Gillson Park - Wilmette, Illinois

Jon C.

The park next to the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette is one of my favorite spots to visit, whether I’m looking to take photos or just enjoy a peaceful moment by the lake. I’ve been coming here for years, and it never gets old. The temple itself is stunning, with intricate details that catch the light beautifully throughout the day, but sunrise is hands down the best time to be here. The soft morning light makes the white facade glow, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a bit of mist rolling in from the lake, adding to the serene atmosphere.

The gardens around the temple are meticulously maintained, offering colorful flowers in the warmer months and a quiet, meditative space year-round. There are benches scattered throughout, making it a great place to sit and soak in the view. Walk just a little further, and you’ll hit the lakefront, where you can watch the waves and take in the Chicago skyline in the distance.

Whether you’re into photography, architecture, or just need a place to unwind, this spot is always worth a visit. It’s one of those places that feels like a hidden gem, even after years of coming back.

Aruba Z.

Beautiful park and beach. Loved seeing the sun rise there
Not crowded and pet friendly

LeeAnna P.

Very well maintained beach! Clean, clear water. Could even rent some boats as well. Kid friendly and I think a dog park area was near by. Loved to see the memorial trees as well.

Nima J.

Love this place. Parking is right by the beach and the sunrise is beautiful. Also kudos to this lady going for a swim this morning at 6:30am. We were in our jackets with our son and she just simply walked passed us into the waves and enjoyed the sunrise.

Joanna K.

Beach is beautiful. Always was enjoyable. I’m rating it based on the new changes regarding fencing and paying entry. First time today, came with a 1 year old, 4 year old and two adults. Why is the entry fee the same for all, no difference in pricing for kids, babies and adults?

Second- being here is a lot less enjoyable now. There’s a young worker in between the two beaches policing people because if you paid entrance at south beach you are not allowed to enter the other beach. Besides taking people’s access to the beach and making it paid, paying at south beach does not give you access to any bathrooms except for portapotties- gross. You aren’t allowed to go to the snack bar at the main beach to PURCHASE food either. You have to pay extra to access to normal bathrooms. What a joke.
Last thing- south beach is now a “swimming” beach. Sounds great, right? They portioned off a small rectangle and posted 4 lifeguards for a tiny area to swim. At the deepest end the water reaches your waist, so how can you swim? More water is off limits for swimming than is. It’s quite sad.

Jack F.

This beach and park area is a great place to go on a hot day, especially for families. There is a paid beach with paid parking, and there is also a free beach, although you aren't allowed to go too far in the water there. Free street parking is pretty sparse, so unless you want to walk a fair distance, you'll probably have to pay for parking. Dogs are allowed at the free beach, and the paid beach has changing rooms and a small concession stand.

Yevhen S.

Came here to grill bbq and use the beach. When I enter the parking lot there was no-one there and no signs that it’s not free. Got $50 fine for parking. Seen opened table so I decided to use it for bbq. After I started the fire a guy comes in telling me this spot is reserved and you have 15 minutes to leave, even though there was no signs. Went on a beach paid $10 each even small kids. My parents wanted to sit on a sand not swim and they said you still need to pay. Very beautiful place and location but the ownership and attitude needs to change.

Richard G.

Fantastic park with new and well-maintained Facilities. There are plenty of places to sit and plenty of room for kids to play on. I found the crowd here to be friendly. There are plenty of trash cans located around the park. on the weekends the issue is parking which is rather limited but you can find it in the surrounding neighborhood which is just a short walk away