 2002-2003 with plans to eventually transfer authority and ownership from the Village of Glenview to the Glenview Park District.
Chicago has established itself as one of North America’s premier golf destinations, and this claims true at The Glen Club, one of the most prestigious golf courses in the area.
Located at the former site of Glenview Naval Air Station at West Lake Avenue, The Glen Club is home to the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and Illinois Professional Golfers’ Association.
The Glen Club is a 195-acre sanctuary that includes rolling landscapes, placid lakes, winding streams, and stunning panoramas, including the Chicago cityscape.
Their spectacular 48,000 square foot clubhouse provides great dining, stylishly designed overnight rooms, a huge ballroom, and the finest in corporate amenities.
Aside from golf, The Glen Club also caters to events and brunches during special holidays.
Who says playing is only for the young?
At Funtopia, adults and children alike can play and enjoy fun activities together.
Located at Tower Drive, Funtopia is everyone’s playground with tons of challenges that will keep you going and will challenge both your physical and mental abilities.
Activities include climbing more than 30 interactive walls, obstacle rope courses, a caving system replicating natural rock formations, a giant slide for a free-fall experience, jumping in the air where you’ll feel like a hero in an action movie, and more!
Funtopia believes in a healthy, active lifestyle and intends to combine sports with enjoyment.
Funtopia is a great place to visit if you want active, fun, or friendly competition while strengthening your bond with family and friends.
The Grove, located at Milwaukee Avenue, is one of Glenview’s busiest attractions, with 150 acres of environmentally diverse area preserved and maintained by the Glenview Park District.
Dr. John Kennicott, an educator and horticulturist, moved to the property from New Orleans in 1836.
His son Robert became a naturalist who kept some of his plant and animal specimen samples at The Grove.
In 1973, the Save The Grove Committee was formed to protect the land’s historical significance.
That same year, it was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and was then declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
It had numerous significant upgrades providing historical and environmental education, including the Kennicott House, the Interpretive Center, the Blacksmith Shop, the Redfield Estate, the Program Barn, and more.
The Grove attracts around 200,000 visitors every year.
Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, located at Compass Road, is a remnant area of a tall-grass prairie that once covered 170 million acres of land in North America.
Restored and preserved by the Village of Glenview, the Kent Fuller Station Prairie offers visitors a peek into the facility’s advanced and sustainable technology.
Evelyn Pease Tyner, a community activist and environmental conservationist helped establish this 32-acre prairie land.
The Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center, the facility in Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie, teaches and promotes how to live “green” and showcases how sustainable innovation can be incorporated into people’s daily lives.
Here, visitors can learn the Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie history, discover up to 160 rare plant species, see red-tailed hawks and crawfish, visit the center’s rooftop garden, and learn ways how to take care of and protect our environment.
The Farmhouse Museum is a facility maintained by the Glenview History Center located along Waukegan Road.
The house, built in 1864, was owned by Sarah Hutchings, with whom her family resided for about 100 years.
It is one of Glenview’s oldest homes which remains at the site where it was built.
In 1965, the Glenview History Center was founded and later acquired the house two years later.
From then on, the center maintains, decorates, and furnishes the house to reflect and feature life during the Civil War through World War II.
Artifacts included in the Farmhouse Museum are antique furniture, textiles, and other pieces showing what life was in Glenview during the older times.
The Hibbard Library is another facility under the Glenview History Center at Waukegan Road.
Established in 1982, this Victorian-inspired library was named after two of the center’s founders, Jane and Dick Hibbard.
You’ll find an interesting collection of artifacts such as documents, books, maps, photos, and newspapers about Glenview.
The library also contains obituaries, census records, and other information in genealogy research.
The committee in Hibbard Library brings out efforts to help students, authors, and researchers find materials that will help them with their projects.
If you are into history and research, then the Hibbard Library is worth a visit.
Bring your family to the Historic Wagner Farm for a fun and educational experience where history, education, and farm life meet together.
The Wagner Farm, located at Wagner Road, was owned by the Wagner family, who immigrated to the area from Germany in the 1850s.
Julia and Thomas Wagner built the brick farmhouse in 1920, with indoor plumbing and electric lighting.
