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Wilder Park |
Playground Equipment |
Tennis Courts |
Recreation Building |
Wilder Mansion |
Group Picnic Area |
Conservatory |
Formal Gardens |
Veterans Memorial |
Floral Display |
Horseshoe Pits |
Drinking Fountains |
Events/Activities:
Adopt A Park |
Weddings |
Concerts in the Park |
Veterans Memorial |
Tree Lighting |
Art in the Park |
Garden Walk |
Egg Hunt |
Adopt A Park Kickoff |
Wilder Park Conservatory Flower Shows |
Voted by Chicago Magazine as the #1 Suburban Park in 1997, Wilder Park was the first park acquired by the Elmhurst Park District in 1921. A cultural hub, Wilder Park sits in the center of town and is home to the Elmhurst Public Library, the Elmhurst Art Museum, the Lizzadro Museum, the Wilder Mansion, and the Wilder Park Conservatory and Formal Gardens. Completed in 2008, the Wilder Mansion provides an additional 14,000-square-foot space for District and community use. The Wilder Park Conservatory is open all year and hosts stunning floral displays, while the Wilder Park Formal Gardens provide a beautiful setting for weddings.
Wilder Park is currently in the process of a major renovation. The Wilder Park playground was removed, and the non-profit organization Kids Around the World will repaint and reconstruct the structures before transporting them to an undeveloped country that does not have playgrounds for children, effectively recycling the playground at no cost to the District. The new playground will feature a pyramid cargo net climber and an exciting design to accommodate kids of all ages and abilities. The Wilder Park project will also include reconstruction of the existing asphalt pathways in addition to correcting drainage issues in the park. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in September 2011.
The park also features recently renovated tennis courts, a recreation building that houses Sunbeams & Rainbows, and group picnic areas.
Current Size: 17.30 acres.
History
In a publication of the Elmhurst Centennial Historical Committee in 1936, Wilder Park was described as "Elmhurst`s Prettiest Garden Spot," and "a garden spot as beautiful as any in the Middle West."
In a publication of the Elmhurst Centennial Historical Committee in 1936, Wilder Park was described as "Elmhurst's Prettiest Garden Spot.” Originally a cow pasture, this land was undeveloped, leaving a large open space that could be used as a park. When the Elmhurst Park District was created in the spring of 1920, the District immediately entered into negotiations for the entire Wilder estate, which was purchased for $45,000. When Wilder Park first opened, two bricks and a cathedral of elm trees flanked the entrance. Improvements to the estate, which covered two city blocks, began at the north end. A lily pond, landscaped walkways, and playground equipment was installed. Located in the southwest corner of Wilder Park, near Church Street and Prospect Avenue, is an elaborate series of glass buildings, including a conservatory, two greenhouses, and a growing house. An urn that adorned the Cook County Court House and survived the 1871 Chicago Fire rests near the formal gardens.
