Pilcher Park Nature Center

Free cool place for parents with kids infant to 2nd grade. They have lots of programs over the summer and the trails are great as well. Took my kiddos and they had so much fun. To see the animals can take you about 10-15 minutes, but just watching the turtles and the other animals on display and actually watching and enjoying them you can last 25-30 minutes. Then adding the trail hikes and doing a leisurely walk, stopping and seeing little bugs and creatures or looking for animal tracks or I spy games makes the trail that much more fun. That can take up to an hr or more depending on how well you get your kids into nature walk. My kids were toast after visiting here.

Although this wasn't a huge nature center the animals that were there clearly have been taken care of. They also had a very nice place where you can have a baby shower or other gatherings. I will definitely go back when I am visiting Illinois!

I came here two weeks ago just before Thanksgiving one afternoon to specifically see the nature center. There was no cost to enter. It had more animals than I thought which I enjoyed viewing. The hawk in the pictures I saw before I came passed away so there are only the animals inside; lots of turtles, snakes, guinea pig, frog, Axolotl, iguana, and a couple of others.

Lovely, well maintained trails (many are paved) through mature forest. Trails conveniently marked with color coded guideposts. Great place for fall foliage.

Fun place to bring kids after a walk in the woods. Several small animals to see and learn about, such as, tortoises, turtles, snakes, amphibians, fish and a red-tailed hawk. They also sell small nature related trinkets.