What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm Thursday 8am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4:30pm

City of Lake Forest, Illinois

Home
United States
Lake Forest, IL
City of Lake Forest, Illinois

The Official page of The City of Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest's natural beauty on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, hundreds of acres of open lands, special characteristics and architecture, public and private educational options, volunteer opportunities and generous residents create a wonderful environment in which to live at any age. Visit lakeforestlove.com, a blog destination where we curate the amazing stories of our community, shine a ligh

t on them and share them back with you. Public comments posted on this page do not reflect the views and values of The City of Lake Forest. The City makes no representation regarding the accuracy of any public comment and does not endorse any of the views or opinions of any member of the public that has commented on this page. All public comments are subject to deletion by the City if they violate the City’s social media policy.

09/07/2026

One last summer throwback! Can you guess the year?

As we wrap up summer and celebrate Labor Day, we're taking a look back at three classic Lake Forest moments. All three photos were taken during the same summer, but what year was it?

If you need a hint, visit cityoflakeforest.com/America250 to connect the dots. One lucky winner will receive our exclusive, hand-illustrated Forest Park Beach Towel.

Drop your guess in the comments! 👇

Happy Labor Day, Lake Forest!

09/04/2026

Join the Lake Forest Fire and Police Departments for a Remembrance Ceremony in Market Square on Friday, September 11 at 9 am as we mark 25 years since September 11, 2001.

For 25 years, this day has brought us together to remember those we lost, honor the courage and sacrifice of those who responded, and give thanks to the brave men and women who continue to serve and protect our community.

We invite you to join us as we remember. We honor. We will never forget.

09/03/2026

This we’re turning the page to the Lake Forest Library, one of Lake Forest’s most beloved landmarks. 📚

From its elegant architecture in the 1930s to the cozy, book-filled spaces of the 1970s and its continued beauty today, the Library has been a constant in our community.

It’s a place where history meets learning, and where every generation has found a quiet corner to read, research, and dream.

Nearly a century later, the Lake Forest Library still stands as a testament to the City’s dedication to preserving its character while continuing to inspire the future.

Thank you to the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff for these pictures!

09/02/2026

Growing up in the Milwaukee area, Elizabeth Sweet loved playing all sorts of sports, from basketball to soccer to cross country. She dreamed of playing varsity basketball at Homestead High School in Mequon.

She achieved that goal – but few watched their games.

“We had a big field house, and 200-300 watched the boys. For us, it was just parents and the band,” the Lake Forest resident said. “It was deflating.”

She visited a few years ago to see if more people watched girls’ sports at her alma mater than watched her team in the early 2000s. Even though Caitlin Clark was filling the stands at the University of Iowa, nothing had changed at Homestead High or in girls’ sports in general.

On National Girls & Women in Sports Day in 2025, Sweet launched Fill The Stands. The non-profit focuses on boosting attendance and creating more energy for girls’ middle-school and high-school sports. The Fill The Stands website features playbooks for female athletes and athletic directors, showing how to build excitement around girls’ games.

The first event took place last year at Lake Forest Country Day School, where Sweet coached the girls’ sixth-grade basketball team. Fill The Stands brought in a DJ to energize the crowd. In February, her group enlivened the LFHS Gymnastics Invitational, which featured 12 schools.

“When I came across Fill The Stands, I thought what a perfect time and perfect initiative. Gymnastics is decreasing across the state,” said Brittany Moccia, head gymnastics coach at LFHS.

“The DJ kept the momentum going during a really long morning. They’re warming up with no one there for four hours. Then, the stands were packed for the event. We had 50 percent more people than the year before. It was exciting for the girls to compete with so many fans, and we brought in students on a cold winter day who typically hadn’t watched gymnastics.”

Another important feature of Fill The Stands is the Fill A Seat campaign, where young female athletes who rarely have the means to do so attend a professional women’s game for the first time. On Aug. 23, thanks to many donations of $19, nearly 120 girls watched the Chicago Stars play soccer at Martin Stadium in Evanston.

Want to read more? Check out the full story on the City's Lake Forest Love blog: https://loom.ly/Xlq_YIc

08/31/2026

Starting January 1, 2027, Illinois will have new statewide safety rules for e-scooters, e-bikes, and other "micromobility" devices. If your family rides (or your kids are asking for one), this is worth a read!

Gov. JB Pritzker recently signed Senate Bill 3483, creating one uniform set of rules across the state - replacing the patchwork of local ordinances that left some of the fastest, most powerful devices largely unregulated.

Here's the breakdown:
🔹 E-scooters (up to 15 mph)
Riders must be at least 16 years old
🔹 High-Speed E-scooters (20+ mph)
Riders must be at least 16 years old, speed capped at 28 mph, no sidewalks.
🔹 E-bikes (Class 1 & 2, up to 20 mph)
Riders must be at least 15 years old. Allowed on streets, bike lanes, and paths - not sidewalks.
🔹 E-bikes (Class 3, up to 28 mph)
Riders must be at least 16 years old. Must be 18+ to carry a passenger.
🔹 High-Speed E-bikes & E-motos (750+ watts, 28+ mph)
These will now be regulated like motor-driven cycles — meaning a valid driver's license, title, registration, and insurance are required. No sidewalks, bike lanes, or paths.

