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Now more than ever, we are all conscious of staying healthy and only being in clean, safe environments. Our staff members follow strict, consistent sanitation and safety protocols to ensure you and your family are in the safest environments you can be while at our facilities. The Park District of Highland Park has also invested in new state-of-the-art air filtration systems at the Recreation Center of Highland Park, Deer Creek Racquet Club, Centennial Ice Arena, and West Ridge Center.
Our new HVAC system UV Air Filters are unlike chemical approaches to disinfection. The UV provides rapid, effective inactivation of microorganisms through a physical process. When bacteria, viruses, and protozoa are exposed to UV light, the UV energy destroys the genetic material (DNA) within, eliminating their ability to reproduce and cause infection. The UV Filter System provides continuous disinfection of the air within our facilities, lowering the concentration of mold, bacteria, and viruses. UV technology is used for indoor disinfection in hospitals, food processing, and laboratories.
We are all safe when we all work together. Keeping your Park District clean and safe, so you and your family can maintain your healthy lifestyle is our top priority.
To learn more about the daily investments we are making in your health and safety at our facilities, watch this important video.
10/14/20 – The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is offering new rewards this Fall to those who help fellow community members participate in Park District programs. The “Friend of the Parks” drive supports scholarships that allow Highland Park and Highwood families with financial constraints to enroll in athletics, camps, creative classes, and nature programs. For a limited time, supporters can receive complimentary admission to a variety of Park District facilities.
Studies show that recreational activities are critical to physical, mental, and emotional well-being in these challenging times. Yet, the Foundation recognizes that thousands of community members are now prevented from taking part in Park District programs due to economic difficulties. Even before the pandemic, 17% of Highwood residents and 6.5% of Highland Park residents lived below the poverty level. Since March, more than half of U.S. households have suffered a loss of employment income. The Friend of the Parks campaign aims to ensure that all can enjoy an enriched, healthy lifestyle.
“The Park District of Highland Park is doing a fantastic job giving residents ways to safely stay fit and active through the pandemic,” noted Foundation Board President Bob Bernstein. “We’re committed to helping all community members access its great programs and facilities. We hope everyone will consider becoming a Friend of the Parks and join us in our mission to make sure no one is left behind.”
Since 2016, the Foundation has helped bring the community together through events such as the Champion’s Banquet honoring young athletes and coaches, the Firecracker 5K Independence Day run, and the recent Bike the Parks event that provided free maps to safely guide hundreds of cyclists through ten of Highland Park’s 44 parks.
Donations to the organization have supported over $150,000 in scholarships annually through its SMILE Grant-in-Aid program and Highwood-inclusive Foundation Youth Initiative. The Foundation also recently funded the new Youth Golf Development and Short Game Center at Sunset Valley Golf Club to introduce young golfers to the game.
Donors who give $100 or more before December 31st will receive Friend of the Parks Passports valued at up to $100. Passport benefits include a round of Mini-Golf at River’s Edge Adventure Golf, swimming at Hidden Creek Aqua Park, skating at Centennial Ice Arena, a bucket of balls at Highland Park Golf Learning Center, cross-country skiing at Heller Nature Center, and more. Contributions in any amount will help provide Park District access to lower-income families.
The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is dedicated to the belief that every resident deserves the opportunity for an enriched, healthy lifestyle. The Foundation supports and enhances the Park District of Highland Park’s exceptional facilities and provides resources to ensure that all community members are able to participate in Park District programs. The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is an independent, community-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit https://www.pfhpil.org
Are you looking for ways to reach your target audience, maximize your marketing efforts and build your brand as an involved community business? The Park District offers a variety of sponsorship and advertising opportunities throughout the year for as little as $100. New sponsorship and advertising opportunities are now available at Sunset Valley Golf Club and The Preserve of Highland Park.
To learn more, contact Nik Lapin at 847.971.0718 or email him at nlapin@pdhp.org
Depending on the level and type of sponsorship you select, you will receive:
On September 22, the development of The Preserve of Highland Park took a significant step forward as the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners awarded a construction contract for $1,204,290 to Team REIL Inc. of Union IL, following a competitive bid process. Construction is scheduled to begin in October.
Among the amenities planned are a pond overlook, gardens, seating areas, play areas, and signage. New and improved pathways will be installed to lead visitors smoothly through green lawns, wet meadows, short grass prairie habitat, and restored woodlands. Existing pathways already connect the community to the Recreation Center, the Golf Learning Center, Skokie River Woods, and links to neighborhoods and downtown Highland Park.
