Where do you walk on a Tuesday morning in Glencoe when the beach is fenced off and the upper road won't open until 4 p.m.?
That question is new this fall. The Glencoe Park District started construction at Glencoe Beach on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, and expects to reopen it in May 2027. So the lakefront is mostly unavailable for a full off-season. Over the same months, a rebuilt park on the other side of the village, two outdoor rinks and a 1.3-mile light trail are taking up the slack. This winter, outdoor time here runs on schedules set away from the water, and the lake road and the rinks keep opposite hours.
The closure covers more than the sand. According to the Park District's Glencoe Beach renovation page, these areas are off-limits through May 2027:
One stretch stays open on a schedule. Walkers and runners can use the upper road above the Halfway House after 4 p.m. on weekdays and at any time on weekends. So the lake walk is still there, but on weekdays it's an evening walk now. Between Thanksgiving and the solstice, that walk starts in early dusk.
Boats are also out of reach until spring. The Boating Beach ran on a modified schedule through October 11. Winter storage started after that, with sailboats at South Beach and paddleboards and kayaks in the Boat House, and owners can't get to their boats during storage. The Park District also asks visitors to watch for construction traffic and to stay behind posted signs and fencing.
If you want a lake view somewhere other than the beach, Lakefront Park at 647–699 Longwood Avenue has a Lake Michigan overlook, a walking path, a playground and tennis courts.
The long closure is for a renovation paid for by the 2024 referendum and shaped by input from more than 800 residents. Voters approved that bond package on November 5, 2024. It was capped at $14.7 million and covered several projects: the beach, Takiff field, the greenhouse and the maintenance facility. The Park District said the package would not raise the current debt-service tax rate. The Record North Shore covered the full package in the weeks before the vote.
Here's what the work will deliver, per the Park District:
The beach house's historic exterior will stay as it is. When the fencing comes down next spring, the building will look the same from the road and be new inside.
West Park, at Forestway Drive and Dundee Road, finished its own renovation just as the beach work got going. Work started May 4, and the Park District announced the project complete on October 7. The ribbon cutting was moved to Monday, October 19.
This park was funded separately from the referendum. In December 2024, the state awarded West Park a $600,000 OSLAD matching grant, which Patch reported at the time. The project was also a partnership with School District 35. The Park District's March 2026 board packet lists a $1.8 million construction budget, and Great Lakes Landscape Company's bid of $1,453,313 was the recommended award.
Here's what's at West Park now:
| Area | What's there |
|---|---|
| Large ballfield | New artificial infield, dugouts, backstop and bleachers |
| Small ballfield | Upgrades |
| Racquet courts | Two pickleball courts, two tennis courts |
| Lawn games | Bocce and shuffleboard courts |
| Gathering | A small gazebo/shelter |
| Getting around | A walking path linking the amenities, plus ADA accessibility upgrades |
| Parking | New parking on Cherry Tree Lane |
| Grounds | Drainage work, rain gardens, and native plantings in place of invasive plants |
The outfield grass stays closed while the new turf grows in. The existing playground was open throughout construction and is listed as a tot lot. With the beach playground closed until May, the West Park tot lot and the Lakefront Park playground are the Park District options named here for younger kids.
Bocce and shuffleboard are new to West Park, and they're the kind of games that work in a jacket on a cold, clear November afternoon. That's also the time of day when the upper lake road is still closed on weekdays.
The second big outdoor option opens on Thanksgiving. The two refrigerated, lighted outdoor rinks at the Weinberg Family Recreation Center, 305 Randolph Street, open daily from November 27, 2026 through February 28, 2027.
The rink's access rules work in nearly the opposite direction from the lake road's. You can buy daily admission only Monday through Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, the ice is for season pass holders and their guests. The upper beach road is the reverse: open all day on weekends and only after 4 p.m. on weekdays.
| Weekdays | Weekends | |
|---|---|---|
| Upper beach road | Open after 4 p.m. | Open all day |
| Weinberg rinks, daily admission | $12 resident / $24 nonresident | Not sold |
| Weinberg rinks, season pass | Open skate, hockey, broomball | Pass holders and guests only |
The 2026–27 season pass costs $71 per person for Glencoe and Highland Park residents ages 3 to 64 and $142 for nonresidents. It's free for Glencoe seniors 65 and older and for children under 3. Guests have to come with a pass holder, and a 5-visit guest punch pass costs $50 for residents and $75 for nonresidents. Skate rental is $5 per visit plus tax, and sharpening is $10.
A household that wants weekend skating needs a pass. A household that skates only on weekday afternoons can pay each visit. Hours change over the season. A special Winter Break schedule runs December 19 through January 1, and the rinks are closed December 25 and January 1. The Park District says to call the rink at 847-835-4440 for the most accurate daily ice schedule.
Most of the dates below are inland too. For anyone reading this on Thursday, October 29, the first two are tomorrow and the day after:
November 27 is the busiest evening of the season. The Village's lineup for Light the Lights includes a six-foot illuminated 60022 display, Rosie and the Rivets, Frozen and Bluey characters, live reindeer, a carnival ride, train rides, Santa photos, a sensory room and a lights tunnel. It's also the first day of skating at Weinberg, and it falls on a Friday, so daily admission is on sale.
Writers Theatre is the indoor option nearby. The Royale, written by Marco Ramirez and directed by Tyrone Phillips, runs October 22 through November 29. It follows a Black boxer seeking a heavyweight title fight in the Jim Crow era. After that, the theater is dark in December. The next production, Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, is set for February and March 2027.
Lightscape carries most of December. It runs November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027, with three U.S. debuts this year: Infinite Choir by Squidsoup, plus Lumycena and XXL Trees by Pitaya. Winter Cathedral and Fire Garden return. The Garden says the reworked 1.3-mile trail is more than 80 percent new installations. Special nights include a sensory-friendly evening on December 2, Jingle Jam family nights on December 9 and 16, and a 21+ night on December 10.
Lightscape ticket prices change with date, time and demand. The Garden says some quieter weeknights cost under $30, and nonmembers pay a $3 service fee per paid ticket. Nonmember parking is $18 if bought in advance and $25 on arrival, and members park free. The Garden's own pages list different evening hours, so check the times on your ticket's date before you go.
In May, the beach reopens with its new boardwalk, spray playground and community room. Until then, the lake road is open weekday evenings and all weekend, and weekday afternoons belong to West Park and the Weinberg ice.
At The Shore Group, we follow changes like the beach renovation because they shape how the village is used from season to season, and that's part of how we advise clients on Glencoe. If you'd like to talk about how projects like the West Park renovation and the coming beach reopening fit into your plans, our Glencoe page is a good place to start, and we're always glad to hear from neighbors. Work With Us.
Compass
1866 2nd Street, #100A
Highland Park, IL 60035
Beth Alberts