10 Best Things To Do In Glenview, Illinois

things to do in glenview illinois
Genieve
Genieve 
Updated
| 4 min read

Being in Glenview, a suburban village in Cook County Illinois, you get to experience and learn about nature in many different ways, either through arts, sports or all kinds of hands-on activities. Your kids will love to hang out at the museums with lively exhibits or explore their adventurous spirit through climbing. Both adults and children will also get a chance to gain a better understanding of humanity. These activities let you learn different things while being a part of Glenview.

1. Reconnect with nature at Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden is in Glencoe, which is a 12-minute drive from Glenview. If you are a plant lover, you will be delighted to come to this place. The gardens are the gems of Chicago Botanic Garden, showcasing different types of plants. You will be dazzled by the waterlilies in the aquatic garden, the jasmine in the Bonsai Collection with a strong fragrance after sunset, the Heritage Garden where plants are displayed like the olden days, blooming lavender in Dixon Prairie, romantic roses in Krasberg Rose Garden and much more.

Chicago Botanic Garden

Address: 1000 Lake Cook Road, 60022 Glencoe, IL

Website: Chicago Botanic Garden

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2. Canoe your way through Skokie Lagoons

Skokie-Lagoons-01
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user bradhoc used under CC BY 2.0

Located in Glencoe (12 minutes’ drive from Glenview) and Winnetka (9 minutes’ drive from Glenview), Skokie Lagoons is a nature preserve with seven interconnected lagoons. One way to explore Skokie Lagoon thoroughly is to kayak, canoe, rowboat or sailboat on the shallow water. You can mobilize your craft at the public boat launch on the south side of Tower Road or rent a boat from Chicago River Canoe and kayak at the east of Tower Road.

Skokie Lagoons

Address: Skokie Lagoons, Illinois, USA

Website: Skokie Lagoons

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3. Get back to nature in Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area

Edward L. Ryerson Cabin (7450154892)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Teemu008 used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area is situated in Riverwood which is a 16-minute drive from Glenview. A great place for you to hike and enjoy some me-time or family time. The trails are clean and sometimes you will be walking on leaves. Following the trail along Des Plaines River, you will see you several historical buildings and venture into woodland.

Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area

Address: 21950 North Riverwoods Road, 60015 Riverwoods, IL

Website: Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area

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4. Kids takes pleasure in learning at Kohl Children's Museum

Kohl's Children's Museum
Source: Photo by Flickr user anjanettew used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Kohl Children’s museum takes learning to a new level with a combination of fun and education for kids from birth to the age of 8. Your children will be able to engage in exhibits that are specially designed with the principle of Universal Design for them to learn through multi-sensory experiences. It has a total of 17 different interactive exhibits like Adventures in Art where your kids can unleash their inner creativity through painting, clay sculpture, recycled art and more.

Kohl Children's Museum

Address: 2100 Patriot Boulevard, 60026 Glenview, IL

Website: Kohl Children’s Museum

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5. Cultivate your knowledge of nature at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

Thank you, Citadel Theatre Company, for three great nights of Shakespeare at Brushwood Center! We had a wonderful time!

Posted by Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods on Sunday, 3 August 2014

The starting point of Trail Tales, steps away from Brushwood Center's front door in Ryerson Woods!

Posted by Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods on Wednesday, 19 October 2016

Brushwood Center is another paradise inside Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area. This place offers an opportunity for you to connect with nature via art, photography, music, literature, film and more. Get involved in programs such as Botanical Art Workshops teaching you basic painting and drawing skills and the Environmental Graphiti exhibition using contemporary art to educate you about the science of climate change. These are just some examples of activities, so update yourself with the current ones on the website during your visit.

Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

Address: 21850 N. Riverwoods Rd, 60015 Riverwoods, IL

Website: Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods

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6. Challenge your kids' limits at Funtopia



Funtopia is where kids can challenge themselves in conquering their fear and anxieties through climbing. The place is creative with different kinds of climbing adventures, not just reach the top kind of climbing. Two of the challenges, suitable for aged 5 and above, are Ropes Courses which can train your balance, coordination, strength, and endurance through different levels and The Rocktopia Cave for you to probe through different wonders of the cave like rocks, stalactiteс, stalagmites and cave pearls.

Funtopia

Address: 2050 Tower Dr, 60026 Glenview IL

Website: Funtopia

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7. The Grove, where nature meets history

The Grove is 123 acres in size. It is located near the intersection of Milwaukee Ave. and Lake Ave. in Glenview,...

Posted by Todor Krecu 360 Degree Photography on Saturday, 27 May 2017

The land was a forest that transformed from a glacier, but under the circumstances of climate change, it turned into prairies. The Grove is the remaining forest on the prairies. It then became the home of Native Americans until horticulturist and educator Dr. John Kennicott brought his family and settled there. His son developed his love for nature and founded Chicago Academy of Sciences.

The Grove

Address: 1421 Milwaukee Ave, 60025 Glenview, IL

Website: The Grove

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8. Connecting to nature in both extreme and moderate ways at Harms Woods

Guided Hike Through Harms Woods Natural Area Glenview Illinois 10-26-19_4275
Source: Photo by user Charles Edward Mi... used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Harms Woods is divided into two sides by the Chicago River. In the east, a big part is covered by wet woodlands where there is a shaded North Branch Trail that attracts hikers, dog-walkers, cyclists, in-line skaters and cross-country skiers. Also in the east, there are unpaved trails winding through where you can catch a glimpse of birds, such as woodpeckers and warblers migrating along the river during spring and fall.

Harms Woods

Address: Harms Rd, 60025 Glenview, IL

Website: Harms Woods

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9. Learn humanity through history in Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center

Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center 2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Gidonb used under CC BY-SA 3.0

You will need a 13-minute drive to reach Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center from Glenview. The purpose of this museum is to honor the remembrance of the lost by educating us about sympathy and battling against hatred, preconception, and indifference. The museum carries out this mission through different exhibits like Legacy of Absence Gallery which educates people about the abiding effect of the Holocaust, genocide and human rights abuses through contemporary art, photographs, multimedia installations by world-renowned artists and Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition which lead you through pre-war and post-war life and Holocaust and liberation.

Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center

Address: 9603 Woods Drive, 60077 Skokie, IL

Website: Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center

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10. Be amazed by the nature diversity of Gallery Park



Gallery Park is gifted with diverse landscape: lake and wetlands, naturalistic landscapes, formal or structured landscape and woodlands. Countless activities such as fishing, paddle boating, canoeing, and kayaking can be done on the Lake Glenview, surrounded by walking trails. Around the lake are the wetland areas with shallow waters supporting the habitat of multiple living creatures. The islands and canoe channels in the lake make your canoe experience more interesting.

Gallery Park

Address: 2001 Patriot Blvd, 60026 Glenview, IL

Website: Gallery Park

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Let traveling be your teacher

Learning is the appendant of traveling. Through the activities above, you will get a handful of knowledge of nature, humanity, and arts. Your kids might also overcome some of his fears. Despite being a little village, Glenview teaches you things you might not learn in your daily lives.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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