Butterfield Park is home to the Park District's inclusive playground, the Playground for Everyone, which is perfect for children of all abilities.
Butterfield Park Recreation Building hosts early childhood programs and preschool. The park also has a picnic pavilion available to rent.
Features & Amenities
- Ball Diamonds
- Drinking Fountains
- Lacrosse Field
- Lighted Tennis Courts
- Pickleball Court
- Picnic Shelter
- Playground
- Recreation Building
- Running Trails
- Soccer Fields
Butterfield Park's Field #1 is receiving upgrades during Summer 2024. Read more >> The north parking lot off S. Linden Ave is also closed beginning May 28, 2024 through the end of June for repaving.
History
The original plot of land was purchased in 1930 for $16,500, but was not fully developed until 1958. A lighted athletic field was added in 1960. In 1961, the recreation building was completed. Tennis courts were constructed in 1965 and lighting was added in 1971. The park was expanded in 1980 and 1981. The first Butterfield Park playground and picnic shelter celebrated its opening on June 27, 1998.
In 2015, with the help and inspiration from Special Kids Day and the Elmhurst Parks Foundation (formally People for Elmhurst Parks Foundation), plans came together for the Playground for Everyone, the first fully-inclusive playground in Elmhurst. Completed in 2016, the playground includes state-of-the-art, sensory-rich structures that encourage play for children with mobility challenges and developmental disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
The Playground for Everyone would not have been possible without generous donations totaling $250,000 received from numerous community groups, an online crowd-funding campaign, individual donations and proceeds from the “Be a Kid Again” fundraiser held in February 2016.
