| Name |
Location |
County |
Region |
Summary |
| Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center |
Springfield |
Sangamon |
Central |
100-acre (0.4 km²) woodland and prairie garden owned by the city of Springfield and managed by the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Garden Foundation |
| Adams Wildlife Sanctuary |
Springfield |
Sangamon |
Central |
40 acres, operated by the Illinois Audubon Society |
| Army Trail Nature Center |
Addison |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
website, partnership of the Addison Park District, Addison Elementary School District 4 & DuPage High School District 88 |
| Anita Purves Nature Center |
Urbana |
Champaign |
Central |
website, operated by Urbana Park District |
| Ballard Nature Center |
Altamont |
Effingham |
Central |
website, 210 acre preserve |
| Bartlett Nature Center |
Bartlett |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
Located in the James "Pate" Philip State Park, operated by the Bartlett Park District[1] |
| Cabin Nature Center |
Wood Dale |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Wood Dale Park District |
| Crabtree Nature Center |
Barrington |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, over 1000 acres |
| Crystal Lake Nature Center |
Crystal Lake |
McHenry |
Northern |
website, operated by the Crystal Lake Park District in Veterans Acres Park |
| Douglas-Hart Nature Center |
Mattoon |
Coles |
Central |
70 acre preserve with prairie, woodlands and wetlands habitat |
| Eden Place Nature Center |
Chicago |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, located in Fuller Park, urban oasis and nature preserve with a focus on food production and environmental education |
| Emily Oaks Nature Center |
Skokie |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Skokie Park District |
| Environmental Learning Center of Will County |
Mokena |
Will |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County |
| Forest Park Nature Center |
Peoria |
Peoria |
Central |
website, operated by the Peoria Park District, 540 acre preserve |
| Four Rivers Environmental Education Center |
Channahon |
Will |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County in McKinley Woods - Kerry Sheridan Grove |
| Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center |
Oak Brook |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
Operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County |
| The Grove Interpretive Center |
Glenview |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Glenview Park District, natural and cultural history displays, 1856 period house, log cabin, Native American longhouse, replica one-room schoolhouse, wetland greenhouse |
| Hal Tyrell Trailside Museum |
River Forest |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, displays of live native animals, wildflower gardens, information about local wildlife and their habitats |
| Henry N. Barkhausen Cache River Wetlands Center |
Cypress |
Johnson |
Southern |
Located in the Cache River Wetlands, managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| Hawthorne Hill Nature Center |
Elgin |
Kane |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the City |
| Heller Nature Center |
Highland Park |
Lake |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the City, 97 acre preserve |
| Hidden Oaks Nature Center |
Bolingbrook |
Will |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie/Tyner Center |
Glenview |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Glenview Park District, 32-acre remnant of a tall-grass prairie |
| Kildeer Nature Center |
Kildeer |
Lake |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| Ladd Arboretum & Evanston Ecology Center |
Evanston |
Cook |
Chicago area |
23 acre arboretum and nature education facility |
| Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Visitor Center |
Plainfield |
Will |
Chicago area |
Operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County, 320 acre site and 200 acre lake where great blue herons, great egrets, black-crowned night herons, double-crested cormorants, and cattle egrets nest together |
| Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens |
Palos Heights |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the City |
| Lakeview Nature Center |
Macomb |
McDonough |
Central |
website, operated by the City, adjacent to Spring Lake Park, 55 acres of prairie |
| Laws of Nature Center |
Yorkville |
Kendall |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Kendall County Forest Preserve District |
| Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center |
Willow Springs |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County |
| Lockhart Family Nature Center and Mellody Farm Nature Reserve |
Lake Forest |
Lake |
Chicago area |
website, operated by Lake Forest Open Lands |
| Lost Valley Visitor Center |
Crystal Lake |
McHenry |
Northern |
website, operated by the McHenry County Conservation District in Glacial Park |
| Lyman Woods Interpretive Center |
Downers Grove |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| Plum Creek Nature Center |
Beecher |
Will |
Chicago area |
Operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County in Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve |
| Natural Resources Education Center at Russell Preserve |
Genoa |
DeKalb |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the DeKalb County Forest Preserve |
| North Park Village Nature Center |
Chicago |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, forty-six acre nature preserve and an educational facility, operated by City |
| Peck Farm Park |
Geneva |
Kane |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the City, includes 385 acre park featuring a visitor's center with hands-on nature and history displays, observation silo, trails, sports facilities |
| Pilcher Park Nature Center |
Joliet |
Will |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the City |
| Prairie Grass Nature Museum |
Round Lake |
Lake |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| Red Oak Nature Center |
North Aurora |
Kane |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| River Trail Nature Center |
Northbrook |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County |
| Rivershire Park and Nature Center |
Lincolnshire |
Lake |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| Rock Springs Conservation Area & Nature Center |
Decatur |
Macon |
Central |
Operated by the Macon County Conservation District, includes nature center museum, restored farmhouse, about nine miles of hiking trails, and a paved bike trail |
| Sagawau Environment Learning Center |
Lemont |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County |
| Sand Ridge Nature Center |
South Holland |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, 235 acres |
| Severson Dells Nature Center |
Rockford |
Winnebago |
Northern |
website |
| Singing Bird Nature Center |
Rock Island |
Rock Island |
Northern |
Part of Black Hawk State Historic Site. |
| Spring Brook Nature Center |
Itasca |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the village |
| Stillman Nature Center |
South Barrington |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, private, non-profit center for environmental education located on 80 acres of woods, lake and prairie |
| Sugar Grove Nature Center |
Funk's Grove |
McLean |
Central |
Opened in October 2004, located within the Funk's Grove Nature Preserve, run by the non-profit Sugar Grove Foundation[2] |
| Tekakwith Woods Nature Center |
St. Charles |
Kane |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, located in Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve |
| Thorn Creek Nature Center and Preserve |
Park Forest |
Will |
Chicago area |
Operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County |
| Vera Meineke Nature Center at Spring Valley |
Schaumburg |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by City |
| Volo Bog State Natural Area |
Ingleside |
Lake |
Chicago area |
Over 1100 acres including a 45 acre bog, visitor center with exhibits, bog tours, prairie walks, insect and aqua safari's, summer bat programs and more |
| Watershed Nature Center |
Edwardsville |
Madison |
Metro East |
website, owned by the City of Edwardsville, managed by the Nature Preserve Foundation, Inc. |
| Wildlife Discovery Center |
Lake Forest |
Lake |
Chicago area |
website, operated by the City, located at Elawa Farm, includes nature center, wildlife sanctuary, museum, and biological station |
| Wildwood Nature Center |
Park Ridge |
Cook |
Chicago area |
website, operated by City |
| Willowbrook Wildlife Center |
Glen Ellyn |
DuPage |
Chicago area |
Operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, native wildlife rehabilitation facility, education, trails |
