Let me just say this up front. SOUTHWIND PARK IS AWESOME!! From the environmentally conscious construction (like the use of wind turbines and solar panels) to the wetlands, this park literally covers all the bases of being the future of what parks ought to be everywhere.

We made our first trip to Southwind Park over the weekend, and we were blown away by the level of detail, planning, accessibility, and FUN put into this park by the Springfield Park District. Southwind is beautiful to be sure, but the best part about it is how it’s set up almost entirely with handicapped children in mind. Let’s go into that a bit more below…

Southwind is a bit off the beaten path in Springfield, located at the corner of S 2nd St and Southwind Rd, situated in between the Village of Southern View, and Toronto Road, but once you find it, you may not want to go home! Well….at least your kids won’t want to!

Erin’s Pavilion

Looking out over the large lake within the park, with nearly 15,000 square feet of space for rentals and recreational programs, Erin’s Pavilion more than suited our needs. It had a handicapped accessible restroom with showers, along with areas for snack machines and meeting rooms. Want to know the best part about Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind Park? It’s Free!!! More free entertainment here.

Playground

The playground at Springfield’s Southwind Park is the largest within the Springfield Metro Area, and is 100% handicapped accessible. All playground equipment, and the sidewalks leading to it is completely barrier free, making it an enjoyable, inclusive experience especially for disabled children.

Some other awesome features of Southwind Park are the beautiful 4-acre lake situated on the 8 acre park property, an outdoor gazebo for music and other entertainment, butterfly gardens, and a myriad of play areas. Additionally, Southwind also has an observatory/tree house combo that is ALSO BARRIER FREE!!

Take it from us, that Southwind Park is not only well worth the visit, but is also a blast, and a calming, peaceful environment. I highly recommend checking it out whether you live here in town, or will be traveling to Springfield soon.

Eurosport
2160 S 9th St
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 523-9804