The 20 Best Parks in Illinois
These are the 20 highest-rated parks we list in Illinois, ranked by what visitors actually say about them.
Millennium Park in Chicago leads, with 4.8 stars from 93,734 reviews; Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago follows at 4.8. The list spans 4 cities, including Chicago, Somonauk, Benton and Elmhurst.
Between them they carry 208,950 Google reviews and average 4.7 stars. We weigh a rating by how many people left it, so a place with a handful of five-star reviews does not leapfrog one that thousands have rated nearly as well.
1.Millennium Park
4.8 · 93,734 reviews · Chicago
The top pick in Chicago, holding 4.8 stars across 93,734 reviews. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
2.Garfield Park Conservatory
4.8 · 10,657 reviews · Chicago
4.8 stars from 10,657 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Good for kids, restrooms and parking on site.
3.Lincoln Park Conservatory
4.8 · 4,175 reviews · Chicago
4.8 stars from 4,175 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Good for kids, restrooms and parking on site.
4.Lake Katherine Nature Center
4.8 · 3,547 reviews · Chicago
4.8 stars from 3,547 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
5.Swallow Cliff Stairs
4.8 · 3,235 reviews · Chicago
4.8 stars from 3,235 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
6.Burnham Park Promontory Point
4.8 · 1,808 reviews · Chicago
4.8 stars from 1,808 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
7.Burr Ridge Community Center @ Harvester Park
4.8 · 876 reviews · Chicago
4.8 stars from 876 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
8.The Museum Campus
4.7 · 26,386 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 26,386 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids, restrooms and parking on site.
9.Grant Park
4.7 · 21,064 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 21,064 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
10.Lincoln Park
4.7 · 20,882 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 20,882 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
11.Maggie Daley Park
4.7 · 8,656 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 8,656 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Good for kids and parking on site.
12.Humboldt (Alexander Von) Park
4.7 · 3,918 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 3,918 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
13.Oz Park
4.7 · 2,255 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 2,255 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
14.LaBagh Woods
4.7 · 1,932 reviews · Chicago
4.7 stars from 1,932 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
15.Somonauk Community Park
4.7 · 142 reviews · Somonauk
Rated 4.7 from 142 reviews in Somonauk. Dogs welcome and good for kids.
16.Ping Tom Memorial Park
4.6 · 4,129 reviews · Chicago
4.6 stars from 4,129 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
17.Welles (Gideon) Park
4.6 · 1,248 reviews · Chicago
4.6 stars from 1,248 reviews in Chicago, one of the most reviewed on this list. Dogs welcome, good for kids and parking on site.
18.Benton Community Park District
4.5 · 192 reviews · Benton
Rated 4.5 from 192 reviews in Benton. Dogs welcome and good for kids.
19.Elmhurst Quarry Overlook
4.7 · 23 reviews · Elmhurst
Rated 4.7 from 23 reviews in Elmhurst. Good for kids.
20.University of Chicago: Hyde Park
4.5 · 91 reviews · Chicago
Rated 4.5 from 91 reviews in Chicago. Parking on site.
Common questions
What is the best park in Illinois?
Millennium Park in Chicago ranks first, with 4.8 out of 5 stars from 93,734 Google reviews.
Which city in Illinois has the most top-rated parks?
Chicago has 17 of the 20 parks on this list.
Which parks in Illinois allow dogs?
Millennium Park, Lake Katherine Nature Center, Swallow Cliff Stairs, Burnham Park Promontory Point and Burr Ridge Community Center @ Harvester Park, among others, are listed as dog-friendly.
Which parks in Illinois are good for kids?
Millennium Park, Garfield Park Conservatory, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Lake Katherine Nature Center and Swallow Cliff Stairs, among others, are flagged as family-friendly.
Do these parks have restrooms?
3 of the 20 list restrooms on site. Check each place's page before you go, since facilities can close seasonally.
More guides
Rankings come from Google ratings and review counts, and refresh whenever the AllParx directory is updated. Conditions and hours change, so check a place's page before you travel.