The Elmhurst Jaycees serves the community through fund-raising for worthy events, and in 1973 the group realized its goal of creating a small, neighborhood park for Elmhurst's littlest residents. The Jaycee Tot Lot is specially designed for children ages two to five. Renovations to the playground were completed in 2004 with a donation from the Jaycees, and the park now includes a sand table and a state-of-the-art soft surface to minimize injuries from falls.
Named after the Rev. Msgr. William J. Plunkett, a priest at Immaculate Conception Parish in Elmhurst, Plunkett Park is a prime spot for baseball games under the lights. Immaculate Conception High School used the land for its athletic field prior to selling the property to the Park District in 1971. The school still hosts home games here. At the south end of Plunkett Park is Courts Plus, a center for health, sports and fitness run by the Elmhurst Park District. Courts Plus includes a lap pool, fitness center, racquet sports, a climbing wall and lots of group exercise classes.
York Commons Park is always alive with activity during the summer. With its picnic tables, ball diamond, soccer field, skate park and swimming pool, there's something for everyone to enjoy. The land also includes the Elmhurst Fire Department, which was recently reconstructed. In 2000, a major renovation involved the creation a new pool with a water park named after Norman P. Smalley for his service as a park commissioner.
Berens Park truly has something for everyone. The original land was acquired by the park district over the course of three years in the mid-'60s, and the park was named after the founder of the Elmhurst Historical Commission, Helmut Berens. The Park District expanded the park in the mid-'70s, and in May 2002, it purchased MacCormac College and turned it into a community center at the north end of the park.
Berens features five lighted ball diamonds, three sand volleyball courts, 12 lighted tennis courts, five irrigated soccer fields, a walking/running path, parking for 600 cars, a 10,000-square-foot playground, batting cages, an 18-hole miniature golf course, 6,000-square-foot sprayground, a pavilion for parties and meetings, concessions, a sledding hill and more.
Wilder Park can perhaps be considered the crown jewel of Elmhurst. It sits in the center of town and is home to museums, the Elmhurst Public Library, Veterans Memorial, picnic areas, tennis courts, a playground, landscaped walkways and greenhouses. In the 1860s, Wilder Park was home to Seth Wadhams, who purchased the land and built a home called White Birch. The home also was owned by the Wilder family before the Park District purchased the land in 1921. Wilder Mansion eventually became the site of Elmhurst Public Library, and today, after several renovations, provides space for weddings, meetings and parties.
The Elmhurst Park District maintains nearly two dozen parks, two public swimming pools and numerous programs run out of several different facilities throughout town. The park district was formed in 1921 "for the greater good of the community," according to its founders. The founding principles of community, communication, compassion and commitment still guide the park district's mission today. The body is known for its intergovernmental agreements with the city, Elmhurst College, the Y and Elmhurst Unit District 205, and is the largest employer of teens in Elmhurst. Hundreds of volunteers have logged thousands of hours and saved the district about $1 million. The district recently restored the historic Wilder Mansion for $3.7 million, and the building now can be rented for weddings, fundraisers, meetings and private events. The district offices are located next door to the mansion in Wilder Park, which is also the site of picnics, parades, museums, monuments and gardens.