Earlier this year, the Park District received a $400,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that will be used for trail development, park amenities, landscaping, and signage at The Preserve.
The Park District also received a $144,672 grant for shoreline restoration of the North Pond and enhanced plantings for swales on the property made available through the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission. Funding for this portion of the project is provided, in part, by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
In 2018, through intergovernmental cooperation with the City of Highland Park, the Park District took ownership of the 100-acre property and began transitioning it into a passive recreational open space. The project was an initiative of the GreenPrint 2024master plan and meets the Highland Park community’s desire for additional outdoor and passive recreation opportunities.
For more information on the project, click here.
Funding for this project is provided in part by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
Highland Park area residents are invited to explore seven great neighborhood parks by bike the weekend of September 25-27, courtesy of the Parks Foundation of Highland Park. The Foundation, which provides access to healthy, enriching activities for all community members, is proud to support free family fun while spotlighting several of the 44 beautiful parks managed by the Park District of Highland Park.
Participants may ride at their leisure any day and time during the weekend, choosing between a seven park 10-mile loop and a three park 5-mile family-friendly loop. Safe route maps will be emailed to all who register. Although the event is complimentary, the Foundation encourages participants to make a donation when registering to help fund scholarships that give Highland Park and Highwood residents access to Park District classes and camps.
The parks of Highland Park feature beachfront bluffs, tree-filled ravines, world-class sports fields, top-tier racquet courts, playgrounds, dog-friendly areas, public art, open land, and community gathering spaces. The Bike the Parks route will take riders from the downtown area to the Highlands, passing unique spots ranging from a 100-year-old war memorial to a cozy chess pavilion. Even longtime residents will surely discover new and interesting sites while getting some exercise and enjoying the lovely fall weather.
“We hope the community will take advantage of this wonderful organized opportunity to tour some of Highland Park’s best spots,” said Parks Foundation Board President Bob Bernstein. “Our parks are truly special and there’s no better way to really experience them than on a bicycle!”
As a bonus, participants who take their picture at each park sign along the route and tag the Parks Foundation on Facebook or Instagram will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Cyclists of all ages and abilities are welcome to hop on their bikes and join the fun!
The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is dedicated to the belief that every resident deserves the opportunity for an enriched, healthy lifestyle. The Foundation supports and enhances the Park District of Highland Park’s exceptional facilities and provides resources to ensure that all community members are able to participate in Park District programs. The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is an independent, community-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit https://www.pfhpil.org
8/26/20 – The Park District is committed to helping families through this challenging time and to provide important recreational and educational outlets for the health and well-being of your children. We are pleased to announce a series of recreation-based enrichment programs to supplement your child’s school year. Our enrichment curriculum includes a wide variety of options for preschool through eighth grade and will fit any schedule, including morning, afternoon, after school, home schools, and micro-pods.
Below is a listing of our program offerings by category. Click on the categories you are interested in for more information and to register. For your convenience, we have also included these programs in our
Fall brochure.
Scholarships are also be available to ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate. We do not want a program fee to be a deterrent to your or your family members from participating. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please email scholarships@pdhp.org to speak with our staff about available scholarship opportunities. All scholarships and inquiries regarding financial aid are completely confidential.
Scholarship applications can be downloaded here:
English Application | Spanish Application
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 847-831-3810.
Heller Nature Center Supplemental Learning Programs
Register for a developed program or a customized program to fit your needs. We offer programs
on-site (your students come to us) and off-site (we come to your local park).
Whatever best meets your needs! Click here for details.
The Park District Board of Commissioners approved design services to renovate the Sunset Woods Park’s iconic Rocket Ship playground and Titanic Tides tot lot located on the western edge of the park. The Park District is committed to taking care of park properties and is now proceeding with the design phase of replacing the playground equipment, which is approaching its useful life. The planning project kicks-off this summer.
Sunset Woods Park serves as Highland Park’s central park, offering active and passive recreation, gathering areas, and connections to the downtown. The Park Board is also taking advantage of playground design services by approving design services to develop a site master plan for the entire park. This plan will ensure that the playground renovation fits into a modern vision of Sunset Woods Park for the whole community to enjoy. This site master plan was a recommendation in the Park District’s GreenPrint 2024 comprehensive plan.
