Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Willoughby
Categories
Location on the map
Willoughby, Lake County, Ohio, US
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Phone: +1 440-256-1404
Site: http://www.lakemetroparks.com/pa...
Site: http://www.lakemetroparks.com/pa...
Opening hours
- Monday:6AM–11PM
- Tuesday:6AM–11PM
- Wednesday:6AM–11PM
- Thursday:6AM–11PM
- Friday:6AM–11PM
- Saturday:6AM–11PM
- Sunday:6AM–11PM
Comments (199)
We moved to Ohio a year and a half ago. We are still exploring it. We visited this park and right away we loved that there was a lot of families enjoying the 60s temperature we had for 2 days in a row. All dogs were on a leash. The park was muddy but it was a good walk. We will go back on April. We are taking our grandkids who are coming to visit from New Jersey.
The grandkids Love this park. Lots to do...from trails to play area. There are a cuople ponds to look for critters. Also great indoor nature center
Best place to visit. Kids or not. If you do have kids, the nature play center is just the best. The animal ambassadors are the perfect thing to cheer you up as well. Then theres the trails... you cant deny this is the best place!
I have young kids so were here a lot. So many things to do to keep little hands engaged and busy! There are areas with water and sand so Id recommend bringing a change of clothes and shoes for your little one just in case.
Great paths to explore. If you have children i would highly recommend not only do the have an amazing play area but youre also able to view native animals free (eagle, fox, owl, crow,rabbit ect)
My children beg to be brought here. They can stay for hours, running around and making up games, routing of groups of ther kids to create elaborate societies. Its amazing. Its perfect for kids who love to play outside a d a great place to take a kid who needs to get away from the videogames for an afternoon. Its perfect for toddlers and tweens. Bring snacks and water, stay all day and prepare to take home exhausted, wet, muddy, happy kids.
Not surprisingly another beautiful and well maintained lake metro park. This park offers many things for many different people. A beautiful nature center, childrens play areas, camping, paved and rugged trails. Would definitely recommend visiting.
Cool place but the nature center is closed
Great place. Lots of different habitats to see and educational opportunities.
Well-marked trails. Rabbit Run has some steepness to it. Easy to navigate and different options depending on your preferences (woods, meadows, pond, kids area, etc)
So many cut downed trees. Its a shame, but very peaceful.The part where the rescued animals are kept was closed down would have liked to see them
Rangers there (Nick) are very knowledgeable and courteous. Beautiful area with lots to see and do. A good hike, seeing some of the area wildlife up close in the rehab center. Awesome job and great way to spend a day!
This place sure has changed over the years. Great hiking trails and nice natural playground for the young ones. Overall a beautiful place.
Genuine people that care about the value of life, so thankful for them and penitentiary Glen. A very life changing experience for me. They have definitely made a life long friend.
A rather sprawling coniferous forest, with a bit of everything in between. From ponds to streams that stay wet mostly all year, to large grasslands to moss and fungus covered hills. I have noticed a few decent size game fish in the waters over my visits, and a plethora of very rare birds found in northern Ohio. Some that I have never seen anywhere else. Starting at the wildlife center, the path is mostly downhill. A great bike ride, just be prepared to go 2.2 miles back up. And Id like to thank the talented and dedicated team that works with the animal rescue/reconditioning. The small zoo they upkeep there is always a pleasure to see. Healthy and clean. Plus the miniature railroad is heart warming to watch, as I went and rode those same rails when I was a child.
We come here very often, at least once a month. The playground is natural, opens up little humans minds for discovery and imagination. The trails are unique, you can take a long walk or a short one, around the lake, or Rivers, or in the forest. There is lot of fun during winter time as well. Christmas Candyland is indoor playground, plus Little wonderland (no, there are no candies, lol). Birds zoo. Trains in the summer, festivals... And everything is free. Unbelievable.
The park is a great place to hike, learn, camp or gather with friends and family. I especially like the campsite. Theres lots of wood and its a nice cozy site to relax and get away even though youre in the city.
Wonderful experience for all ages! My 4 year old has so much fun playing in the nature play area, he could stay there all day! The story book trail was beautiful and we loved following the book about honey bees. Theres even more to explore in the nature center as well as the wildlife area. Its completely worth making the 45 minute trip that it takes us. Highly recommend!
