The 21 best parks and gardens in Joliet

It has a nice small waterfall inside the greenhouse. A few trees and a lot of colourful flowers for photo enthusiast. But we could not locate any toilets in the building or in the area. We walked on a small .05 mile trail behind it and it was good. Spotted a few birds and a pair of deer.

This is my go-to greenhouse for family and maternity sessions! My favorite rooms are the desert room and the tropical/aroid room for photos. Clients always rave about how beautiful the space is and I have built a great relationship with the staff over the last couple years. I will continue to come here and shoot as much as I can! It's really such a lovely space inside and out.

The plants are nice but the greenhouses are much smaller than I expected. There are no public bathrooms which is not at all convenient, overall, it wasn't worth the drive.

Beautiful greenhouse and outdoor gardens attached to the Barber and Oberwortmann Horticultural Center which is the perfect venue for weddings and any other occasion. Great food, great service & the best venue in Joliet. Truly unique. Very friendly and accommodating staff. A hidden gem in Joliet and a must-see venue.

Great place to visit and take pictures for special events.

Small delightful greenhouse with surrounding Pilcher Park trail.

Although it was closing ( which was fine) but the girls for prom wanted to go inside and take pictures and the lady had said it would be 30$ a person and than she said never mind we are closing anyways and closed the door on them. Again, understand the timing but I didn’t know we charged for the greenhouse now? Is that new?

Came here for the Joliet Sundowner 5k

this place is peaceful if you're looking to park and rest under the trees.

Trip there was ruined by a rude female staff member on the afternoon of June 9, 2024. Her demeanor was appalling in the way she spoke to me and another memeber of my family. If I acted that way at my job, I wouldn't have one. A membernof my family went to meet me inside the Nature Center and was told to leave, not kindly, but rudely by this woman because they we having a "private event'. Then, after a short walking outside, I walked over to see Sky, the hawk *outside in her enclosure. The woman handling the bird said very rudely, "Can I help you?!" - not what she said, it's how she said it. I said I just came to see Sky. She then told.me to "stay where I was and pretend.the she (Sky) was invisible" - as she walked the bird over to other people. She could have said things nicely and apologized for incoveniwnce - but instead she chose to talk to me like I was dirt. I won't bother to explain exactly who I am, but had she known I think she would have treated me differently - and I'm applied to know.that this is how the general public gets treated by her.

This is a hidden gem with plenty of walking trails and space for the whole family. Always leaving you with more to explore.

Park was recently revamped with all new pavement, solid wood barriers on the sides of the driving path, gates at each entrance/exit and a major cleanup of trash and dead trees. I only wish there was a police presence to deter the frequent drug users that take up parking spaces along the path to get high.

I've been going to Pilcher Park for years. I like the Nature Center but I love driving through the park. The best part is seeing the Deer.

Wonderful trails, a playground, and an awesome nature center with classes during the week.

Pilcher Park offers 640 acres for you and your family to enjoy! Walking, biking, or driving, you'll enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the woodlands and streams. Stop by the Nature Center for a plethora of community events, site information, and comfort stations. Pilcher Park is truly a gem and more than worth the visit!

Trail was clean and well maintained. We only took a short hike. Everything we saw in the park looked very nice. The nature center had quite a few animals on display - mostly reptiles: turtles and snakes. They have a red tailed hawk on display. I usually frown upon wild birds being in captivity but they had a sign said that it had been injured to the point where it couldn’t hunt on its own. There was one employee working the front desk. She was friendly and helpful.

Fun place to bring kids after a walk in the woods. Several small animals to see and learn about, such as, tortoises, turtles, snakes, amphibians, fish and a red-tailed hawk. They also sell small nature related trinkets.

Beautiful walking area, plenty of parking, great to bring families here. Parks for kids in certain areas, trails for every level, fishing and picnicing as well.

Had a great time at the summer ceramics event! Loved looking at the indoor animals and shopping the little store. Bought a map for the trails and can't believe I've lived here for 8 years and never knew it existed. Can't wait to attend more events!

A beautiful place. The earlier you go the better.

We come here all the time. Beautiful walking areas with a fun animal zone for kids to see things like turtles and snakes.

