Due to the expected chilly temperatures this holiday weekend, Hidden Creek AquaPark and Rosewood Swimming Beach will remain closed through Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. Learn more about Memorial Day hours.

Sun, May 18: Until further notice, the path at Millard Park is closed due to bridge damage caused by a fallen tree.

Old Elm Playground Renovation
Location
3420 Krenn Avenue
Start Date
September 2024
End Date
May 2025

Old Elm’s 2-5 and 5-12 playgrounds are scheduled for replacement in 2024. 

The Park District of Highland Park began planning the playground update in 2023. The planning and design process was collaborative, and the Park District is thankful for all the feedback collected throughout the process. Feedback collected from the community was used to guide the final design for Old Elm’s playground renovation.

Project Details:

  • new and separated 2-5 and 5-12 playgrounds
  • new playground area loop path system
  • site furniture replacement

Other Projects Happening at Old Elm in 2024:

  • removal of the South baseball diamond, backstop, and players benches, concluding with the restoration to grass
  • restoration of North baseball diamond backstop, removal of players benches, and restoration to grass infield
  • shelter roof replacement
  • painting the shelter
Process
Target Start
Target End
Design
May 2023
December 2023
Bid/Award
March 2024
April 2024
Construction
September 2024
May 2025

Project Updates

Stay up to date on the latest renovations

May 23, 2025

Thank you for your patience during the construction phase.

We are excited to announce that the fence is scheduled to come down on Tuesday, May 27, and the playground will officially be open for play on Tuesday afternoon!

Check it out

May 23, 2025
May 16, 2025

Restoration work has started and a few new trees have been planted.

May 16, 2025
May 10, 2025

The path around the playground has been installed.

Next the crews will be moving on to restoration work.

May 10, 2025
May 6, 2025

Crews are installing the playground surfacing

May 6, 2025
May 2, 2025

The curb around the play areas has been poured and crews are preparing to begin installing the paths.

May 2, 2025
April 19, 2025

The top layer of surfacing around the tot lot hillside slide has been installed.


The winding slide is being installed on the elementary structure.


The climbing circuit is nearly complete on the elementary structure.

April 19, 2025
April 17, 2025

The we-saw has been installed in the elementary play area.


The hillside slide has been installed in the tot lot play area. The base layer of surfacing around the slide has also been installed.

April 17, 2025
April 15, 2025

The roof has been attached to the elementary structure.

April 15, 2025
April 9, 2025

The climbing pieces are being added to the elementary structure.

April 9, 2025
March 28, 2025

Work is underway and the elementary structure continues to grow.

March 28, 2025
March 13, 2025

Spring is on the horizon and construction has started again at Old Elm Park!

The elementary play tower is starting to grow.

March 13, 2025
December 20, 2024

The Park District is working with the contractor to continue construction throughout the winter and construction will occur weather permitting.

December 20, 2024
December 3, 2024

Progress has been made on the elementary tower installation.

December 3, 2024
November 25, 2024

The new drinking fountain has been installed.

November 25, 2024
November 25, 2024

The curb around the tot lot play area has been installed.

November 25, 2024
November 25, 2024

Installation of the elementary play area tower has started.

November 25, 2024
November 14, 2024

Most of the tot lot play equipment has been installed and installation of the concrete curb around the play areas has started.

November 14, 2024
November 1, 2024

Installation of the playground equipment has started!

November 1, 2024
October 30, 2024

The site has been prepared for installation of the new playground equipment.
Installation of the new playground equipment is expected to begin today!

October 30, 2024
October 30, 2024

The North backstop has been painted and both fields have been restored to grass.

October 30, 2024
October 24, 2024

The new playground equipment has been delivered

October 24, 2024
October 22, 2024

Painting of the Old Elm Park shelter has been completed.

October 22, 2024
October 17, 2024

Demolition of the playground has been completed.

October 17, 2024
September 24, 2024

Restoration of the ballfields to grass is nearing completion.

September 24, 2024
September 17, 2024

Installation of topsoil in the ballfields is nearing completion.

September 17, 2024
September 12, 2024

Clay removal at the ballfields is nearing completion.

Installation of topsoil and seed is expected to begin on Monday 9/16.

September 12, 2024
August 28, 2024

Construction fencing has been put up, the playground will remain closed until construction is complete.

August 28, 2024
August 28, 2024

Construction is expected to begin the week of September 9

During construction, the playground area will be closed. Restoration work on the ballfields may begin the week of September 2, and the ballfield area will be closed during that time.

During construction, the tennis courts and basketball courts will remain open. Tennis courts can be accessed through the southern gate.

August 28, 2024
August 27, 2024

The Results Are In!

Thank you to the 71 respondents who selected their preferred paint colors for the Old Elm Shelter. The winning combination is the darker grey (D) on the bricks and the blue (A) on the panels.

The shelter is expected to be painted before the end of the year.

August 27, 2024
August 7, 2024

The roof on the Old Elm shelter has been replaced.

August 7, 2024
August 5, 2024

The Park District is painting the Old Elm Shelter!

Take this survey to vote for your color preference before the survey closes on August 23.

August 5, 2024
August 5, 2024

The shelter roof is expected to be replaced on Wednesday, August 7.

August 5, 2024
February 15, 2024

The design process has been completed for the Old Elm Playground Renovation Project. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback through the survey, listening sessions and community meeting, to help shape the final design for the project. See the playground renderings here.

Construction is expected to begin in August and be completed by November.

February 15, 2024
November 6, 2023

Thank you to everyone who attended the Old Elm Park Playground meeting on Tuesday, November 14 and providing your preferences on the playground equipment options presented.

The feedback collected will be used to further refine the designs. Once designs are finalized, they will be posted to this page and the project will be bid out.

November 6, 2023
November 6, 2023

You’re Invited!

This past summer many of you participated in a survey to share your feedback on Old Elm Park. The Park District will host a community meeting on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at Oak Terrace Elementary School to share the proposed playground design and two playground equipment options.

The meeting will start with a brief presentation providing an overview of the feedback collected this summer, the proposed layouts, and project timeline. After the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to review the equipment options and share their preferences. Feedback collected will be used to guide the final playground designs.

Meeting Details:
Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Time: 6-7pm
Location: Oak Terrace Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room

November 6, 2023
August 5, 2023

See the survey results from the preliminary playground planning survey here.

August 5, 2023
July 5, 2023

We will be at Old Elm Park on Friday, July 7 from 1-3pm to collect your feedback on the playground renovation.

July 5, 2023
June 12, 2023

The Park District of Highland Park would like to hear from you!
There will be several opportunities for the community to participate in the design process and the first is the Old Elm Playground Preliminary Planning survey. Follow this link to share your feedback in this brief survey.

June 12, 2023