The Secretary of State's office is rolling out a Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Ready campaign with updated safety resources for parents, riders, retailers, and schools. Learn more at ilsos.gov/oneroad.

As a reminder, e-scooters and bikes must be walked in Lake Forest's Central Business District per existing City ordinance. High-powered electric dirt bikes and e-motorcycles are also prohibited in Lake Forest.

Learn more about the new law at cityoflakeforest.com/MicromobilityLaw

08/28/2026

Meet Lake Forest's School Resource Officers! 👋

A School Resource Officer (or SRO) is a Lake Forest Police Department Officer who serves as a trusted resource and familiar presence in our schools, including Lake Forest School District 67 schools, Lake Forest Community High School D115 and the School of St. Mary.

Our SROs work with students, staff, and families to help foster safe, supportive school communities.

08/27/2026

Long before it had a name, Bank Lane was just "The Alley" - a small service route running behind the Western Avenue shops of 1857 Lake Forest, handling deliveries and back-door business. It's actually about 60 years older than Market Square itself.

Fast forward to 1916: First National Bank moved into the newly completed Market Square, and "The Alley" finally got a name worthy of its new neighbor, Bank Lane.

Along the way, history got creative instead of erased. The 1894 Speidel building (once an oil & gas business, now home to The Left Bank) was picked up and relocated to Bank Lane during the 1915–16 Market Square construction rather than torn down - one of Lake Forest's earliest examples of adaptive reuse. The old fire/police building on Forest Avenue followed the same path, eventually becoming Le Colonial. Even the newspaper started here, printed above a laundry along the alley in 1896.

Bank Lane is still doing exactly what it's always done, quietly balancing service access, foot traffic, and small-business life, just with more charm than any alley!

That's why the Bank Lane updates, completed in 2025 alongside nearby Deerpath Streetscape work, wasn't about reinventing the street; it was about honoring it. With wider walkways, better lighting, thoughtful landscaping, all designed to preserve the intimate, "Old World" character Howard Van Doren Shaw gave it over a century ago, while still keeping the service alley doing its job.

150 years ago, it was where the deliveries came in. Today it's the spot to be. Same lane, but a little more glamorous!

Thanks to the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff for the historic photos and to the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation for the collaboration!

08/26/2026

Spotted this beautiful fixture on a stroll around Lake Forest. Any guess where? Drop them below! 👇

Hint: This building has quite the history; it wasn't always used for what it is today... Still stumped? Keep those guesses coming!

This "Where am I Wednesday" came from a long-time resident Susan Anderson Seccombe! If you spot any hidden gems in Lake Forest and want to see them in a post, send them to [email protected].

08/24/2026

In looking at the photos of Lake Forest’s 1800s business district, it is hard to see any hint of the picturesque city that we know today.

The East Lake Forest train station and the business district looked as much like a rugged Western town as anything in a John Wayne Western film. Dirt roads, clapboard buildings, and the telltale evidence of horses in the roadways definitely gave little indication of the elegant city that was to come.

In 1899, the fourth version of the East Lake Forest train station began. Designed by the architectural firm of Frost and Granger, the brick-and-wood structure was designed to last decades longer than its three predecessors had.

In an example of a business connection that was a regular part of the late 1800s Lake Forest life, the architects Charles S. Frost and Alfred H. Granger were married to sisters, Mary and Belle Hughitt. It also happened that the young women’s father was Marvin Hughitt, the first president of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, and the man who controlled the fate of the train station. So, Frost and Granger were given the contract to re-envision a train station that would represent the rising architectural caliber of Lake Forest.

The new station was completed in 1900 in the Tudor style that would be central to the design of Market Square sixteen years later. With the beautiful red-brick exterior and wood-trimmed interior, the building served thousands of commuters each year.

But by 1976, the building was in disrepair from deferred maintenance. The railroad’s solution was to knock down the Frost and Granger building and put up the sort of small utilitarian brick structures that dot the Union Pacific North Shore line from here to Ogilvie Station in downtown Chicago.

In 1976, the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation launched. One of its first projects was to do a comprehensive evaluation of the work needed to repair the train station building, instead of replacing it. Over the next couple of years, LFPF raised $400,000 for the immediate repair needs and created a plan for substantial restoration of the station to its original grandeur.

Find out what happened next on the City's Lake Forest Love blog: https://loom.ly/JeNoH6g

08/22/2026

What has been your favorite part of summer? ☀️

From competitive days at Deerpath Golf Course to colorful late night fireworks, it’s been a memorable season in Lake Forest!

These are some of our faves, drop a comment with your highlights! ⬇️

Address

220 E Deerpath
Lake Forest, IL
60045

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18472342600

Website

http://www.cityoflakeforest.com/, http://www.cityoflakeforest.com/SocialMediaUsePolicy

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when City of Lake Forest, Illinois posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Government Service in Lake Forest?