Next Regular Park Board Meeting
April 1, 2026
The next regular meeting of the Horner Park Board of Commissioners will be held on the first Wednesday of April 2026 in Horner Park Hall.
The Park Board is looking for members of the community to help the PB take action by creating citizen committees in four key areas:
* Recreational Programming,
* Park Operations,
* Planning Committee,
* Finance .
Each committee will be made up of at least one PB Member and several community members. Each will be tasked to help move the Horner Park District into a organization attempting to better serve the people of the district.
Come and help build our community as parks are a key part of any growth of Lebanon.
Interested? Come to our April 1st meeting at 7PM in the Park Hall. See you there!
Agendas are also posted on the bulletin board located just inside the front gate. Access is available via the walk in on either side of the gate.
Youth Sports
Per our contract with the Horner Trust, Horner Park will be
closed for vehicle entry as of November 3, 2025 until April 1, 2026.
Walkers are always welcome.
Parking is available outside the south gate and entry is beside the south gate.
Events at the park hall and special events will still have access.
Note: As the weather turns to the warmer side, it is at the discretion of the park administrator to open the north gate for the day. This allows access to the kiddie corral, the point and gazebo.
Park facilities (bathrooms) are now winterized and closed for the season, so keep this in mind if the gates are open.
Bill Rheibold Completes 40 Years
Bill has been on the Horner Park Board since 1985. 40 years working to keep Horner Park the park that it is. This is a record that we believe will not be beaten for quite some time.
Not only did he attend all 480+ meetings, with many of those years as President of the Board, but Bill could be found out in the park many days out of each week checking on the status of the park as well as looking for ways to better serve the visitors.
The tree in the photo will be planted within the park as a tribute to the service Bill has provided to the people of the Park District.
Bill will be missed on the board, but something tells us that we may see him from time to time within the park. Don’t forget to check the gazebo on the point. You just might find him sitting there taking in the wonderful sights and sounds that make up Horner Recreational Park.
A Need for Replacing Trees
As can be seen in these images of the Point Road after our May storm, Horner Park is losing trees. A lot of other trees have had to be removed for the safety of the visiting public. Still others are standing but are waiting to be taken down due to age or dying.
At the July 2025 meeting of the Park Board, Bill Rheibold made the case that the Park Board needs to invest in trees. Trees are not something you can just plant and you have immediate shade. It takes between 20 and 30 years for a tree to mature. Also, we need to plant at least 2 for every tree that is taken down since the survival rate of young trees is such.
Bill pointed out that there is a line item in the budget for new trees, and we should be using it to repopulate for those that have been brought down. He also pointed out that we need to start this NOW.
If we don’t do this, then the beautiful park we know today as Horner Recreational Park will be nothing but one open field with a water feature.
Special Swings for Special Children
Dedicated to the memory of 10 year old Hayden Konieczny, the new accessible playground equipment includes a swingset with chair and a ground-level Merry-Go-Round to accomodate wheel chairs.
A picnic table with wheel-chair-access was purchased with memorial moneys in her honor.
Additional memorial funds have been given to the park for future improvements to the playground.
A concerted effort is being made by the folks at Creekside Bar & Grill to add improvements to Hayden’s Playground. Watch their website for new (and fun) events in support of this area.
Reservations for pavilions and the park hall can be made through the Park Custodian. Contact Brian at (618)566-4027.
You can review the park hall information at https://hornerparkdistrict.org/hall-rental/.
Pavilion reservations are for the full day. Non-reserved pavilions are on a first-come, first-served basis.
It doesn’t get much better than this.
Need a quiet place to just kick back and enjoy the world around you. Horner Recreational Park is, most of the time, just that. Even during the late fall and winter, HRP is a great place to pull up on a bench and just enjoy.
From the Friday before Thanksgiving to the end of the year, take a drive through our annual holiday light display known as “Lebanon’s Winter Wonderland.” See their website for more information. http://www.lebanonswinterwonderland.org.
*************Activities In The Park************
And They Are Off…
The weather for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt couldn’t have been any better.
The children were split up into 3 groups, by age, and on the blow of the Fire Engine’s Siren, they were off!
A great time was had by all. (And there weren’t any shrieking whistles this year! Yeah!)
Upgrades and Enhancements
Gazebo Maintenance
Given to Horner Park by Lebanon’s Winter Wonderland, the Gazebo is a great place to come, sit, and enjoy a panoramic view of the lake. We have already had many functions in the Gazebo, with several weddings among them.
From time to time you can find volunteers weeding, cleaning, re-applying wood protectant, and more. This past fall found Dr. Peggy Gerdes, LWW Secretary and Garden Club President, digging around the Gazebo and modifying the mulch beds surrounding it. Her goal was to make it easier for the mowing crews to keep a clean appearance. (It was also time to change the mulch.)
Dr. Gerdes put in the original shrubbery several years ago, has “oiled the wood” and has made it one of her passions to keep the gazebo looking good. 🙂 She appreciates any and all that wish to help with this as many hands will make things go much faster.
(Now, if we could just convince the squirrels to leave it alone.)
Volunteers Always Welcome
There are so many things needing done on a recurring basis in the park. Brian does a fine job trying to keep everything in line, but from time to time it takes a bit more. Contact Brian about volunteering to help, after all – Horner Recreational Park was built by volunteers.
New Picnic Tables for Kiddie Coral
New “child size” picnic tables have been received for placement inside the Kiddie Coral. Tables have been placed as soon as they were received. Thank you to the Horner Park Boosters and the Park Custodian (and crew) for taking up the challenge to sort and transport bottle caps used in the manufacturing of the benches and tables.
Pickleball & Tennis!
Carry a raquet or a paddle? A newly refurbished tennis court and two new pickleball courts await you at Horner Recreational Park.
Updated (and created) in fall of 2022, these courts have been very busy ever since their opening.
What is Pickleball?
Take a look at this video, offered on the USAPickleBall.org site.
Pickleball Rules
There are many locations on the Internet where you can find rules, instructions on how to play, and where you can keep up with professional players.
May we suggest The USAPickleball Rules Official Rulebook from USA Pickleball?
Remember Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the US, and you can play right here!
How to Play
Rental Prices for 2026
Rental prices for the park hall and park pavilions went into affect on January 1, 2023 and remain for 2026.
Check our Hall Rental page for rental prices.
Reservation of a pavilion is:
Large pavilion – $60 for the day.
Small pavilion – $30 for the day.
A pavilion that is not reserved is on a first come basis.
Agendas for Meetings
The Horner Park Board of Commissioners meet the first Wednesday of each month. Agendas for these meetings are posted by Monday of that week, keeping with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
Agendas are posted on the park bulletin board, located just inside the main park entrance (north side of the road.) They are accessible, even during times when the park is closed, via the walk-in areas at the side of the entrance gates.
Copies of the minutes can currently be received from the Board Secretary. Contact the Park Custodian, who will pass on your request.
Open for Walking –
Year Round
Horner Park is open from dawn till dusk each day for walkers. The park is closed from dusk till dawn the following day.
The area around the south entrance has been paved and is available to park walker vehicles when the gates are closed.