Mission & History

The Winfield Park District exists to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all its citizens by providing and encouraging year-round recreation, education, and leisure opportunities through organized programs and activities, by effectively utilizing existing resources and by acquiring, enhancing, maintaining, and preserving new open spaces and recreation in the most efficient manner.

Prior to the establishment of the Park District, the Village of Winfield was responsible for the acquisition and management of parks and recreational facilities and made some progress in developing a foundation on which the Park District could build. The debate over the creation of the Park District can be traced back to 1929 when the Village President had first recommended a separate jurisdictional body for parks and recreation. The debate continued for 35 years until, despite a well-publicized campaign, a referendum to create a 10 square mile district was surprisingly defeated in April of 1964. Eventually, it became apparent to local residents that the merits of a separate Park District justified its creation, and the Winfield Park District was finally established by referendum on September 16, 1978.

In the fall of 2000, the Winfield Park District's residents passed a referendum to expand the Charles R. Beggs Activity Center. This historic moment would change the quality of recreational services provided to Winfield patrons forever. As of fall 2022 the park district completed another expansion/Remodeling project to the Charles R. Beggs Activity and unveiled a State of the Art new playground at Founders Park. Most recently, the Park District has undertaken a 10 year Master Plan Project which will help guide the Park District for the foreseeable future. Thank you to our residents for 47 years of excellence. Without your support and guidance the Winfield Park District would not be where it is today.