Glencoe Beach closed on September 8 and isn't expected to reopen until May 2027. The library at 320 Park Avenue expects its renovation to start early in 2027 and to close for a large part of the work. In between, West Park and the rebuilt Glencoe Golf Club clubhouse both open within ten days of each other this month. For the next year or more, the places where Glencoe meets up will mostly be new ones.
What Closed at the Lake
The Glencoe Park District put out a construction notice that is short and firm. The lower ramp, the beach, the beach house and the playground are all closed to visitors while the work goes on. The upper road is the one exception. It stays open to walkers and runners outside construction hours, so an early-morning walk by the lake is still possible on a reduced route.
The finished beach will look different from the one that closed. The plans include renovating the beach house interior, a new playground with spray features, a new trellis and sun shelters, new boat storage, boardwalk improvements, and infrastructure upgrades underneath it all. The Park District expects to reopen it in May 2027, which would make next summer the first season on the new lakefront.
The Library Is Expected to Close Next
The library is still open, and no closure of the building has been scheduled before the new year. Its own planning documents still describe the coming closure plainly. According to the library's renovation FAQ, work is expected to start early in 2027 and wrap up by the end of 2028. The FAQ explains why the building would close. It dates to 1941, and any work on its floors and walls could disturb lead paint or asbestos that is safely sealed in place today. The renovation also moves the stairs and the elevator. Library leaders call closing for a large part of the project "the fastest and most cost-effective way to get back to full service."
Some of the closure is already showing. The library's autumn newsletter billed the October 2–5 used-book sale as the last one until the project is done. The library's homepage says Friends book donations are paused until the renovation is finished. No temporary location has been announced. The FAQ says print materials will still be available to browse and check out, and the e-collection will stay open to active cardholders. It also says the location of children's programs during construction "is yet to be determined."
The finished building should justify the wait. The Record reported on the plans after the March 17, 2026, referendum. They add about 4,000 square feet, including a 1,840-square-foot community room that holds up to 150 people, a 1,000-square-foot children's addition, a south entrance and a central elevator. The library lists the total budget at $20 million, which covers temporary relocation and furnishings.
That leaves this fall and early winter as the last stretch of programs in the current building. The autumn calendar has a candy-pumpkin catapult on Thursday, October 22, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., Spookacular Family Crafts on Saturday, October 24, and a puzzle and game swap on Saturday, November 14.
Two Openings Ten Days Apart
The two new places open almost back to back this month.
West Park, October 16. The Park District declared the West Park renovation complete on October 7, about five months after work started on May 4. The project was paid for in part with an OSLAD matching grant and done in partnership with School District 35. The park now has amenities Glencoe hasn't had there before:
- Two pickleball courts and two tennis courts
- Bocce ball and shuffleboard courts
- A small gazebo and shelter
- A walking path connecting the park's amenities
- A new artificial infield, dugouts, backstop and bleachers on the large ballfield
- New off-street parking on Cherry Tree Lane
- Rain gardens, drainage work and native plantings where invasive plants were removed
The grand opening is Friday, October 16, at 4:30 p.m., with free hot dogs and bocce, shuffleboard, pickleball and wiffle ball. The outfield grass will stay closed while the new turf grows in.
The Glencoe Golf Club clubhouse, October 23. The village has a longer history with this project. Voters approved the $18 million project in a 2023 referendum, and the old clubhouse, more than 100 years old, came down in May 2025. The Record reported in August that the Village Board had approved a sixth change order, bringing the W.B. Olson construction contract to $15.7 million, and that a wet summer had pushed back exterior work. The clubhouse grand opening is Friday, October 23, from 4 to 7 p.m.
The restaurant inside is called The Westley and is run by Clubhouse Group. The Record reports it will serve "classic and fine American fare, local draft beers, fine wines and signature cocktails." As of this writing, The Westley's reservation listing says "Coming Soon" and shows the first available reservation on Saturday, October 24. It lists lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 9 p.m., but those are pre-opening listings, so confirm before you go. The posted menu includes shrimp cocktail, a Maryland crab cake and shrimp De Jonghe.
Of the new places, the clubhouse is the one built for winter use. The golf club's project page describes a full-service restaurant that's open year-round, an indoor dining room built around a central fireplace, an outdoor terrace with sunset views, and what it calls the first sports bar in Glencoe. It also lists two multi-sport simulators and a private event room. The page notes the facility is open to the public with no membership fees. The longer-range plans for the 126-acre grounds include winter recreation areas, a croquet court, pollinator gardens and a community garden.
The Season, by Date
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| October 14–18 and 21–25 | Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns, Chicago Botanic Garden, 6:30–10:30 p.m. |
| October 16, 4:30 p.m. | West Park grand opening |
| October 22 | The Royale opens at Writers Theatre |
| October 23, 4–7 p.m. | Glencoe Golf Club clubhouse grand opening |
| October 24 | First reservation date listed for The Westley |
| November 8 | Sisters closes at Writers Theatre |
| November 13 | Lightscape opens at Chicago Botanic Garden |
| November 29 | The Royale closes |
| January 3, 2027 | Lightscape closes |
| Early 2027 | Library renovation expected to begin |
| May 2027 | Glencoe Beach expected to reopen |
The Cultural Calendar Carries the Cold Months
The village's two big cultural venues are running full schedules through the stretch when the beach would be quiet anyway. At Writers Theatre, Sisters runs through November 8 and The Royale runs October 22 through November 29. Their dates overlap for about two weeks. Noël Coward's Brief Encounter follows from February 11 to March 28, 2027.
At the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Night of 1,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns has two weekends left. This year it adds a 20-foot illuminated Monarch Skull sculpture. According to the garden's announcement, Lightscape runs November 13 through January 3 and includes three installations making their U.S. debut, Infinite Choir, Lumycena and XXL Trees. The special nights are worth putting on the calendar now. Sensory-friendly night is December 2, Jingle Jam family nights are December 9 and 16, and the 21-and-over nights are December 10 and January 1.
The Lakefront Is Still Under Discussion
With the beach closed, decisions about how people will reach it next summer are still being made. A joint Village and Park District group, the Lakefront Parking Task Force, is reviewing the 2026 parking changes and pedestrian safety near the beach. It is due to deliver advisory recommendations by January 2027. Its next meeting is Wednesday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Takiff Center, with more meetings on November 11, December 16 and January 13. Those recommendations will arrive a few months before the new beach opens. That means the parking and safety rules for the lakefront will likely be set before most people see the finished project.
Downtown is going through a similar process. The Village adopted its Streetscape and Parking Study on June 18, 2026. The study drops further evaluation of on-street parking on the residential streets around the business district, and its action plan calls for more board discussion and community engagement before anything is carried out.
By next summer, Glencoe should have a new beach, a new park and a new clubhouse open, with the library work underway. For homeowners, the timing matters. A new beach, a finished West Park and a year-round clubhouse all shape how a house in Glencoe is described and shown in 2027. If you're thinking about how that timing affects a sale, The Dickstein Group is glad to walk through it with you in person. Request a private consultation.
