Glen Oak Park — Attraction in Peoria

Review Visit: February 1st, 2012

The park is a great place to explore before/after visiting the zoo.

When you visit either Peoria (Glen Oak) Zoo or Glen Oak Park, you are also visiting the other one without even trying. The area in which you park is for both the Zoo and the Park. So, if you have kids, be warned that they will see the park and more than likely want to play. Be ready for that should you visit the area. Okay, with that said and done, lets move on to the blogging.

After spending the afternoon reliving nostalgic memories at the Zoo, I asked Tim and Matt if they wanted to revisit the park that we would also play at during the field trips to the zoo. Neither of them cared one way or another, so we channeled our inner kids and set off to respectfully explore the park without breaking any rules.

Okay, maybe we broke a rule or two. We may have swung on some swings and played with some of the equipment in the sandbox, but it was nothing that had weight restrictions due to our adult-sized bodies. As we roved the playground and pavilion area, I noticed there was a paved sidewalk that trailed away from the main playing area. I told Matt and Tim that we need to explore over there, too.

As we slowly walked along this path, I was surprised by the beauty of it. Yes, it was the tail end of winter. Yes, it was kind of cold out. But the fact that you get to look out over a pond that isn’t but a few minutes walk from the playground is relaxing. While we enjoyed the scenery, I noticed there was a bit of this extension that was fenced off. Behind the wire fence was what looked like an antique cannon. You can see it below in the photos. There has to be a story behind it but I am unaware of it at this time.

Continuing on the trail, it came around the pond to bend back towards the zoo area. Around that bend was this big house, a small sand pit area with odd aerobic machines and a tennis court. After getting our fill on the strange machines, we continued to follow the trail. At the time, the path ran a bit parallel to part of the zoo. The fence allowed you a peek inside the zoo without letting you get a good view. The sounds of kids laughing and oohing-and-aahing could be heard from the sidewalk.

Since 2012, the Zoo has undergone quite a few upgrades and updates. So, the layout of this path may have changed radically near the zoo. With that in mind, do take what I’ve said here with a grain of salt as I am mostly recalling my time here and not how it is now.

Also, if you have the time and energy, there is the Luthy Botanical Gardens right next door to here. It would be a nice relaxing stroll through a garden after kids running around crazy in the park.

I wish I could give this park a 5 out of 5. I really do. Not just for the nostalgic sake but for how much it offers and it’s easily accessible. But the area that surrounds the park/zoo is honestly not that safe. Not to say you will encounter trouble while visiting the park/zoo itself but be wary of the neighborhood surrounding it. If you do go, enjoy the time there and don’t let the troublesome neighborhood surrounding it dampen...

The park is a beautiful facility. The grounds are well maintained and very picturesque! Be sure to visit Luthy's Botanical Gardens behind the zoo, as well! It's a true treasure hidden in Peoria. The Zoo itself has undergone quite the transformation in recent years. It's leaps and bounds ahead of what it once was! The Africa habit is very nicely done. The giraffes are a favorite of mine! The lion enclosure makes you feel like you could almost reach out and pet them! Definitely a good time for everyone. Lots of playground equipment to keep the little ones burning up any excess energy too! The walk through bird feeding exhibit is a fun attraction for the kids, as well! Would most certainly recommend this as something worth exploring if you're from out of town. Would still recommend it if you're from the area and haven't visited recently! Good...

We visited from out of town and the entrance GPS took us to was closed. You have to enter near the zoo. We expected the wooden playground shown in all the pictures, but we arrived to a modern playground with many cliché qualities of other recently updated parks. It was still fun, with lots of new things to explore and fantastic amenities for children with disabilities. My 9-year old and I played for about 45 minutes before she got bored. More seating and shade would be good additions, and the area is begging for a splash pad in the future. It's sad to see the whimsical wooden parks disappearing, but this is a very nice playground, overall. Wish we would have had time to see the gardens...