OAKTON PARK

Oakton Park at 19.8 acres is the largest community park within the Skokie Park District. Originally part of a 62-acre site purchased in 1929 from the Cook County Forest Preserve, it has been carved up by Skokie Boulevard and the Skokie Swift railroad tracks, as well as having 21 acres sold to create Niles East High School in 1937, now known as Oakton Community College. Parts of the original 62-acre site are now Emily Oaks Nature Center as well as the District’s maintenance facility on Skokie Blvd. At one time the site included landscaped lagoons and a picnic shelter where the main parking lot is now. In 1960 the District sold $464,000 in bonds for the construction of Oakton Pool, Oakton Neighborhood Community Center and general site development. More development soon followed as a tremendous $400,000 playground was constructed in 1994. The park area and Skokie Water Playground received major improvements in 1995 at a cost of $5,700,000 followed by a major replacement of Oakton Community Center (retaining the 1988 multi-purpose room) in 1997 for $4,650,000. In 1997 a special “teen playground” was constructed at the west end of the park. As part of all this redevelopment the main entry to the park was moved to the east, to the intersection of Knox St. Addition work over the past several years has included enlargement of Skokie Water Playground (1996 and 1999), parking lot lighting improvements (2000). Oakton Park is home to most of the major special events held by the Skokie Park District, including the Skokie Festival of Cultures, Back to School Carnival and is the site of most baseball tournaments. Oakton Park is also home to the permanent Veterans Memorial and also to Commissioner’s Grove, an area of trees dedicated to past commissioners of the District.