When driving around last spring, I passed by a neighborhood park with models of trains for the kids to climb over and into. Now my 2 & 3-1/2 year old boys are really interested in trains, and I can't remember where it was. Somewhere on the NW side of Chicago or NW Suburbs. I drive for my work, and I travel all over!
We'll check out 14th Street & Wabash, the next time we get to the South Loop area. I couldn't find a park there on the map, but I'll look for a Buddhist Temple (and I see on the map where the 14th Street ends going east). I couldn't find a park near the Edgebrook Metra Station on the map, either. I'm not sure what east-west street it's near. We should have no problem finding Pioneer Park in Niles on Harlem at the light just South of Touhy (good description of the location!) Thank you everyone--if you notice any other places--please let me know!
This isn't close to the NW side, but I hope it helps. There's one in the south loop at 14th and wabash, it's right across from a Buddhist temple where 14th doesn't go all the way through. Be careful, it's a nice park (Colliseum park maybe?) but when we went there last time there was a really weak board on one of the trains.
Hope that helps a little!
J.
It's not a park, but the train museum in Union is always fun - it gets crowded when Thomas comes so go at other times as well. Alot is indoors so would be ok this time of year - my kids loved it at your kids age.
There used to be a playground with a train in Melas Park in Arlington Heights. They remodeled last spring / summer and the playground is all new now and the train is gone.
Pioneer Park in Niles on Harlem at the light just South of Touhy has a really nice playground with a train that your sons can climb. As a previous poster mentioned, in the summer they have batting cages and mini-golf. My sons loved it as toddlers.
