Crabtree Nature Center (Barrington Hills)
River Trail Nature Center (Northbrook)
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center (Willow Springs)
Sand Ridge Nature Center (South Holland)
Sagawau Environmental Learning Center (near Lemont)
Hal Tyrell Trailside Museum (River Forest)
Resources for Teachers
For general information, contact:
Department of Resource Management: 708-771-1335
FPDCC: 800-870-3666; TDD# 708-771-1190.
Hours for Sagawau Environmental Learning Center:
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily
Sagawau will have the same hours year round, and will be open on Fridays.
Hours for all other Nature Centers:
March 1 through the last Saturday in October
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily
Last Sunday in October through February 28
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily
CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day
The District’s six nature education centers provide a gateway for discovery of the natural diversity of Cook County. Each center offers programs and displays about the plants, animals, and communities of the region, and all but Sagawau ELC have live animal exhibits. Each of our four traditional nature centers is unique in its location in a different part of the county and within a different community type: savannah and prairie at Crabtree NC, oak and floodplain maple woodlands at River Trail NC, wooded hills at Little Red Schoolhouse NC, and marshes between ancient dunes at Sand Ridge NC. Sagawau ELC features prairie and fen restorations and Cook County’s only canyon. Trailside Museum, along the Des Plaines River, highlights wildlife education among its many programs.
Each center has self-guided nature trails, and naturalists to answer your questions. Programs throughout the year connect visitors with the intricate beauty of life in the natural world, and explore conservation issues. Learn about plants, animals and ecology of the Forest Preserves, go bird watching, follow tracks in the snow, make a model insect or listen to nature stories under the stars. As the seasons turn, professional naturalists help visitors understand the science and meaning of nature’s wondrous changes. Most programs are free.
Programs to open children’s eyes to nature include stories and crafts for families with pre-school age children, extended summer and winter break programs for elementary ages, and a Junior Naturalist program at River Trail NC. We are proud supporters of the Leave No Child Inside movement.
Visit our Events page or ask for a program schedule today.
Naturalists will also visit schools and community groups with a variety of programs available. More information here: Resources for Teachers
Nature Center Guidelines
- Schedule group visits in advance by calling the nature center.
- Self-guided introductory group visits will include a talk with a naturalist, including time for questions.
- Extended group programs on a variety of topics may be arranged; call nature center for details.
- Stay on trails – bicycles, horses, motorized vehicles, skates and roller blades, are not permitted. (Cross country skiing is only permitted in designated areas.) Sagawau Nordic Ski Program
- There are no picnic areas or concessions at centers. Staff will direct you to nearby designated picnic groves. Please do not bring food or drinks into buildings or on trails.
- Leave your pet at home; pets disturb wildlife and other visitors.
- Respect wildlife and other visitors by maintaining quiet in buildings and on trails.
