Elmhurst Park District News
The Elmhurst Park District looks forward to continuing to reopen and fulfill its mission of Enriching lives while having fun!
In accordance with the State of Illinois’ Restore Illinois Plan, staff continues to plan for the return of programming and reopening of facilities as detailed in Phase 3-Recovery, which is set to begin Friday, May 29. We continue to monitor the progress as we move through these phases, and we are prepared to adjust our plan as we get closer to Phase 4-Revitalization.
With more than 25 outdoor tennis courts, and Courts Plus earning the United States Tenn
Art classes are being offered online by Marie Strauch. There is a small fee for each class of just $8.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elmhurst Park District will be keeping East End Pool and Smalley Pool closed for the 2020 swim season.
As you’re aware, the stay-at-home order has been extended through the end of May.
The local community focused show, Elmhurst: Our Community featured an interview with our Executive Director, Jim Rogers on their April 27 episode.
Sugar Creek Golf Course is now open for limited play, golf only! Some of the guidelines set forth by the Illinois Department of Commerce includ
Join our virtual Earth Day Contest & Celebration this week and you'll have a chance to win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant!
Elmhurst Park District has compiled a list of phone numbers, websites & emails that may be useful for seniors & caregivers during the shelter at home order.
We're hunting down eggs a little differently this year! Have fun at home with our Egg Decorating contest!
After weeks of quarantine, people are starting to feel cooped up and stir crazy. So when the weather warms up and the sun comes out, so do the swarms of people anxious to stretch their legs.
"On Call Hero" Blood Drives Sponsored by Elmhurst Community
For the most up to date information please see our COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions page.
Our Brain Game program has packets available online of brain teasers to do at home. Keep your brain and cognition healthy with these fun activities!
The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Park District operations and its ability to provide programs, facilities, and services to the community.
Yesterday we posted a reminder that playgrounds are closed by order of the Governor and that while it’s okay to be in parks to walk, bike or jog, it is not acceptable to be in large groups. Many people chose to disregard the Governor’s order, and we received an abundance of responses from people expressing concern about the volume of people in the parks playing on playgrounds and gathering on athletic fields and courts.
As a result, the Park District is taking further action to highly discourage those people who are ignoring the order by the Governor. Beginning today, “closed” signs will be placed near every playground. Playgrounds will be roped off with caution tape. Rims will be removed from basketball courts. Tennis courts and the skate park will be locked. And soccer and lacrosse goals will be removed from athletic fields.
To do all of those things, we will be asking our staff to leave the safety of their homes and expose themselves to surfaces that have been touched by thousands of people in the last two weeks. Any of whom could be infected.
We are also working cooperatively with the City of Elmhurst and the Elmhurst Police Department, and they are ready to assist with enforcement by dispersing people who do not follow the Governor’s order. Park ambassadors will also be making rounds in the parks. And while they can all try to do their part to disperse people from the playgrounds or push out groups of people on ball fields and courts, their efforts are only temporary until those same people simply return once they’re gone.
All that being said, we implore any of you who took part in the discouraged activity to seriously reconsider your actions. Please do not make us take the next step of closing down the community parks entirely. We want people to be able to get outside to get fresh air and go for a walk, but if this type of blatant disregard for the safety of others continues, we will be forced to do so.
Asking people to stay at home is tough on all of us. But in the words of Simon Sinek, we all must suffer a little so no one has to suffer a lot.
On behalf of the Board of Park Commissioners please take this seriously! Do your part to flatten the curve and save lives!
Jim Rogers
Executive Director
Due to the recent facility closures we want to inform you of our current plans regarding refunds and credits:
- Memberships: Courts Plus members who have paid in full will have their membership extended for the length of the closure. For example; if we are closed for 3 weeks you will have a 3 week extension on your membership. Members who are on installment billing will not be charged during the closure. Accounts will be adjusted accordingly when facilities reopen and billing resumes.
- Rentals and Parties: We are currently working with rentals through May 15. If your party has been scheduled during this time we will be happy to refund or reschedule your event without a cancellation or rescheduling fee.
- Rec Station, Sunbeams & Rainbows, and other programs with automatic billing will NOT be charged or billed during the closure. All automatic billings and payments are suspended until we reopen.
- All paid events that were scheduled to take place during the closure will be refunded automatically at this time. You do not need to request a refund.
- Currently, all programs are on hold. We are working on plans to reschedule or cancel, and we will process credits and refunds when facilities reopen.
If you have any questions regarding our refund policy, please use the Contact form on our website. We will do our best to respond to you Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm. We thank you for your patience and understanding. We value you as a customer and look forward to serving you again in the near future.
Please note that the above mentioned refund practices are being offered during this special closure and are not our standard policies.
The Elmhurst Park District is committed to ensuring the health and safety of patrons and staff.
Event Update - Based on the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19 and recommendations from public health officials to limit public gatherings, the Elmhurst Park District is canceling all program
The Spring Brochure is now out for delivery! It features information on spring programs and summer programs, including aquatics and summer camps.
The digital edition of our brochure is available too, viewable here.
Mark your calendar with our upcoming registration dates:
Saturday, February 22 at 8 a.m.: Resident Registration for spring gymnastics, summer gymnastics camps, golf camps, aquatics programs and swim camps
Saturday, February 29 at 8 a.m.: Resident General Registration for all spring programs and all other summer camps, including Funseekers, Dance Camps, Early Childhood Camps, Theatre Camps and Ultimate Sports Camp. Also, registration for Courts Plus Members, including Courts Plus Summer Camps
Monday, March 2 at 8 a.m.: Non-Resident Gymnastics Registration
Monday, March 9 at 8 a.m.: Non-Resident Registration for all programs
The Elmhurst Park District has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA
The Elmhurst Park District puts on a number of free community events every year, and we’d love to get your feedback on what’s working, how we can continue to improve, and get ideas for future event
Plans are coming together for the redevelopment of Eldridge Park’s east playground, which Elmhurst Park District intends to replace in 2020.