This is a list of nature centers in the U.S. state of Illinois.
| Name | Location | County | Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 acres, operated by the Illinois Audubon Society | ||||
| Andresen Nature Center | information, operated by volunteers, open for city events and education programs, features displays of local wildlife, insects, and flora found along the local watershed of the upper Mississippi River | |||
| Anita Purves Nature Center | Central | website, operated by Urbana Park District, exhibits on the natural history of Illinois, interactive and hands-on displays, live animals, located in Crystal Lake Park, adjacent to Busey Woods, a 59-acre forest preserve | ||
| Army Trail Nature Center | website, 17 acres, outdoor classroom, partnership of the Addison Park District, Addison Elementary School District 4 & DuPage High School District 88 | |||
| Ballard Nature Center | Central | website, 210 acre nature preserve and educational center. It includes 107 acres of woodland, 15 acres of restored prairie, 10 acres of shallow water wetlands and 85 acres of agricultural land. | ||
| Exhibits about natural history of the Cache River Wetlands and Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources | ||||
| Chicago area | Located in the James "Pate" Philip State Park, operated by the Bartlett Park District[1] | |||
| 208-acre park includes Singing Bird Nature Center for outdoor education programs and native bird section, and a museum of Native American life | ||||
| Cabin Nature Center | DuPage | Chicago area | website, operated by the Wood Dale Park District | |
| Creek Bend Nature Center | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Kane County in 439-acre LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, interpretive displays including prairie ecology and Fox River | ||
| Crabtree Nature Center | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, over 1,000 acres, features outdoor nature play area | ||
| Crystal Lake Nature Center | website, operated by the Crystal Lake Park District in 130-acre Veterans Acres Park, seasonal butterfly house | |||
| Central | 70 acre preserve with prairie, woodlands and wetlands habitat, 2 miles of trails, interactive displays of local wild life, live reptiles and amphibians, a bird observation area, children's discovery den, library | |||
| Eden Place Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, 3-acre urban nature preserve with a focus on food production and environmental education | |
| Emily Oaks Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, 13 acres, operated by the Skokie Park District | |
| Forest Park Nature Center | Peoria | Peoria | Central | website, operated by the Peoria Park District, 540 acre preserve, 7 miles of trails, natural history museum and bird observation room, musical and educational programs |
| Four Rivers Environmental Education Center | Channahon | Will | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County in 525-acre McKinley Woods - Kerry Sheridan Grove |
| DuPage | Chicago area | Operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, 226 acres, exhibits on area natural history | ||
| Cook | Chicago area | Operated by the Glenview Park District, 123 acres, natural and cultural history displays, 1856 period house, log cabin, Native American longhouse, replica one-room schoolhouse, wetland greenhouse | ||
| Hawthorne Hill Nature Center | Chicago area | website, 67 acres, operated by the City | ||
| Heller Nature Center | Chicago area | website, operated by the City, 97 acre preserve with 3 miles of trails | ||
| Hidden Oaks Nature Center | Will | Chicago area | website, operated by the Bolingbrook Park District, almost 80 acres, hands-on discovery center, nature playground, outdoor amphitheater, Seedlings Nature Preschool | |
| Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie/Tyner Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by the Glenview Park District, 32-acre remnant of a tall-grass prairie, seasonal educational programs about the prairie, the environment and "green" programs | |
| Kildeer Nature Center | Lake | Chicago area | website, 5 acres of open space, operated by the Village | |
| Cook | Chicago area | 23 acre arboretum and nature education facility | ||
| Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by the City, 85-acre park, 20-acre man-made lake with gardens, woodlands, and prairie | |
| 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, features Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Visitor Center with birding programs | ||
| Lakeview Nature Center | Central | website, operated by the City, adjacent to Spring Lake Park, 55 acres of prairie, interactive displays and hands on programs that emphasize exploration and investigation of the environment | ||
| Laws of Nature Center | Chicago area | operated by the Kendall County Forest Preserve District, exhibits about prairies, insects, Native Americans, live bees, snakes, salamanders and frogs | ||
| 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 | ||
| Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, interactive exhibits, live animals | |