Construction of the new playground and tot lot is anticipated to occur in 2021. All other park improvements identified in the Sunset Park master plan will be considered for future years.
In keeping with our community engagement tradition, an essential aspect of the Sunset Woods project planning process will be a collaboration with residents. Over the next few months, community members will have a variety of opportunities to provide their input on the playground design and the vision for Sunset Woods. In keeping with COVID-19 DCEO guidelines, online, virtual, and in-person engagement opportunities will be available to all residents.
As the project progresses, updates and ways to participate will be posted to a Sunset Woods Park project page on the Park District website.
On Wednesday, July 15, Park Board President Barney Ruttenberg and Park District Executive Director Brian Romes issued an Emergency Order, pursuant to the Declaration of Emergency for the State of Illinois, directing that Millard Beach shall be available only for use by residents of the Park District of Highland Park effective immediately. Non-residents of the Park District of Highland Park shall be prohibited from using Millard Beach unless they are personally accompanied by a resident of the Park District who remains with them during the use of the beach. View the Emergency Order.
The Emergency Order will expire automatically upon the earlier of (a) the seasonal closure of Millard Beach, (b) the expiration and non-renewal of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation, or (c) the State of Illinois designating the City of Highland Park to be in Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan.
“It is especially difficult to limit access to one of our beaches at a time when outdoor recreation is essential for everyone’s health and well-being, however, Millard Beach is a small area and difficult to manage social distancing requirements and capacity limitations prescribed in the Outdoor Recreation guidelines set by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity,” said Park Board President Ruttenberg. “After careful consideration and for the sake of everyone’s health and safety, the Park District determined it is important to limit access to Millard to residents only at this time.”
Over the past several weeks, the Park District has taken steps to proactively protect public health and safety by modifying operations at all its public beaches including Rosewood, Park Avenue and Millard Beach.
Millard Beach
For safety reasons, the Millard Beach roadway gate will remain closed to vehicular traffic. Resident pedestrian traffic is allowed. Residents should be prepared to show a valid ID for access. The capacity limit is 75. Dogs on leash are allowed. Swimming is not allowed.
Rosewood Beach
Highland Park Residents
Free Resident Parking: Available at the lower and upper parking lots seven days a week including holidays. (Highland Park City Vehicle Sticker required)
Free Resident Beach Access:Residents with a valid proof of residency; students of NSSD 112 or Highland Park High School with valid ID; and younger children with a resident parent will receive free access the beach.
Resident Guest Beach Passes: Residents may invite a guest to the beach who is a non-resident. When doing so, residents must park at the upper parking lot and purchase a Resident Guest Beach Pass at the auto-attendant (located at upper Rosewood by the stairs) for a $10 fee. Non-residents using the Resident Guest Beach Pass must be accompanied by a resident to access the beach.
Non-residents
Beach Access: Non-residents must purchase a season beach pass for access to Rosewood Beach. The fee is $100 for an individual and $25 for each additional family member in the same household. Children 4 and under are free. Non-resident season beach passes may be purchased at the Recreation Center of Highland Park, 1207 Park Ave. West (Mon-Th 6 am – 6 pm, and Fri-Sun 6 am – 2 pm).
Parking: Upper lot (after 12 pm, not including holidays). Fee: $15/hour or $40/4 hours. (Fees are paid at the auto-attendant located at upper rosewood by the stairs.)
Weekend non-resident beach parking is available at Ravinia School, located at 763 Dean Ave.
Non-residents may also purchase a season lakefront parking sticker for $275.
Please Note: Non-resident parking is not allowed at lakefront lots on holidays.
Park Avenue Beach
A season parking sticker is required to access the south lot and boating facility. The north lot requires a city sticker, non-resident lakefront parking decal or a seasonal parking sticker.
Access to the Park Avenue beach is open to residents and non-residents. The capacity limit for the north end of the beach is 100. The south end of the beach is designated for boating only. Swimming is not allowed. Dogs on leash are allowed on the grounds at the north and south areas, but not on the beach.
Construction is underway at Sunset Valley Golf Club for the new Youth Golf Development Center. Over $200,000 in donations were raised by the Parks Foundation of Highland Park since 2018 to cover the design and construction costs of this state-of-the-art facility. The new Center will feature:
The new Center will be located adjacent to the Sunset Valley Golf course. It will be used primarily for short game youth golf instruction by the Sunset Valley professional staff and for practice by Sunset Valley golfers when not in use for teaching. The projected opening for the new Center is Spring 2021.
