Skokie Park District

The Skokie Park District offers a variety of recreation activities and classes for both residents and non-​residents. You can join athletic leagues (such as indoor soccer, HS baseball, co-​red softball, Thursday Softball, CSL flag football, and CSL flag football), rent rooms for private events/​parties, catch some great events (such as community theater shows, holiday meet-​and-​greets, etc.), sign up for seasonal camps (areas of art, early childhood, sports, for teens, etc.), or obtain a membership for their leisure center/​uses of gym centers, pools, and the skating rink. I was pretty excited to hear that the District board recently approved of renovating the Weber center, so I can’t wait to see the updated fitness locker rooms, the gym additions, and the track that is available to the public! One can easily volunteer for programs as well as register. Check some of their programs out!
+events/​programs for both residents and non-​residents
+camps for all areas of interest

My favorite part of the Skokie Park District is the S.P.A.C.E. program. Child care for school-​aged kids on those weird days the kids have off and the grown-​ups don’t is next to impossible. SPD takes care of that at an incredibly affordable price and in a way that is tons of fun for the kids. My daughter never grumbles about going and the included field trips are always a hit. My daughter has also participated in the musical theater class, which she adored. I loved the way it was run like an actual production and she really got the experience of being in a play but with a low commitment.

i learned how to skate in this one and its a great place to do so.

I came here using my groupon for the driving range and I must say that I am very impressed with the driving range. It is nice to have a card that doesn’t expire and I love how the golf balls are set up on a tee for you. It definitely beats carrying around a bucket and I definitely find it to be affordable!

I couldn’t figure out why we were going all the way to Skokie to go ice skating. After all– it’s Winter. We can skate at Millennium Park. We can skate at Wrigley. We can skate at any number of rinks around town. So why drive 25 minutes north?
Enter in The Skatium. This Park District rink (actually rinks as there are at least 2 that I saw) does things the right way and is the perfect place to take the «wee ones» who may not like to skate outdoors when the temps are frigid. And the even better news was that it wasn’t overly crowded even though it was Christmas break.
And the price is right, too. $ 4.00 admission fee and $ 2.50 if you need to rent skates. We went for open skate from 10:45 — 12:30 but there are many other choices– check out their website.
As one who hasn’t been on ice skates in a long time (actually found my skates in the basement but judging by the amount of rust on the blades, it’s been decades since they were last used) I was surprised at how fast it all came back– the balance, the turns, stops and even the skating backwards (very helpful when you are trying to teach the little ones to go forward) By the end of our time there-​I was looking forward to when we could do it next.
The skates that they rent are so much better than in the «old days». They have stiff uppers which help with the ankle bending and are sharply honed to help with the balance.
There is a concession stand, pro shop (I should have brought my skates to have them sharpened) and even a circular fireplace to gather around in the lobby after the skating is over. Plenty of free parking rounds out the venue.
If you are looking for an inexpensive yet fun (and warm) way to enjoy one of Winter’s sports, check out the Skatium. Worth every bit of the drive!

As a Skokie resident for the past 3 years, I gotta say that Skokie Park District is a hidden gem. The park district features a variety of parks and recreational centers. I signed up for the Weber Leisure Center which houses an ice skating rink, a 3 par golf course, weightroom, and an indoor track.
The weightroom and subsequent locker rooms are clean and well maintained. The prices are reasonable: Skokie residents pay $ 31 a month plus a $ 40 initiation fee (take that most overpriced gyms and their initiation fee that can run into the hundreds of dollars). Oh, and it’s no strings attached — cancel anytime.
They also feature masseuse and personal training — for a small fee, of course. :) It’s definitely a hidden gem because the quality definitely exceeds the price that you pay. Check it out, you’ll find yourself amazed at the quality of their facilities. :)

Look, some people like tennis, some people like football, some people like soccer. I like mini-​golf. I’m not ready to go pro; but I have spent the past couple of years making a very serious study of the area courses and I am here to say, in my educated opinion, that the Skokie Park District Adventure Mini Golf course is the BEST in Chicagoland.
I’d go far enough to say that it’s one of the top five features of Chicago, period.
There are technically two courses here, the 9 hole Kids’ Quest and the 18 hole Around the World theme course. Kid’s Quest is appropriate for younger kids, complete with climbable obstacles on the holes. Around the World is fantastically laid-​out and designed to be challenging for short game golfers of any level. The holes are decorated with large-​scale models of the Egyptian pyramids, the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China, as well as other less expected locales such as the Arctic tundra and Easter Island. There are holes with water or sand traps, and a couple of holes where the golfer must choose one of three early options, guessing at which will deposit the ball closest to (or directly in) the cup. My favorite is the Australian Coral Reef, a triple-​level hole decorated with colorful fish in which the ball must drop in one of three conduits, then travel down a level and through another of two conduits before reaching the third and final green. Oh my god, it’s enough to make me jump with giddy joy!
This is a ‘50s-​style course – a holdover from the days when (I imagine) designers tried to top each others’ courses for inventiveness. Par-​King is legendary for their mechanical features; but I prefer the scope and sprawling ambition of Skokie.
Good lord, we all owe the genius behind this course our eternal admiration.

I was at a birthday party I took my nephew to over this last weekend. It was at the exploritorium. I guess the kids had a blast. For me the experience was a little hectic. The staff pushes you through the place like a herd of cattle. You get a very limited amount of time in the play area and then are shuffled into a small party room to eat cake and whatever. When the time was up in the room we were quickly rushed out. I felt bad for the b-​day kids mom. While she was still talking to guest they were basically shoving a cart into her the get the gifts out. I would be very upset with the overall customer service if I was the one paying… however the kid did have fun and that is what the day is about, so exploritorium, heres your three stars, but never expect my family to host and parties there. Good luck.

This review is mostly for the rink, as I haven’t used the other facilities. The Skatium is by far one of my favorite rinks to play on in Chicago, First of all, there are several rinks, which means not as much jostling for space, and you can get games scheduled at not-​ungodly hours of the day. The ice is well kept, and there are great facilities for spectators. They have decent concessions, clean bathrooms, and a really nice FIREPLACE in the middle of the lobby. The proshop even has relatively long hours, and I’ve gotten skates sharpened before 8 PM games. It’s really easy to get to from the Dan Ryan, which is a major plus. Looking around at the other offerings at SPD, I would definitely say this is a great facility and one to check out in all seasons.

I think this is one of the best park districts I have ever seen. They have great facilities — from the usual pools to an ice skating rink. This place is really well-​kept and the staff here is super-​friendly. I’ve taken many classes here, and they have all been great! Great staff, great facilities, and great prices bring me here again and again for various classes.

Overall a super park district — they have 2 outdoor pools, an ice skating rink, mini-​golfing, putting and a golf green. I enjoyed putting my son in sports through their programs, but beware the summer camp. The programs are great, yes, and the staff seem well trained. But it’s quite expensive for one child, and plain exorbitant if you have more than one.