We came for an ice hockey game. It was a good time! The facility is very clean.

Amazing place!!! My son goes to school there. Ms. Karen and all the teachers are so kind to the kids. Love how happy he is every day. They are all angels.

Dan & Rick, I called the park district to find out if they had some time that I could rent the ice ring for a dear friend that soon will be in a wheel chair due to her illness. Dan was so kind and understanding of my situation and found some time for all of her friends and family to be on the ice with her. It was just a perfect day for her and such a surprise. Upon arrival we meet with Rick who was such a kind, gentle person who did everything to help us with the skates. It was so nice to work with such professional, genuine, kind people. A rarity now a days. Her quote all day was "best day ever"! You guys did this and I cannot express my gratitude for working with me on this task. Again, thank you! Deb

Joined the pool for my daughter and I. They released the schedule for September to December that the pool was mostly closed from 4-7 during the week. I work weekends and can’t make it by 4 when they close. My nearly 8,000 in property taxes help to fund the park district, plus my 2 memberships should guarantee at least 1 lane open at all times. I am cancelling my membership. Very disappointed that profit is put over memberships.

We had an incredible experience trying to get access for family pictures to one of the parks through the Joliet Park District. Executive Director, Brad Staab went out of his way to help our family - literally by driving to the site and making sure the building was open if we needed it due to rain. I can't say enough great things and we really appreciate how he was willing to go above and beyond. Thank you!

My daughter was in Ms Becky and Ms Heidis 4yr old class and she just loves it and I adore her teachers. Highly recommend this place. I was so scared to send her to school for the first time but this has been a wonderful experience and I'm so glad I chose Sunshine & Rainbows preschool.

Can't recommend JPD Sunshine and Rainbows Early Learning center/preschool enough! All three of our children went to preschool there. We love the staff and the program. Even through this pandemic they have taken extra measures to ensure students can continue to attend preschool safely!!!

Clean and people are awesome but there isn't enough seating.

ABSOUTELY adorable place !! The variety of pumpkins and unique fall decor was incredible !! This is your one stop shop for your fall decorations !!! Outstanding service as well !!! Don’t miss this one !!!

Great trails! One trail, the crushed limestone trail, leads to a lookout. Very short walk but it was so pretty and serene. And the lookout was adorable. The other trail was paved. Parking and restroom available on site. The picnic area looks very nice and open! I really liked this spot.

Good for a local spot. Sometimes the local industry intrudes on views or adds some noise pollution but overall it is a good area close to town. Lots of nice bird sightings on the canal. Turtles, rabbits, deer and a mink were off trail

Excellent running trail. Shaded, flat and sand surface, not paved. Wildlife all around. I saw deer, huge birds, butterflies, one snake, and frogs.

Great spot to start your bike ride on the I&M Canal Trail going west. Trail could use better maintenance especially from Rockdale to Interstate 55.

Nice peaceful walking and scenery...

We love to walk along the canal and have drove all the way to its end in LaSalle, il.

A pleasant little slice of nature. I took my wheelchair for a short stroll along the canal trail. While certainly not designed with wheelchairs in mind, it is fairly easily doable for most anyone willing to get off of the concrete and asphalt. There is a short, hard surface walkway between the (good sized) parking lot and the canal that runs through a day-use area with a picnic shelter and a toilet. The canal itself, with its shallow waters and an abundance of plant life reminds me of a narrow strip of a swamp-like setting.

This park has been around for a while. It has changed over time but still remained a great park to bring the entire family to. Their basketball courts , baseball fields, two parks, and a small Creek. Sidenote: Keep an eye out for the watermelon man in a pickup truck. (You'll see the watermelons )

Oh Wow they do a Nice Back to School FunDay!! Jumping houses, hot dogs for everyone!! ,FacePainting, Crafts, Information if your kids are interested in FootBall,Cheerleading!! There's Church held there at the park I found out also!!! And EVERY KID gets a BookBag w/Supplies inside♡♡♡ I took my GranBabies for the day!! They were having so MUCH FUN b4 I knew it it was time to go for the SecondHalf of MommaTayeDay with HerGrans!! This is our 2nd year and I plan to continue this day for us until...................They graduate middle school😊 I'm🙏🏻🙏🏼🙏🏽 God Blesses Us to Go Another Year

So glad there’s covered picnic tables, but wish there were more of them. Basketball area is well maintained. There’s bathrooms near the open field but I didn’t go in to see their condition. I was here from out of state for an event for back to school for a relative and am impressed with the facilities they have for families.