Penitentiary Glen Reservation has only one major long loop in it, but that trail has a fantastic balance of varied elevations and environments. The constant uphills make for great exercise, and the Kirkland Connector Trail is especially intense. In addition, the river crossing is wonderful, lending the whole walk a sort of explorative energy. 100% worth the effort.
I loved it! I didnt realize I wasnt aloud to bring my dog into the kids area so now I know that. Fun place to bring kids! They have a little train track 2!
I used to volunteer here, I absolutely loved it. Great programs, wonderful people, and excellent hiking spots (different levels of hikes to depending what you are in the mood for. Event guided hikes available to.)
Cool place. Lots of animals have been rehabilitated. Cool to see some bird that you may never see in person. Very cool staff very friendly
Thus park has great walking trails and a really neat play area for kids. I recommend it to everyone.
I wish I had more time. I stopped by here for a quick visit and found a great place to spend some time outdoors. We walked part of a short loop and walked down into the gorge. They have scheduled guided tours if you want to venture further upstream. Ill definitely be back to explore a bit more
This park is easy to find, kid and dog friendly, but rarely too busy. Took a short walk and kicked up a large herd of deer running thru the woods. Good day.
Love this place! Good trails. Lots of stuff for kids, train rides, nature playground. Rehab center for animals. So much to do
Beautiful animals, a good cause, and a quiet place to sit out back :)Clean walkways and plenty of shaded areas.Highly recommend if you want a nice quiet hike with few hills, a good place to bring kids as well.
A beautiful park! Many things to do for kids! Trails that lead you to babbling brooks and beautiful scenery! Some trails can be a little challenging.
Great place for kids and families! I was surprised with the Nature Center and Kids Play Area. Right around the corner from the Holden Arboretum and at a family friendly price... FREE!
Great family place. There is an outside place for kids to play. The permanent animals are well cared for many of them are viewable outside. The trails are nice and well labeled. Not all of them are loops so its good to plan which trail your starting so you dont hike 5 miles then release you got to hike back. The us an outside learning area Im not such if they are using it with covid ordinances in effect
Peaceful and beautiful. Nice park, walking trails. Great excersize. Trail from behind the Kirtland Police Department goes to Penitentiary Glen.
Everytime we come the kids have fun and the fence keeps them safe.
We hiked all the 8ish miles of trails here and it was beautiful! Highly recommend going for an easy hike and a day outdoors. I saw the largest crawfish of my life here!
Always a great hiking place to view nature without rough trails
The most beautiful place to visit in the fall! We enjoyed the nature center and seeing all of the animals that they rescued and are rehabilitating.
One of our favorite go-to places. Snowshoes, bird watching in the winter. Crafts, indoor exhibits, outdoor rehabilitated animals. This little fox would literally come to me every time I called it and talked to me. In the summer there is a fenced in nature play for kids, steam engine rides.
Love this place!!! There is always something to do here. We rented the back room for my wifes grandmothers birthday party it was a great place to enjoy.
Great park....try and catch a train ride or gorge hike.
Great park to visit with kids. There is a wild life rehabilitation center here with very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Several animals are permanent residents. Inside the main building are many activities geared towards children. Outside is the best childrens play area I have seen at a park like this. Well worth the visit.
Other than Apollo the Eagle giving me the side eye, it was a perfect autumn afternoon in November. Hiking trails for the last of the almost 60 degree weather, exhibits inside the Nature Center, and also a gift shop. Try the orange blossom and honey lotion; it smells absolutely divine!
Great metropark with an awesome nature infused play ground, good trails and some local wildlife. Restrooms and beautiful flowers as well.
Great place to take the family... lots for kids to do!
Great place for a long or short hike. Diverse habitat is ideal for all sort of great birds.
Beautiful park. Nature Center is very nice to visit after a hike.
Fun little park and FREE - who knew! Don’t forget to hit up the nature center and see all the wildlife after hitting up the trails. Well worth time to go here and clearly marked trails for all experience levels.
Best park in the area. Mini zoo, lots of different trails and ponds. Train track and kids nature area are too notch.
Candyland exhibit in the month of December and outside scavenger hunt activities fun and family-friendly .!
Beautiful hiking trails! Definitely make sure to check out the one way Kirtland Connector Trail!
Penitentiary Glen is great! Trains were running today for the first time in almost two years. Great for families. Hiking and rescue wildlife.
I love going here. Its beautiful and relaxing to walk around outside. The inside facility has educational sections to learn about animals and their habitats. Outside next to the facility is a rehabilitation center/section for injured animals, some of which are permanent. Theyre in cages with some documentation about how they were injured and about the animal itself. Its a great place to visit!
Great place to let kids and adults explore nature. A great variety of activities free or adorable.
Great park for kids with plenty of interactive fun. We enjoyed viewing the resident/rehabbing animals (birds of prey, foxes and others). We didnt hit the trails(my party was tired, we had just come from Chapin Forest) but next time for sure. I did the winter gorge walk 40 years ago and it was awesome.
The Lakeshore Steamer trains are really cool and my son loved the nature center !
Great place to take your kids, especially during the Christmas season!
Great place for all kinds of outdoor adventure. The campsite is very accessible but mostly secluded.
I grounds are beautiful.The Pavilion has everything you need.Electric, Lights, and Grills, and a fully stocked fire pit, and plenty of picnic tables. It is also very Handicapped Accessible ♿, except for one bump in the path that might have just been repaired.Just needed signage to direct you to the picnic pavilion. Especially for someone who has not been to this park before.
Very beautiful and my daughter had a lot fun playing there.
Love this place! The plants are labeled well and the beds are very well tended. The Nature Center has a lot of great information, a photo contest where you can vote for your favorite photo, and lots of other things to see. . There is so much to see on the various trails, including secluded ponds, waterfalls, and lots of birds. We got caught in a downpour and took refuge under the tress for a bit. It is a really fun place to explore, and it looks like there is probably a lot to do if you have kids as well with the train and the kids area.
Beautiful nature park with plenty of stuff for the kids to play with.
Love all the changes not been there since my boys were young now I taken my grandson love the sand pit
Beautiful park with great walking trails in a gorgeous setting. I visited the park as part of a visit to the Cleveland area and was impressed by the variation in scenery, the multi-use paths, and the relaxed atmosphere. Would definitely recommend!
Some pretty spots, but hiking trail had multi sized gravel & rocks, uneven, chose not to hike it. Other trail may be better but didnt try. Small steam train ride but wasnt open. Wildlife area & park office were very nice.
This reservation is amazing. Trails for adults, a huge outdoor garden for children. And a great nature center with excellent staff as well.
Great place for kids. Full of new adventures at any age.
Natural park for the kids was fun. See the birds first. I believe they close at 5
We had a lot of fun exploring the park and doing the journal. Then we explored the nature play area.
It was a great place for a walk and family time. It is worth some time with good people or if you want some personal time out in the woods.
I really enjoyed this hike, I think it will be even better during spring & summer
Nice park. We walked down the stairs to the creek bed. There were some families at the playground. The outside part of the animal rescue was open to walk through and see the rescued animals.
Beautiful park with awesome trails. The nature center and trains are closed, but that does not hinder from the natural beauty of this amazing outdoor space.
Today was a beautiful day. Kira had a blast walking through the snow
Hidden Gem of northeast Ohio. Check out Nature Play for the little ones. Make sure you bring muddy clothes for them.
Very nice with plenty of fun things to do with the kids. And even a couple waterfalls in the woods.
My kids loved the candyland program they did. And loved looking at all the animals
The nature play here is free admission and very fun
Wild days of winter is a holiday tradition for our family. Wonderful place to visit!
The nature play area is great. My kids love it. There is so much to do between the water, building with sticks, playing in the sand, climbing over hills and through tunnels, and playing in the gardens. Its fenced in, so even when I cant see my kids I know they havent gone far.The nature center is one of the better ones in the area. They also have animals that have been rescued that you can see. The trails are relatively flat, but through varied areas, so they are interesting to walk along without tiring old or little legs.
A great place to hit the trail with kids, observe wild life and birds and enjoy free miniature steam trains rides.
Beautiful walking trails. Kids activities. Visitor center and animal rescue with lots to see.
We love going here! Theres an awesome park for the kiddos, lots of trails, and some wild animals!
Great place to take the family. A lot of wonderful outdoor kids activities. The animal sanctuary is really neat. The trails are great as well. Bathrooms are clean!
Trails are great and easy for hiking, although a little more incline than we are used to on bikes... If you are coming on bikes Id say several trails are moderate
Great way to experience nature and some local history. Very nice walking trails, some paved, some stone. Nice pond areas. Trails around the gorge have some incline but were manageable for even us novice hiker/walkers. Theres a nature center and wildlife center. A miniature steam-powered train runs at various times so check ahead of time if interested in that. Looked like a horse trail too.
Everyone was kind and knowledgeable about what they are doing. Majority of the staff/volunteers at the Train could be a little more friendly. Beautiful set up and plantation.
Nice paths, nice natural playground, cool trains, nice buildings with great information & animals.
One of out favorite places to walk. The pup loves to stop and smell the flowers every chance she gets!
What an amazing find! My 2.5 year old LOVES this place. We have visited several times and love it more and more each time. Such a uniquely wonderful park!
The playground is the cutest and the nature hike is beautiful and easy for strollers. The animals are well taken care of as well
A fun place for my active kiddos.
One of my favorite local parks. The kids area is fantastic. One of the best playgrounds around since its built to attract native wildlife and the kids can play and interact with nature.There is also an area where injured wildlife is kept and can be observed.There is both a wooded section and a meadow to hike in.
Love this park. Nature Center is 5 star, park is amazing to hike, beautiful and all the interactive stuff you could ask for. Candyland in the winter is AWESOME for the family. Definitely recommend renting the snow shoes and hiking in the winter as well.
This is one of the best parks in the area, in my opinion. The nature center has a cute room for kids to play, the wildlife building has whats basically a small zoo in the back of the local animals they saved but werent able to release back into the wild (eagle, fox, vultures, owls, etc), theres lots of nice trails of varying lengths, and a huge nature play area for kids. Its a really nice setup for kids to just run around and dig in the mud. Theres always extra events going on too, like concerts and mini train rides.
Took my kids here all the time growing up. Now I take my grandkids. Love it here. Nice walking trails, lots to do.
A beautiful area with woods that are typical of the Northeast Ohio area. The whole Metro Park system is beyond compare.
Beautiful place...kids enjoyed it and so did I
Beautiful, peaceful, lots of activities and learning for children of all ages. Staff is very friendly. Highly recommend taking the family outdoors and explore there
Great fun for the family and you arent forced to break the bank. A lot of the activities are even free! We took a dozen of or local girl scouts on a decent drive to get out here and we were NOT disappointed. Everyone had a great time, especially on the loads of trails they have throughout the park. Afterward, we visited the zoo section and it was like two trips in one. We even got free hot cocoa for our visit!
Loved It.. Cool trails down by the creek...
Great nature programs. Cool little trains. Amazing trains and cool story about the name.Its definitely worth a visit and two.
Best eagle’s nest ever... right there on the ground. Amazing how big it really is! And an injured wildlife drop-off & recovery center. Beautiful paths. Quiet.
We had a very nice day here. We like hiking and this place has some nice trails of different difficulty levels. Beautiful walk through the woods with some really nice views. They also gave a Nature Center with animals on display. We will come back.
The best park ever! Kids loved it and its so beautiful!
Fun place to visit, great part of our Lake Metroparks.
This is a great public park with well taken care of grounds. The staff is generally nice. The one down side is the lack of public facilities during the coronavirus. While its understood these might take more work to maintain, the lack of them makes the venue more unsanitary.
One of the most beautiful parks in lake county. First off, the ice age era gorge is beautifully lined with eastern hemlocks and is cooler than the upper area, hence the boreal vegetation inhabiting its slopes. To get down into the gorge, they have a designated wooden staircase that you follow until you get to a slightly raised fenced platform. Sitting on the bench down in this prehistoric relic is truly something else!Second, the wildlife resue section is a great place for injured wild animals. They have a bald eagle, two grey fox, a crow, multiple raptor species, and multiple other native wildlife species that unfortunately cant be released back into the wild.The hiking trails are also nice. My favorite was the gorge rim trail.I could imagine Gandalf the grey wandering these trails!
What a unique place! A great place for a field trip as well as to attend events such as their Candy Land gone wild. We thoroughly enjoyed their spin on Candy Land and Al the decorations as well as each of the bird discussions. We saw a bald eagle no more than 5 feet away! A great place to study the creatures and talk with the naturalists as well as have some free family fun. We will look forward to snowshoeing this winter in their trails.
Clean, serine place to walk. Convenient parking
I love this park. Hikes of all difficulties, great play center for kids, the nature center is very fun and informational. Theres a nature gift shop and an area that they care for rescued animals. Mostly birds of prey. There is a bald eagle if you ever want to see one up close and personal.
Great place to take the kids to learn about nature.
This is my favorite place ever to walk my dog and chill out to the beautiful woods. The nature center is great for kids and my nieces and nephew love it there. The wildlife center is awesome to walk through and check out animals.
Always a treat to walk this park!
Possibly one of the coolest Lake Metroparks for a family. Kids nature play area. Gorge hike. Animal rescue center with a Bald Eagle! Plus the occasional train ride!
Perfect night at Whoolowen. Waited in line for less than 10 minutes to go on the train. The train ride through the woods was great. My boys really enjoyed the nature hike. This is our favorite spooky activity. Its always busy but not so busy that you cant enjoy it. All of the staff is friendly! The popcorn was fresh and delicious.
Wonderful park to hike! We went on a cool evening and did the Gorge Run Trail, and it was an easy 0.88 mile hike. We went down the steps to see the stoney Brook falls and it was very calm sitting next to the falls. We will definitely go back here for a longer hike on the Rabbit run trail. Highly recommended!!
Very nice place to walk, jog or explore! My 2 year old loves the play area and walking on the paths. Beautiful scenery and wildlife. Various paths from beginner & paved to advanced & dirt. Would highly recommend visiting for runs or with family.
Great with the kids! They had a blast going through the small wooded area and the tunnels and log buildings. My parents really liked the walkways over the water . More geared for the kids though for sure
Very pretty place. Little train rides are awesome! Friendly staff. Great place for kids!
Standout place to connect with nature and with family. Lots of capacity for usual summer crowds here. Well kept trails with some natural history guideposts along the way. Id say what kids enjoy the most are tons of ingenious hands on stations for creative play constructed almost exclusively from natural everyday materials like stumps, sand, rocks, etc.
Very beautiful park, enjoyed walking threw and seeing the view of a little stream
Took my family here over labor day weekend. Had an absolute great time. Live animals great employees all around great time. Would definitely recommend to bring family or a loved one here. Has handicapped parking restrooms and easy to find. 5 stars all the way around
Great place to hike! Springtime hikes might get a little muddy in areas, but thats to be expected. Check out the animal recovery center while youre there. The visitors center has great displays and a bird watching room. Plenty to see and learn. In the winter, they usually Jane a walk-through game of Candyland which is loads of fun for the little ones. Bring a few dollars for hot chocolate, too!
We just moved here from Geauga County. I was concerned about leaving our park system as both me and the dogs were very happy with them.We live just a few minutes away from Penitentiary Glen and we simply love this park! The trails are awesome with great connectors allowing us to switch things up. They are really well marked and mostly ground gravel. And every single person I have met there has been super, both the staff and the visitors.If my grandkids were still young enough to enjoy the interactive nature play area, Id probably pitch a tent and just stay there. Nothing but wonderful experiences for me and my furry kids.
My 7 year old went to a free program where she learned about bees, played games and made a craft. Meanwhile my other daughter was on a field trip to Penn Glenn the same day. They played in the unique play area and took a hike in the woods to sketch nature. We have gone on other days to ride the very cool train. (One year we went for their Halloween event. Train ride in the woods at night. So fun!)
This is one of mine and my sons favorite parks to go to, FREQUENTLY! Last year they revamped an area outside for children and adults alike. Everytime we go we are there for hours.Its free too!There is so much to see when you come; from the new Play Yard (thats educational and interactive), Quiet Garden, Hiking Trails, an Outdoor Zoo (you are able to walk through and view animals; and better understand what this reserve does). There is an Indoor Exhibit-Nature Center, that is educational and interactive; where you can read facts and the history of the area and county.Without further rambling I will end with this; if you are short on money for activities, have multiple children to entertain, or just love being outdoors exploring and learning, Come to Penitentiary Glen! Get them out of the house and bring lunch because you too will be outside and learning, all while having a blast. Love Love Love this place!
My sons cub scout pack had a nature and snow shoeing day.
Around the holidays, theres a life-size Candy Land game for kids! Play the game on a giant game board that takes kids on an adventure through a holiday bird-themed display. Find the hidden bird. Make a paper owl tree ornament. Check out the gift shop. Drink some hot cocoa. Fun & educational.
Friendly staff and an all-around amazing experience.
Beautiful, with varied terrain. Very well kept. Quiet.
This was so nice! We had 3 kids ( 4, 7 & 11) and they all enjoyed themselves! They made smores outside and loved them. There was a cute Candyland theme maze inside. Animals (gorgeous bald eagle!). A playground for burning off energy. Hot cocoa! Just a very enjoyable time! We plan on returning.
Definitely a must especially if you have family. Many different things to explore and enjoy. If you can try to be there when the lake shore steamers are running. Mini train that will take you around the park. Make you feel like a kid again
Nice to be able to see these wonderful animals up close. Its so good to know they are well taken care of since they cannot be released back into the wild. The people who take such good care of these beautiful creatures are angels.
My kids live this place there is so much to see and do. They have a lovely outdoor adventure place that us fanstic in the summer and quite enjoyable even in the fall. The animals are always well cared for the staff is knowledge and friendly. A great way yo spend an afternoon
Dense forest. Good hill workout. Scenic wetlands and creeks
I have lived in mentor Madison area for forever and today was the first time I have gone to penitentiary Glen..i am so happy I went..will tell others to go and visit.
So many fun things to do at this park! The new nature play area is great for kids. The paths and facilities are well maintained. My favorite is the wildlife center with rescued birds mamals and reptiles.
We love Penitentiary Glen! Very clean area and lots to do. The food is nice too they have vegan and vegetarian options at decent prices that I enjoy. Had the bean burritos not bad
One of the best free and fun places to take a child anywhere from 3-10.Fantastic play area, with mini river, garden to water, sandpit with flowing water to enjoy, and many tunnels and wooden structures to climb and play in. Plus animal recovery shelter and large selection of native NOE birds of prey view and learn about. WIth trails and a train plus live falcon show you really couldns for much more.
We enjoy walking through the visitors center and seeing the animals at the rehab. Today, they had squirrels that kept flying into the window, too funny! After, we walked around the center to the back side to relax. There really is a lot to do here. Love it!
Great place for light hiking,. In the summer they have the scale trains. Very nice little nature center with educational programming and snowshoe rental. One circular trail is wheelchair accessible. Wildlife veterinarian.
Great place for the kids the office was closed the day I went but it was really cute to walk around
So fun for toddlers even kids up to 8! Its perfect for picnics and playdates. My kids love to see the animals after running around.
There is a wild life rescue center, showing some rescued owls, heals and falcons. Which would be interesting to kids and adults as well.
This park is so fun to explore to matter what season it is!
Penitentiary Glen is one of our familys favorite spots - easy to walk about, low key, lots of great exhibits that keep little ones intrigued.It was the first time I had taken my almost 3-year-old granddaughter anywhere - just the two of us. We didnt get to ride on the Lake Shore Live Steamers - the lines were very long - but the rest of what we did do challenged her creativity and imagination.I highly recommend Pen Glen!
Great park with lots of public events through out the year. They have a rescue for birds and even have the birds out for public view as they are being rehabilitated. Plenty of walking trails and some spectacular views both in plain sight and hidden. Interesting history and friendly staff make it an awesome place to visit!!
Nice park. Wildlife refuge for injured wildlife. They do a great service for wildlife preservation. Nice trails with stunning views of Stebbins Gulch. A deep ravine behind the old Halle estate garden. Its noted for the large mineral laden ice shelf that accumulates over the winter and remains visible on the northern walls well into late March or April. Beautiful hues of aqua, cyan, and other natural earth tones that are ephemeral and vary from year to year.
Ive always loved coming here to see the wildlife theyre rehabilitating. Sadly, due to the pandemic, theyre closed off to keep the animals safe. But theres still plenty of trails and other wildlife to see in the parks area!
The predators are amazing to see up close. A relax walk of Nature. We love it!!
