Moving to STL Guide — Parks and Playgrounds | Metro East

Talk about a wide-open play space! Glazebrook Park is over 120 acres with two playgrounds, shelters, a gazebo, soccer fields, and 3+ miles of walking trails. There’s even a creek nestled in the woods. A brand new splash pad with sprayers, jets, and buckets has been installed, set to open this spring!

Airplane Park, formally known as Edwardsville Township Community Park, is an area favorite. The park’s two playgrounds have slides, climbing walls, and climbing poles. Mabel’s Playground, near the entrance, is ADA compliant and inclusive. The park also has tennis courts, a skating rink, soccer fields, and plenty of shelters and picnic tables, there’s something for everyone. 

The park has a Lending Library for little readers to take or leave a book. 

This park does have an “all seasons” restroom, complete with a personal electronic device charging station on the side. 

The Watershed Nature Center is comprised of over 40 acres of prairie, forest, and wetlands. Paved walking trails meander through the park past the two lakes, however fishing is not permitted. There are ample opportunities to spot wildlife in this beautiful park.

This city of Alton is home to Gordon Moore Park. With 8 tennis courts, 10 ball diamonds, soccer / football fields, a kids’ interactive fountain, a golf course, picnic areas, and 6 play areas (including an inclusive playground which is enclosed) there truly is so much to do here. 

A favorite spot in the park is the Japanese garden with the koi waterfall pond to walk around. You’ll also find a 13-acre well-stocked fishing lake.

This park has a large playground that was built with accessibility in mind. A community demonstration garden was created that kids can learn from. There are three rentable shelters for parties and gatherings.

With more than 42 acres, this park has walking, biking, and skating trails. There are two stocked fishing lakes, picnic pavilions, and a barbecue grill. The playground has ADA-compliant surfacing, and plenty of areas to climb, swing, and slide. You can also enjoy sand volleyball, basketball, and large grassy areas for open play. 

‍Willoughby Heritage Farm and Conservation Reserve is a public park with an atmosphere inspired by 1940’s farm life, complete with tractors, barns, a 1930’s Craftsman style farm house, and even live animals such as donkeys, a heifer, chickens, and goats!  The farm encompasses over 30-acres of wildlife preserve complete with hiking trails, bridges, and vistas overlooking the prairie and other areas. The farm is open daily to the public, and since we’re a public park, admission is free! Come on and explore a little of what life was like in the 1940’s here in Collinsville.

Pleasant Ridge Park, in the northern part of the city is the largest of the two community parks with 95 acres. The park offers wintertime sledding. A bit of very early Fairview Heights history is represented in the park in the form of a 2-story log cabin, a structure built about 1850 by the Kinsella family. Other facilities in the park are 4 picnic pavilions, playground, 2 restrooms, and open space for passive recreation.

Ninety-acre Moody Park (Longacre Park) is guaranteed to be one of the best community parks you will ever see. It is the site of new Moody Park Playground. Other recreation attributes in the park include 2 ball diamonds, a walking and jogging trail, volleyball court, 2 playgrounds, and picnic pavilions.

This park is pretty and serene with a wide, paved walking path.  Much of the walking path is in the shade. There are also a few non-paved paths to explore. You will also find a playground here for the kids to play. Rock Springs Park also has a dog park for your furry friends!

Leon Corlew Park is a FREE accessible splash pad and playground that takes up over 2 acres behind the City’s Public Safety Building. Play features range from gentle bubblers on one end to a large dumping bucket on the other side. Nearby, there’s a traditional dry playground area offering both a toddler structure and a bigger kid structure with two tall and winding slides, all on an accessible rubber surface.