Terrace View Park is now open! With it’s huge shade structure over the playground equipment, musical instruments, and path around the pond, this new playground is tons of fun.
Lake View Nature Center is also next to this playground, however it’s not open to the public on a daily basis. So if you want to enjoy both on the same day, make sure you go when they have an open house event.
Features of Terrace View Park
We love the shade structure! It’s the biggest one we’ve seen in a while.
There’s also a great toddler area.
There are opportunities to play music in the toddler section as well as two different styles of xylophones to play.
You can swing with your kids on the expression swing or have them enjoy the other types of swings that were installed, including a baby swing.
Nearby Lake View Nature Center
Terrace View Park is on the grounds of Lake View Nature Center. This nature center used to be open to the public daily, but pivoted to serve as space for programming years ago. So although it’s not open every day, the Oakbrook Terrace Park District holds open houses once per month so you can still enjoy the nature center.
You’ll find many different animals, including snakes, quail, turtles, goldfish, walking sticks, and a tenrec (which looks like a hedgehog, but is more closely related to shrews and moles).
There are a few tables with opportunities for learning and play as well.
There are bathrooms and a water bottle filler in the nature center, but please keep in mind that the building is locked and not open to the public except for the open house once per month. There aren’t public restrooms available otherwise.
The parking lot is small and only has 10 spots, but we’ve never had a problem parking there. If the lot is full, you can park around the corner on Monterey Avenue. Please note that parking is not allowed on Hodges Road. Also, be sure to keep your tires on the gravel if you park on Monterey because the police will give you a ticket if your tires are touching the grass.
Terrace View Park is located behind REI and near Costco and Oakbrook Center if you want to make another stop.
Terrace View Park and Lake View Nature Center
17W063 Hodges Road
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Curious how the playground looked before the 2024 renovation? We snapped this photo in 2015.
I’m glad they went with the pour-in-place surface, big shade structure, and various manipulatives and music options! It’s a great improvement.
