History

The Glenview Park District was created by a vote of its citizens in 1927 as a separate, distinct governmental unit for the purpose of acquiring open space for parks and developing recreational opportunities for its residents. At that time, the population of the park district was 1,886. The park district was overseen by five park board commissioners who not only established policy, but did most of the day-to-day work at the park district-cutting the grass, collecting admissions at ball games and so forth. (At that time the Park District phone number was 177.)

Today the park district serves over 50,000 residents and includes all of Glenview and Golf, small portions of Niles, Northbrook, Northfield and Skokie, and unincorporated areas beyond village limits.

During its first few years, the Glenview Park District offered only one program, ice skating on the river between temporary dams at Glenview Road and Waukegan Road. Today, over 400 different recreation programs are offered.