Rocket Park

For many Elk Grove Village kids who grew up in the 1970s through the 1990s, Rocket Park was a beloved neighborhood play space — an informal name locals gave a playground area near Roosevelt Park, right by Byrd Elementary School and the surrounding residential streets. This area was a favorite hangout for neighborhood families and younger children before modern playground standards reshaped village parks.

Where It Was

The playground was part of Roosevelt Park, a long-standing community green space along Wellington Avenue, close to Byrd School — an elementary school central to the neighborhood. Homes By Marco

Roosevelt Park itself offered open green space, picnic areas, sports fields, and playground equipment that served local families for decades. MapQuest

The Rocket Playground

What made this corner special was its distinctive rocket-ship play structure — a tall, imaginative centerpiece that kids affectionately called the rocket. Built from metal, it stood out from standard slides and swings of the era and sparked imaginative play — blasting off into space, staging pretend missions, and gathering groups of neighborhood children together.

This kind of space-age playground piece was popular in American parks during the late 20th century, reflecting the cultural fascination with space exploration and giving kids a playful focal point around which to build social games.

End of an Era & Legacy

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, standards for playground safety and design changed significantly. Older, tall metal or wooden structures like the rocket began to be phased out in favor of safer, modular plastic-and-rubber playgrounds. As a result, the rocket was eventually taken down.

Today, Roosevelt Park still serves families with updated play equipment and green space, not to mention Byrd Hill, but long-time residents often recall the rocket as a centerpiece of their childhood — vivid in memory even if no longer physically present.