Palatine Park District has a rotating schedule of playground replacements for all park locations. Most playgrounds are replaced every 14 to 15 years. In recent years, the park district has solicited feedback from area residents through the "What's Your Way to Play" campaign to determine the different pieces of equipment in each playground.
This summer, Palatine Park District replaced the playgrounds at Doug Lindberg Park and Dutch Schultz Recreation Area. Today was an amazing day outside, so my daughter and I headed out to both parks to check out the new offerings.
Dutch Schultz Playground
The first new playground is located at Robert "Dutch" Schultz Recreation Area at 512 W. Northwest Hwy, outside the Palatine Hills Golf Course. The entrance on Northwest Hwy is marked with a golf course sign that can be easy to miss - on the north side of the street between Smith Street and Quentin Road. The park has many amenities including a large shelter that can be rented, a pond for fishing, four outdoor lighted tennis courts, a full-size basketball court, lovely no-mow areas for the pollinators, access to the Palatine Trail system, and lots of open green space. In addition, the park is next door to the Palatine Hills clubhouse which is open to the public and offers restrooms, a water bottle filler fountain, and a restaurant with great burgers and sandwiches.
The playground has a tree-house vibe and includes swings, slides, monkey bars, and a rocking lifeboat element. At just about any park we go to, my daughter's favorite element is the swings. Her second favorite thing at this park is the cool ropes course that provides a unique and challenging way to ascend the structure.
Next to the playground is a new outdoor fitness station. This free amenity includes a variety of fitness equipment pieces for adults. The Park District plans to add additional outdoor fitness stations at various points along the trail in coming years.
Doug Lindberg Park
Lindberg Park is located near Lake Louise Elementary School and can be accessed from the fields near 600 N. Winston or from the neighborhood at 1313 E. Sanborn Street. The park includes a ball field, soccer field, a small shelter with picnic tables that would be perfect for a picnic lunch, and access to the Palatine Trail. As you can see in the photos below, there are some great trees around the playground that provide lots of shade!
This park also has a tree house theme and (after the swings) my daughter loved the four different types of slides included in the structure. In addition to these great ways to get down off the structure, there are also a few clever ways to ascend - using the wood ladder or the climbing wall.
I have worked in the field of parks and recreation for twenty years now, and I truly feel we are incredibly fortunate to live in an area that places such an emphasis on outdoor recreation, playgrounds, and open space. For more information about area playgrounds and the park districts that provide them, visit these sites:
Barrington Park District: barringtonparkdistrict.org
Palatine Park District: palatineparks.org
Salt Creek Park District: saltcreek.multisportsystems.com
To receive updates about places and spaces where you and your family can play, register for my email list HERE and follow my Facebook Page HERE.
Be sure to tell them you heard about it from Macaroni Kid Palatine-Barrington :)