Project Overview
The Sunset Valley Youth Golf Development Center is the Parks Foundation of Highland Park’s first capital project since its founding in 2016. The Parks Foundation spearheaded several fundraising initiatives for the Center and also received a significant donation from Highland Park resident and Illinois Amateur Golf Hall of Famer Joel Hirsch as well as a $50,000 grant from the Wadsworth Foundation to fund the project.
PROPOSED NARRATIVE
Sunset Valley’s new state-of-the-art Center will be a welcoming high-quality environment where young people can learn discipline, fairness, and patience by practicing the game of golf. There is no better place for young golfers to discover the social and cultural lessons of golf than to be part of the experience. At the new Center, young players will have the opportunity to learn and improve their game and sports etiquette within the broader environment of the award-winning Sunset Valley Golf Course among seasoned players and professionals.
The Center will be located on an approximately one-acre plot of land adjacent to the new Sunset Valley golf course. It is intended to carry on the club’s tradition of being the primary community center for future generations to learn and love the game. This unique facility, typically only seen at private clubs and learning centers, will be Highland Park’s and the surrounding communities’ primary Center for youth golf instruction and skill development in the fundamentals of the short game –the most critical golf skills.
Young golfers will be able to practice shots up to 50 yards from fairways, rough areas and bunkers with the feel and aesthetic of a real golf course. Hitting bases for long shot practice will also be featured at the Center. When not used for its primary purpose: youth golf instruction, the Center will also serve as a practice facility for all Sunset Valley’s golfers. Group and private lessons, as well as summer camps, will take place at the Center. The Highland Park High School Girls and Boys Golf Teams, IJGA tournament players, PGA Junior Leagues, and Sunset Valley players will also have access to the Center when not used for instruction. Sunset Valley is a participating course of the CDGA “Youth on Course” program and the club’s “Kids Play Free after 5 pm with a paid adult” program ensuring the new Youth Development Center will be fully utilized throughout each golf season.
For 100 years, Sunset Valley Golf Course has been a valued part of the Highland Park community. Generations of residents learned to play golf at Sunset, including Illinois Amateur Hall of Famer Joel Hirsch and newcomer to the PGA tour Patrick Flavin. The course is also home to the high school golf teams. In August 2018, the Park District of Highland Park reopened Sunset, following an extensive $7 million renovation that took 18 months. The new Sunset Valley accommodates every level of golfer. It is an open British Heathlands course design that reflects the character and aesthetics of a 1920’s era golf course. The project included the renovation of all tees, fairways, greens, bunkers, and infrastructure, drainage, and storm water management.
The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is dedicated to the belief that every resident deserves the opportunity for an enriched, healthy lifestyle. The Foundation supports and enhances the Park District of Highland Park’s exceptional facilities and provides resources to ensure that all community members are able to participate in Park District programs. The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is an independent, community-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit https://pfhpil.org.
Photograph: (front row, left to right) Highland Park High School Golf Team players: Emilia Schwank, Ally Kovitz, Ben Shanberg, David Aloush. (second row, left to right) Ryan Ochs, general manager of Sunset Valley Golf Club; Brian Romes, executive director of the Park District of Highland Park; Rick Jacobson, president of Jacobson Golf Course Design; Joel Hirsch, Illinois Amateur Golf Hall of Famer; Bob Bernstein, president of the Parks Foundation of Highland Park; Brian Kaplan, commissioner of the Park District of Highland Park; Greg Korneta, project manager from Wadsworth Golf Construction; Cole Sangern, facility supervisor for the Sunset Valley Golf Club; Paul Harris, head varsity golf coach from Highland Park High School.
In keeping with the global movement of fish that takes place each spring, Saturday, May 16 would have been World Migratory Fish Day. This year’s official celebration has moved to October 24, but that doesn’t mean we can’t mark this amazing rite of passage!
The Park District of Highland Park has tracked migratory fish at our lakefront parks since 2010. Four years ago, we were among the first to take part in a Shedd Aquarium study on the movements of a Lake Michigan native species, the White Sucker! Most years, volunteers are at the streams daily to check on their progress. While monitoring has been limited this year, we do know that Ravine Drive Beach and Rosewood Beach both had fishy visitors! Learn more about the project, check out the Shedd Aquarium’s Conservation Research Pages.