Places

Donovan Park is a nature lover’s dream located in the heart of busy Peoria. Adjacent to the Peoria Park District Rock Island Greenway, the park is filled with open green space that welcomes walkers, runners and cross-country skiers (as weather allows, of course!).

Northmoor Observatory* is also located on the grounds.

Donovan Park Layout

With a lot of fun packed in a small package, Endres is a neighborhood park with a ton of fun!

Endres Park Layout

Do you enjoy bird watching or hiking?  Forest Park Nature Center is for you!  Forest Park Nature Center offers seven miles of trails for hiking and nature enjoyment and is home to a gift shop that carries bird feeding and hiking necessities.  Interested in learning more about nature and all that it entails?  Forest Park Nature Center has classes for adults and children alike, covering topics from bats to bugs and everything in between.  Guided hiking tours are also available.

Forest Park Nature Center Layout

The Peoria Park District has your one-stop shop in West Peoria for recreation, fitness, and fun!  The Franciscan Recreation Complex not only has a full size gymnasium, meeting room with kitchenette, a dance studio, and plenty of outdoor sporting amenities, but also offers tons of great programs ranging from dance to yoga to pickleball open gyms.  The gymnasium also makes a great place for birthday parties!  Franciscan Recreation Complex has a 0.5 mile loop trail that is paved and fairly level.

Franciscan Recreation Complex Layout

Whether you are planning your dream wedding or a fun event for your business, the Gateway Building on the Peoria Riverfront has you covered!  The Gateway Building has various rooms available to rent that can accommodate guest lists of up to 290 people.  The Gateway Building’s exclusive list of caterers will make your event planning easy and tasty!

At one acre, Giant Oak Park is one of the District’s smallest parks, with a single tree and a giant name.

It contains a small parking and picnic area, and is home to a large burr oak tree, believed to be at least 300 years old. Its branches span at least 100 feet and the trunk is 13 feet in circumference. This park features the Historic Easton Fountain as a part of its landscape.

If you and your family are looking for a great outdoor spot to spend some time, check out Glen Oak Amphitheatre!  Home to Municipal Band concerts and community traditions like the 3^rd of July, the Glen Oak Amphitheatre is a gem in the heart of Glen Oak Park.  The Amphitheatre is also available to rent for your next event!

Make Glen Oak Park a daylong destination for you and your family! Packed with fun, the Park is home to Peoria Zoo, the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum, Luthy Botanical Garden, and Rotary Adventure Grove, Glen Oak Amphitheatre and Glen Park Lagoon. And that’s just the beginning of the fun you can have…The roads through Glen Oak Park also provide paved, but not so level hiking opportunities.

If you have questions about rentals at this park, please call 309-682-1200.

Glen Oak Park Layout

Both experienced golfers and beginners alike can agree that the Golf Learning Center is a very useful, unique aspect of the Peoria Park District’s golf portfolio.  The Golf Learning Center offers lessons for all age ranges and skill sets, as well as indoor putting and hitting stations, an all-season driving range, and par 3 pitch-and-putt course.  Be sure to also check out the pro shop for your golf equipment and accessory needs!

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Grand View Drive is a 2.52 mile meandering pleasure driveway constructed in 1903. The “world’s most beautiful drive,” as President Theodore Roosevelt referred to it in a visit to Peoria in 1910, offers visitors numerous panoramic scenic views of the Illinois River Valley and the chance to view many historic and remarkable homes lining it. The linear park is especially beautiful in autumn, with the ever-changing colors of fall leaves.  Grand View Drive has 1.75 miles of paved sidewalk for hiking.

Grand View Drive Layout