| Lockhart Family Nature Center | Lake | Chicago area | website, operated by Lake Forest Open Lands, located on 50-acre Mellody Farm Nature Preserve with the adjacent 514-acre Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve | |
| Lost Valley Visitor Center | website, operated by the McHenry County Conservation District in 3,200-acre Glacial Park | |||
| Lyman Woods Nature Center | DuPage | Chicago area | website, operated by the village, 150 acres of oak woods, prairie, and marsh habitat, William F. Sherman, Jr. Interpretive Center features changing exhibits and activities, native landscaping, butterfly and rain gardens | |
| DuPage | Chicago area | 1,700 acres, offers extensive nature-entered education programs | ||
| Natural Resources Education Center at Russell Preserve | Chicago area | website, operated by the DeKalb County Forest Preserve for environmental education programs | ||
| North Park Village Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, forty-six acre nature preserve and an educational facility, operated by City | |
| Peck Farm Park | Kane | Chicago area | website, operated by the City, 385 acre park featuring a visitor's center with hands-on nature and history displays, observation silo, trails, sports facilities, outdoor education center | |
| Pilcher Park Nature Center | Will | Chicago area | website, operated by the City, over 640 acres | |
| Will | Chicago area | Operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County in 891-acre Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, natural playscape featuring a pollinator garden, rain garden, and interactive play elements | ||
| Prairie Grass Nature Museum | Lake | Chicago area | website, operated by the village, features realistic habitats, live animals, nature activities and programs | |
| Red Oak Nature Center | Kane | Chicago area | website, operated by the Fox Valley Park District, 40+ acres, hands-on displays, live animals, nature preschool, cave | |
| River Trail Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, live animals, nature programs | |
| Rivershire Park and Nature Center | Lake | Chicago area | operated by the village, 15 acres, outdoor education programs | |
| Central | 1,517-acre (614 ha) park, nature center and conference center | |||
| Central | 1,300 acres, operated by the Macon County Conservation District, includes nature center museum, restored farmhouse, about nine miles of hiking trails, and a paved bike trail | |||
| Ruth Edwards Nature Center | Lee | Northwestern | Operated by the Dixon Park District, Great horned owl on display, education, nature preserve, trails on 200 acres of woodland and meadows, disc golf course, outdoor shelters available, playgrounds including a zip line, boat launch available on the Rock River | |
| Sagawau Environmental Learning Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, exhibits on geology, history, and habitat management | |
| Sand Ridge Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, 235 acres, exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Calumet region, native animals, reproduction early 19th century log cabins | |
| Severson Dells Nature Center | website, operated by the County, 369-acre county forest preserve | |||
| Springbrook Nature Center | DuPage | Chicago area | website, operated by the village, 2 miles of trails, aquarium, butterfly garden | |
| Stillman Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, private, non-profit center for environmental education located on 80 acres of woods, lake and prairie, live birds of prey | |
| Stronghold Camp & Retreat Center | website, 360 acres, outdoor classroom, can host up to 180 people. | |||
| Central | Located within the 18-acre Funk's Grove Nature Preserve, interpretive environmental exhibits, sensory displays, live animals and a wildlife viewing area[2] | |||
| Will | Chicago area | Operated by the Forest Preserve District of Will County, 985 acres, over 3 miles of trails | ||
| Trailside Museum of Natural History | 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 | |
| Vera Meineke Nature Center at Spring Valley | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by City, 135 acres, earth-sheltered, passive-solar visitor center, includes hands-on exhibits, discovery niches and a natural history library, park includes Volkening Heritage Farm, an 1880s living history farm | |
| 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 | website, owned by the City of Edwardsville, managed by the Nature Preserve Foundation, Inc., over 40 acres, 1 mile trail, restored prairie, wetlands and woods | |||
| Wildlife Discovery Center | Lake | Chicago area | website, operated by the City, located at 670-acre Elawa Farm, includes nature center, live animals, wildlife sanctuary, museum, and biological station | |
| Wildwood Nature Center | Cook | Chicago area | website, operated by Park Ridge Park District, 5 acres, live animals, nature exhibits | |
| DuPage | Chicago area | Operated by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, native wildlife rehabilitation facility with rehabilitated animals on display, education, trails | ||