Grant Park Playground

If you’ve got little ones who are obsessed with trains, this place basically sells itself — the nearby tracks mean you’ll catch passing trains rolling through, which is genuinely more entertaining than half the playground equipment out there. The open grass field is solid for a pickup game of catch or just letting kids burn energy without any real agenda. It draws a good mix of neighbors, so you’ll usually find someone you know on a weekend afternoon. Worth knowing: there are some decent local spots to grab food nearby, so it pairs well with a lunch outing.