My daughter had a baby shower there!! Nice and clean!! Big beautiful event room!! Perfect place to hold your next event!!

Since when does a open park close at 3? Her name is Meghan and she came to the kobe court talking about its closed. She only had rights to close the rec center not the open park.

Good place very clean installation and friendly staff

Very good ball field

Fun course with a wide variety of holes mostly technical but some open holes or some with minimal trees; either way challenging in one way or another. Several holes had elevation in one way or another, albeit up or down, and a river that acts as a minor water hazard but really isn’t much in play unless you have an errant shot. Any discs that land in the water should be retrievable. Most holes are in the 200+ range with one under 200 and one over 300 but some holes play more or less depending on the elevation. Not a typical grip it and rip course but fun for all levels of disc golfers. One issue I had was the loud noise of the highway near by. I prefer the sounds of nature when I play and this course did not have that. No fault of the course though and I could deal with it. Most holes had a Red (AM) and White (Pro) pad with a few that shared the concrete pad marked by the red and white distance to pin on each sign. From what I recall there was only one pin placement per hole. Overall the course was clean and well maintained. The signs and pads were in good shape and not broken or vandalized. We played mid-March and therefore can’t speak to the maintenance of the fairways but they did appear to be manicured regularly. Garbage cans were placed through-out the course which helped but it had appeared on one hole someone or something pushed a garbage can down a hill thus spilling it’s contents all over the place. Parking spaces were limited and this course is oddly placed in the middle of a subdivision. There was a structure with bathrooms near the playground but was locked this time of year. I only know this because Eric needed to use it during our second round and the look of fear on his face when he turned the corner was priceless. We arrived late afternoon near evening on Thursday and there were only a few cars in the parking lot. We did not run into anyone during our two rounds there. This course is cart friendly for the most part with the exception of going down hole 3 and crossing the river/swampy area. I imagine this area gets really bad after heavy rains but we were lucky not to experience that. This course is great for discing at night with minimal opportunity to losing a disc that has glow or lights on it. One round for 6 players of various skill levels took roughly 90 minutes. We played a doubles night round in roughly the same amount of time. For me, this course is over 2 hours of a drive time. I would not make a special trip to play unless I am in the area. If I lived within 30 minutes of here, I could see myself visiting once or twice a month and obviously more if I was fortunate enough to live across the street. 3.5 stars if I could vote halvsies.

Disk golf was straight bussin!!! The chains were little stiff but overall a vibe. Watch out for the TPad by the road when it's muddy, don't want to get that Arron Hernandez CTE out there.

What to say about this park. Wow. If you are the type that wants to get out and enjoy the day exercising or having fun. This is the place. Disc golf cages all over park. Nature walk is beautiful. And trash is not to bad. Couple pieces here and there but clean over all.

Love this course! Some awesome shots across the creek and from some great elevation. Definitely worth the 45 min drive for me.

Nice parks with long trails, very clean as well.

Nice smaller park with a little bit of everything. Would have been nicer if the walking path through the woods would connect complete and be free of large debris/obstacles.

Nicely put together 18 hole course with short and long tees and A and B pins always available. Good signage and quality tee boxes. One of my favorite hour road trip courses to play

Pretty park and bird sanctuary in the middle of an industrial area — so not something you really expect to see. It’s little gems like this that are nice finds to spend some time. Very quiet with lots of people kayaking and fishing. Worth a short detour.

Beautiful, quick and easy trail. Paved and stroller friendly. We spent about over an hour here. The path along the water is gorgeous that leads to a wooden bridge. This trail does not loop. Take in the views! A lot of geese in the water. There was a small picnic table along the trail too which was perfect for me and my daughters to eat our snack and enjoy our surroundings. Good amount of parking. Restroom also available. I recommend this trail for something to do that won't take up too much time!

such a wonderful outing both times with my girls!! we had so much fun!! the sights are amazing and this is a hidden gem that hopefully everyone local gets a chance to glance at!! the birds are so beautiful and perfect flying over us as we fed the fish and turtles with bread and we will be back again soon enough!!

