Skokie Water Playground
✓ Last confirmed for the 2025 season
Where: 4701 Oakton St., Skokie, Illinois
Season: Early June through early September
Hours: Weekdays 12:30 - 7 p.m.; weekends 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Cost: $8-$16
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The closest major water playground to Evanston, this 14,000-square-foot park features beach-entry water, three slides, a fully accessible sprayground, and a giant red bucket that dumps hundreds of gallons on the crowd below. Admission is $8 for Skokie residents, $10 for Evanston residents, and $16 for others.
What's on site. OpenStreetMap maps toilets on site, playground alongside, parking at this location.
When to go. Peak summer highs in Skokie average 83°F — warm enough for a splash pad through most of the season without being punishing at midday.
How long it's open. Roughly 17 weeks a year, from June to September. Seasons shift year to year and municipal pads often close early for maintenance, so check before a long drive.
If this one's closed or packed
Splash pads close for maintenance, run short seasons and fill up on hot weekends. There are 5 other pads within 5 miles and 17 within 15. These are the ones worth the drive — ranked by shade, toilets and cost first, then by how close they are: