Lords Park Zoo in Elgin opens May 31 for the 2025 season
Opening day at Lords Park Zoo in Elgin is Saturday, May 31.
Zoo hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, according to the City of Elgin website. Admission is free.
In conjunction with the Elgin Public Museum and the Friends of the Lords Park Zoo, the zoo will host “Adventures in the Zoo” programming from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays starting June 3; “Nature in Your Neighborhood” story and craft time from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fridays starting June 13; and “Uncaged in the Zoo” animal encounters from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays starting May 31, according to the museum’s Facebook page.
All programs are free and do not require registration.
Lords Park Zoo is located at 207 Grand Blvd. For more information, call 847-931-6132.
Pop-up book sale at Elgin library to be held May 30-June 1
A pop-up book sale at the Gail Borden Public Library in downtown Elgin will be held during regular library hours Friday, May 30, through Sunday, June 1.
Proceeds from the sale benefit the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation, which helps fund literacy programs and special exhibits at the library, according to the library’s website. Most items will be priced at $1 or $2.
The library is located at 270 N. Grove Ave. For more information, call 847-742-2411.
Elgin Police Department offering Kids United summer program
Registrations are being accepted for the Elgin Police Department’s Kids United summer program.
Kids United activities include arts and crafts, culinary arts and sports, according to a social media post. Friday field trips are scheduled, and food will be provided.
The program runs weekdays from Monday, June 9, to Monday, Aug. 4, and is free for students who live in Elgin Township or attend District U-46 schools.
Sessions for students entering 4th through 6th grades will run from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Students starting 7th-graders through age 17 will attend sessions scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. The program is held at Abbott Middle School, 949 Van St., Elgin
The deadline to register at kidsunited.jumbula.com is June 5
For more information, email KidsUnited@cityofelgin.org.
Registration underway for Elgin Area Leadership Academy
Participants are being sought for the Elgin Leadership Academy Class of 2025-26.
Founded by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce in 1991, the program consists of 12 sessions held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays between Sept. 27 and May 2, 2026. Topics covered include leadership development, volunteerism, board governance, ethics, social justice, health and economic development. There will also be a bus tour to visit Elgin’s civic, business, nonprofit, educational and health care sectors.
Participants are chosen based on community involvement, willingness to assume greater community responsibilities and the ability to commit to attending the Saturday sessions.
Tuition is $525 for applications submitted by June 30 and $575 for submissions past that date.
For more information and to apply, go to www.elginchamber.com/eala.
