Park Information
Outdoor Ice Skating 
Ice Skating enthusiasts may take advantage of outdoor skating areas located at Barth Pond at Patriots Park, Prince Pond and Hummer Park. Evening skating is available at Prince Pond. All skating areas are unsupervised. No restroom facilities are available during the winter months.
One week of below-zero weather without a snow blanket on the pond is generally required to form a safe layer of ice. Signs warning of thin ice are removed when the ice is considered safe, or you may call the Parkline at 630.963.0575 for updated skating information.
Community-wide Park System
Through years of careful planning, the Downers Grove Park District has built a comprehensive park system with a balance of active, passive and natural areas. The Downers Grove Park District manages 49 park sites on over 600 acres. Just a few of the amenities available to you at various parks throughout the community include 24 playgrounds, 17 baseball and softball fields, 17 lighted tennis courts, 8 basketball courts, 3 fishing ponds, 9 picnic shelters, lighted horseshoe and sand volleyball courts, walking and jogging trails, a nine-hole public golf course with driving range, a nine-hole Frisbee golf course, an 18-hole miniature golf course, concession facilities, community garden plots, and a Downers Grove historical museum.
The Park District also features Belmont Prairie, a 10-acre remnant prairie and dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve, plus Lyman Woods, a 150-acre natural area containing forest, savannah, prairie and marsh habitats that support over 300 species of native plants.
In addition, the Park District operates a Recreation & Fitness Center and the Lincoln Community Center, and offers swimming opportunities at one outdoor pool (leased in a cooperative agreement with Maple Hill Pool), and two indoor pools (leased in a cooperative agreement with School District 99).
The Parks Division
The Parks Division is central to all that the District provides for the community, contributing the expertise and skills which keep the infrastructure functioning smoothly on a daily basis. Parks Division staff members bring decades of professional skills and experience, including horticulture, turf & soil science, forestry, landscape architecture, carpentry, and building mechanical systems. This diverse staff assists with planning, development and management of all parks, maintains Park District buildings, and provides support for special events.
To view General Use Park Ordinances click here.
The Parks Division can be reached through the Administrative Office. Contact Todd Reese, Director of Parks, at (630) 963-1304 or via e-mail at treese@dgparks.org.
Land Aquistion (One Acre)
The Park District has recently acquired property located at 4147 Venard, contiguous to the south end of Doerhoefer Park. The District has completed utility disconnect, demolition of existing structures and site restoration. Future plans may include possible park expansion and additional parking needs for the site.
Upcoming Park Improvements
In 2008, the Downers Grove Park District and the Village of Downers Grove forged a partnership to incorporate high priority storm water control needs identified by the Village within a few existing Park District sites, in order to alleviate dangerous flooding that occurs throughout the Village during heavy rainfalls.
As part of the planned improvements, Washington Park will feature a new playground with separate tot and big-kid areas, an upgraded softball field with permanent seating, two soccer fields with terraced seating, a decorative 3-tiered fountain, raised flowerbeds, seating plazas and a picnic pavilion. McCollum Park will provide a new full-size soccer field with terraced seating, plus new lighted basketball and sand volleyball courts. Sterling North / Bending Oaks Park will include an open-water recreation pond, walking trails, park shelters and a new playground. Construction has begun at Washington Park and McCollum Park and is scheduled to begin this fall at Sterling North/Bending Oaks Park. Click on the links above for more information and drawings of the proposed park improvements.
To view other capital projects click here.