Went to the Nature Play area, it was phenomenal! We hadnt been back in several years, so it was so wonderful to see this new space. As always the exhibit and other amenities were fantastic!
They have a cool wildlife area where you can look at the animals. They also have a ton of trails and old ruins from where an old family lived back in the day which is neat. But if you fall asleep in your car they will call the cops on you cause they think you somehow died in your car in a comfortable position.
Beautiful! Wonderful hiking trails, one of which leads up to the Buckeye Trail. Great staff, new nature playground, plenty of parking. No complaints--my favorite of the Lake Metroparks!
What a nice hike today!! Well be back in the spring to check it out.
Nice place. Can be very crowded, but the animal rehab is quite fascinating.
Had a fantastic evening with the kids and friends, the train ride along with walking through the exhibits and Penitentiary Glen was fun. All the kids had a blast great job to all who worked and set up for this wonderful event!
Always looking for a great pavilion for family outings
This is a GREAT place to take kids! So many fun things for kids to play with and climb on. I would definitely bring extra clothes and shoes because they are likely to get wet and/or dirty! Definitely pack a picnic for your visit!
Nice place to go with kids. Free train rides offered about 2 times a month. Staff usually has an owl to show the visitors who are waiting in line for the train. The new nature center is a sight to see.
My daughters fave place to go on the weekends. Its very nice there. They spare no expense on kids. Thank you for good clean fun and nature. I love it there !!!
Great nature center...espcially for the kids! We went when they had the Candy Land game there. That was fun and we loved the outdoor Smores! The animals are outdoors and are fun (mostly birds such as hawks, eagles, owls etc) to see outdoors. But they also have exhibits indoors and a nice gift shop as well as an area to sit and have snacks and relax. They have many other events throughout the year- we may go to Monday Fun Day (MLK day) tomorrow for more Smores, crafts, scavenger hunts and indoor stations.
Its wonderful that the park keeps and cares for theses injured creatchers. It is also fascinating to see them up close.
Great nature play area if youre going to hike rabbit run bring plenty of water and wear hiking shoes/boots
Our grandchildren loved the animal exhibits and every Park employee was very friendly and knowledgeable
One of my favorite places in the area. Easy or challenging hiking trails, beautiful free nature center and dont forget the train! Havent explored the new kids area, but it look great!
Candy land gone wild was very well done.
It is a nice place to go always.
The perfect place for a weekend afternoon. We like to finish our trail walking with the bird habitat
We went for a run on the trails. Being fall, it was simply gorgeous as the leaves are changing and the colors provided a distraction from the difficult run.We ran on the difficult trail, which meant a lot of hiking up a hill or over a creek.Theres a lot to do at Penitentiary Glen. Be sure to visit!
Penitentiary Glen is a beautiful park. The glen got its name not from a former corrections facility, but rather from the sheer (literally) depth of the eponymous landmark. Not only are there some wonderful trails to walk, but also a beautiful nature center and a scale train you (or your kids) can actually ride on (check their events page for dates of operation for the train). They also host a myriad of educational programs, including my personal favorite: Bug Day.
Free miniature train rides for the kids and grandkids! One ranger was showing a screech owl to the visitors. There are exhibits worth seeing in the main building. Taxidermied wildlife includes a black bear, various fowl and insects and an albino white tailed deer.
Wonderful place to see a variety of animals that our local to our area
Another gem in the Lake County Metroparks, the Glen offers miles of easily-walked paths through deep woods and open fields, past ponds thriving with lily pads and other aquatic life, along a deep gorge carved from the ancient rock by the wadeable stream meandering far below.Once the summer estate and playground of Clevelands Halle family, it now shares its natural beauty freely for any who wish to experience it.A nature center explains what visitors are seeing, and a gift shop complements the setting. A great afternoons adventure!
Penitentiary Glen is truly a hidden gem! The grounds are beautiful in any season, offering great hiking trails, and playgrounds for children. The nature center has programs on many topics, and their rehab program for wounded animals is really interesting, giving kids the chance to see wild animals like raptors and foxes, up close and personal. They also offer guided hikes through the gorge, during which you can learn about the history of the area, and the Halle family (of Halles Department store fame), who once owned the land that now comprises the park.