If you're a birder, this is a great place to check out. We were there in the middle of February for about an hour and saw a dozen different species. Bald eagles, loons, trumpeter swans, and a variety of ducks to several common backyard birds. Bring your binoculars. They have a paved pathway that leads to open water where most of the birds are hanging out. They also have a boat launch and a restroom. Great spot for a quiet walk for observing nature. Google Maps seemed a little confused as to where to turn for the right road but we got there. Have fun!

First time here, it's a very small park/rookery. It has a paved trail so anyone can use it. Make sure you take binoculars with you so you can see the birds nesting. It is prohibited to go anywhere near the nesting area, so if you want pictures of the birds it's best to have a good camera with a telephoto lens. I was disappointed with the amount of trash in the water, and along the trail. And it is for this reason only I'm only giving it 3 stars. There is a covered picnic area for large groups, and fishing is allowed for catch & release.

We went there for a walk. Very nice paved path that ended at a very cool bridge. I think it might be about a mile there and back. There was an abundance of birds to watch. We were not lucky enough to see a bald eagle, but I heard they were there. They do have restrooms, a pavilion, and picnic tables scattered alongside the trail. They have a boat ramp also but boats must be 18 feet or less and electric motor only.

Really pretty walking trail. It's not a very long trail. We spent about 2 hours here (January, some snow on the ground but sunny), most of the path was paved. From a walking/hiking standpoint, this is probably not a full day destination. Definitely worth a visit!

Small park next to a huge golf course. It has a couple of pickle ball courts and a couple of tennis courts. Small kids play area There is a walking track around the park and tennis courts but it is not too big. 1 portable bathroom next to the pickleball court. Lots of parking. A few picnic tables all around the park. There is a covered picnic area too with a separate parking

My church had our annual picnic with over 400 member and their families and friends. The park was awesome! Indoor restrooms and also out houses as well. I'm so glad this is where we celebrate annually. Everything was close clean and accommodating.

Very beautiful outdoors type of park with lots of things to do. Golf, playground and picnic area. Large park. Little to no trash. Very clean.

I do not know how the city let's people car camp here. Drug deals going on in broad daylight and people smoking in the bathrooms. There is always several cars parked at the back of the lot and we won't be back until this is addressed. Edit: made an immediate u-turn out of the parking lot. Car camping, drugs, unkept landscaping. There's no way you can feel safe letting your kids play here.

Beautiful place for family bonding, has great variety for everyone. The park itself was very good and there is a path to walk, a tennis court, as well as an area to eat, great to spend the whole day!

Probably the biggest park in Joliet, Great for multiple activities and events.

Great place to spend time with your family

The Joloet park district sponsors "concerts in the park". The entertainment is fun and relaxing. If you have a chance, stop by and enjoy the night.

Thank you Joliet Park District! These Concert-in-the-Park evenings are such wonderful community experience. Generations of locals enjoying the music and the wide open space.

Great park for the kids, its right there by the school of farragut

There is garbage littered through out the field and playground. Kids enjoyed the park, but it could use some updating.

Very run down, graffiti on it not a great area. Grown kids go there a lot from high school and can sometimes be inappropriate without being mindful of little ones

Weekly free concerts during the summer. Local bands, music style varies ... the spice of life. Bring your lawn chairs, snacks (hors d' vors for the classier performances), a little juice of the grape god (wine, for those of you not familiar with "how it's made") and spend a couple relaxing hours enjoying the early evening and sunset to some good tunes.

Beautiful venue! Lots of trees provide shade until the sun goes down and a really nice play area for kids. 2 👍👍

Great place for families and kids. However, Plainfield Park District needs to change out or repair the equipment that is broken including the car racing puzzle.

Very nice and clean park my niece and nephew had a ball!

Great little neighborhood park. It has swings, slides and fishing right off the back of the property for residents.

Beautiful park with water view!!

Always a beautiful place people and neighborhood

Excellent place and secure 👌 for enjoyment.

Great park for kids.

Brought a beautiful smile to my beautiful angel