After Rose, the last living member of the Wagner family, died in 1997, the Glenview Park District purchased the land in 2000 with the goal of preserving the farm’s heritage and providing a fun learning experience for the community.
Visitors can now tour the 1920 farmhouse, the surrounding farm, and the Heritage Center featuring many exhibits, as well as shop at the 1930s Grocery Store and purchase souvenirs at the Museum Store.
The Historic Wagner Farm hosts the Glenview Farmers Market and is a popular site for school visits, scout troops, and birthday parties, with over 140,000 visitors each year.
Bring your best buddy to Community Bark West, a wonderful spot in Glenview where dogs and their owners can run, interact, and have fun.
Located at Zenith Drive, the park has two gated areas, one for all dogs and the other one exclusive for small dogs.
Community Bark West features a 6-acre off-leash fenced area, walking paths, fountains, benches, shaded areas, and waste disposal trash bags.
A dog pass application requiring vaccination and health screening needs to be secured to ensure the safety of both dogs and owners.
Up to four dogs per family can be registered at the Park Center.
The Glenview Community Ice Center, located at Landwehr Road, houses Glenview’s ice sporting facilities.
The center is open all throughout the year for recreation, competition, and training, including hockey and figure skating programs.
Its amenities include three ice rinks that can accommodate 550, 150, and 40 spectators, respectively.
The Glenview Community Ice Center also has a Pro Shop for your wide range of skating gear and equipment needs, a restaurant and a coffee stand, as well as a community room, a training room, and a great hall with wide-open space.
Public skating sessions are available, so come visit and grab the opportunity to learn, develop, and practice your skating skills.
Get ready for some fun under the sun at Roosevelt Outdoor Aquatic Center located on Fir Street.
Roosevelt Outdoor Aquatic Center has two pools, one is a semi-circle, zero-depth pool with a water playground, and the other is a five-lane, 25-yard lap pool intended for lap swimming and water walking.
There are also drop slides and a diving platform at the center of the pool area.
Other amenities include cabanas, changing rooms, lockers, food, and drinks at the Island Grill area.
You may also check Glenview’s other aquatic centers, such as the Splash Landings Indoor Aquatic Center, for indoor swimming and swimming lesson programs.
For a unique theater experience, come to Oil Lamp Theater for a night of great entertainment.
It was originally founded in 2005 with intimate theater performances shown at the founder’s condo, with the theater later becoming a non-profit entity in 2012.
Today, you can enjoy amazing theater acts at their 60-seat venue on Glenview Road.
Step inside and feel the warm and homey ambiance as you’re greeted by the Artistic Director or a theater representative.
Aside from getting their freshly baked complimentary cookie, snacks and sodas, you’ll also enjoy assorted libations at the bar.
Sit comfortably and relax in the padded seat while you get immersed in the show.
You’ll also have the chance to meet the cast to talk about the play and engage in conversations after the performances.
You can check current and upcoming events and stage productions you might be interested in at the Oil Lamp Theater website.
Come to Meier’s Tavern and enjoy drinks at this old-school joint on East Lake Avenue.
This local pub opened as a speakeasy way back in 1927 on an old farmhouse; after the property was bought by Meier’s family, the tavern was birthed in 1933.
As locals say. “it’s DAB, Burger, and Tots” that keeps the crowd coming over the years.
You’ll enjoy a list of delicious American food on the menu and drinks to enjoy at the full bar; their Dab German pilsner and signature onion rings are always a hit by the way.
Grab other Meier’s Tavern food treats like hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fish sandwiches, tuna salad, and more to go with glasses of cold beer.
Flick Park is among Glenview’s lovely public parks you can bring the family.
You’ll easily find this spacious park on Glenview Road offering plenty of activities you’ll enjoy.
It was named after the former commissioner, August A. Flick, who served from 1943 to 1961.
The park is home to the Flick Outdoor Aquatic Center, Glenview’s outdoor water park; non-residents can also purchase membership passes on their visit.
Play outdoor volleyball or shoot some hoops at the basketball court.
Other sports amenities you can use at the park include baseball, soccer, football fields, and pickleball courts.