Lots of programs for people of all ages. Lots of millage if trails rated at easy for people to walk. Massive park with a very wide variety of terrain to hike. Nature center has good services while taking into account the over population of certain species in the area.
One of the best hidden jams in the lake county metro parks.
Such an amazing piece of nature right in the backyard. Still havent gotten to experience the nature center yet but that is on the list!
This is the best place to bring a young kid to play and have fun while also learning about nature and animals. Plus its free!
Beautiful place to hike and good programming. Love the photography exhibit.
Went to the winter christmas night walk. Fun for kids. Frankly it was just wonderful to get outside and have an activity to go to ❤. Thank you for doing this!
Penitentiary Glen offers wonderful free programs. So wonderful that they become very crowded. Yet the staff always seem happy and willing to share neat information with the kids.
Very unique and interesting place. Birds of prey rehabilitation center. Historical facts about the Kirtland area. Nice family place. Seasonal outdoor activities including miniature train rides.
My favorite hiking spot! They have a really nice 2.5 mile loop that goes over two little creeks with lots of great views
Great place for a relaxing hike.
Great place. Amazing mini hike
They have a animal rehab buildingYou can walk in and see such birds as an eagle, hawk, owl. They also have a honey bee display. Its a nice place to take a hike and pass the time away from the house.
My kids love the Nature Center and seeing the birds, especially the bald eagle. There is also an awesome new outdoor play area. Its all nature play.
Great place to take the kids. When we arrived home, I had to use a dead log for my kids to walk across because they loved the obstacles so much here. Go and check it out, then you will understand.
Lovely Nature Center. Very nice very clean. Staff and all the visitors are always a pleasure to deal with. Parking is great in between all the trails and activity centers its easy to spend the day.
What a wonderful time we had the trails are well kept as well as marked out. Very beautiful place. Planning on going back today. Were going to make Smores at the fire pit they have there!
We came to ride the trains. It was so much fun. The wait in line was not too long as the ride was extensive. We loved the trains and all of the animals and trails. We will definitely be back. Only wish the trains ran more often.
Total reviews rating 4.8
199 Reviews for Penitentiary Glen Reservation 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-13My favorite park. Sunday the trains were running and the excitement on the kids faces was priceless. There is a great play area for the kids. My wife and I hiked 2.63 miles on the rabbit run trail. Very beautiful although a bit muddy in places. Check this place out!
Review №2
2022-01-05The best place to go to for a Scenic walk. When you want a place to go to get away from the head space this is the place. There are so many cool artifacts still left from when theyre still buildings around. Its a long trail so definitely a place to get lost at. Yeah they get lost at. Well be going back for a long time
Review №3
2022-05-09Lovely nature park for children! We had a great time and very cool activities too.
Review №4
2021-10-26This park is amazing. Beautiful trails, wildlife, flowers and most of all a really cool play area for the kids. Best of all they rehabilitate injured wildlife.
Review №5
2021-07-26One of our best Ohio parks!!! Well marked hiking trails, a large wildlife center with many birds and mammals on display, amazing nature center with kids activity zones and a train for the little kiddos! And for those who want some zen…a quiet garden area, amazing wildflowers and a bird watching lounge.
Review №6
2021-10-06Found this place because of a GREAT group on Facebook called Clewithkids!!! So thankful for them! This place is AWESOME!! We went late in the day, so Im sure its that much better during the day! Certain days of the month there is free train rides and other activities. Definitely worth the drive out there!!
Review №7
2021-11-08Loved this place, nature play area is awesome. Bathrooms avaliable, nice trails, quiet garden. Wonderful nature center with lots to do for kids.
Review №8
2022-06-07Nature center, nature play outside, book walk, history hike and a small camping spot you can reserve online. We love this place 💕
Review №9
2022-05-25Lovely nature play area, trails, and a nature center. Clean restrooms, lots of spots to sit and eat, fun for the kiddos and a great place to enjoy nature and spot some critters!
Review №10
2021-05-08Great park for both adults and kids. There is a few different trails of different lengths and difficulties (none super long). There is a gorge through middle with a creek and waterfalls. There is also a nature center and anamil refuge area where animals are saved and you can go see them. Finally, for kids, there is a train ride through the woods and an all natural kids play area with different activities. Very nice place.