If you want something more relaxing, you can stroll around the 1.5-mile walking path, walk your leashed dog, or pack some lunch and have a picnic at the Flick Park Fieldhouse provided with tables, chairs, and kitchen areas for park visitors.
During the winter, Flick Park is also open for outdoor ice skating and sledding.
Join Glenview residents to celebrate Winterfest, a whole-day event that features all things winter.
The event happens in January at the Glenview Community Ice Center.
You can register for an admission fee to enjoy the activities and support the Glenview Park Foundation.
You’ll get to catch exciting hockey matches hosted by the Glenbrook South Titan Hockey Club and Loyola Academy Hockey Club.
The Ice Center also has Ice Bumper Cars you’ll enjoy riding with the family.
Join a hockey tournament or learn some hockey skills on and off the ice; likewise, enjoy other events like the 50/50 raffle, food, and drinks.
Have fun at Glenview’s Winterfest.
If you’re a fan of breakfast treats, Egg Harbor Cafe is the place to enjoy breakfast meals all day.
The restaurant opened in 1985 and has several locations in Illinois, Georgia, and Wisconsin; you’ll find their Glenview location at Lehigh Avenue.
Every food served at this breakfast cafe is made of top-quality, all-natural, and organic ingredients, and they also offer several gluten-free options on the menu.
Try the Traditional Breakfast with two large cage-free eggs, cooked to your preference, and served with Harbor Potatoes, buttered English muffins, with a spread of their signature jam.
You’ll enjoy flavorful Harbor Benedicts like the Barrington, Farmer’s Market, and Smoked Salmon.
Order a plate of Scrambler, Skillet, or Omelette, or go for an Egg-Cetera item on the menu like Shakshuka, Southern Shrimp & Grits, Chorizo Chilaquiles, or Cassie’s Crêpes.
Berry-Ola Oatmeal and Banana Berry Chia Pudding Breakfast Bowls, along with pancakes, toasts, and waffle servings are always customer favorites.
Don’t forget to try other Egg Harbor Cafe specials like sandwiches, roll-ups, soups, chili, and hearty garden salads.
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About a 12-min drive from Glenview is a museum that may bring about a wave of emotions to visitors.
The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, located in Skokie, a village in Cook County, is dedicated to the Holocaust survivors by honoring their memories through imparting lessons and principles that oppose hatred and indifference.
Opened in 2009, this 65,000-square-foot museum and educational center was made possible by the Chicagoland Holocaust Survivors.
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This Holocaust museum is the second largest in the United States, and not only honors the victims but gives tribute to the resilience and courage of the survivors as well.
The museum’s exhibits focus on Holocaust and topics about social justice while also delving deeper into specific topics such as human rights and genocide.
It also has a vast collection consisting of more than 20,000 personal items donated by Holocaust survivors living in the Midwest.
Eddau, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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The Chicago Botanic Garden is a 385-hectare living museum and conservation center located in Glencoe, a village in northeast Cook County and a 20-minute drive from Glenview.
In 1972, the Chicago Botanic Garden attracted more than one million visitors annually and had one of the largest memberships in any botanical garden in the US, reaching over 50,000 members.
The gardens have a wide collection containing more than 2.6 million plants and perennials, including shrubs, trees, vines, and more.
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Explore its 27 themed gardens and four natural areas such as the Aquatic Garden, Bonsai Collection, English Oak Meadow, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, Greenhouses, Japanese Garden, Lake Cook Natural Area, Nature Reserve, Prairie, Rose Garden, Skokie River, Waterfall Garden, and more!
The Chicago Botanic Garden also holds events, community engagements, and provides education through classes and programs suited for all ages, interests, and abilities.
The garden is open all year round for you to enjoy its marvelous beauty!
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It makes sense why Glenview is considered one of the best places in Illinois to live and raise a family.
Almost, if not all, tourist attractions are child-friendly that provide extreme fun!
Experience does make the best teacher, and Glenview does support and promote learning through its tourist attractions.
If you’re planning a family trip, consider Glenview and our list of things to do in the area.
Glenview is a beautiful village and a place definitely worth your time.
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