Trailside Museum of Natural History

Established in 1931, the Hal Tyrrell Trailside Museum of Natural History served as the first public nature education facility of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Visitors to the Museum, housed in a historic mid-1870′s Victorian mansion, will discover displays of live native animals, colorful wildflower gardens, information about local wildlife and their habitats, and more.

Natural-surfaced hiking trails through the surrounding Forest Preserve wind through beautiful oak woodlands and floodplain forest, and to a pond and along the Des Plaines River.

Trailside Museum is child-friendly, and offers a wide variety of public nature programs and guided hikes every month, for children, families and adults. School groups and organizations are welcome to make reservations to visit, and will receive a customized tour with a naturalist.

Trailside Museum is located at the western edge of suburban River Forest, and is easily reached by foot, bicycle, car, or public transportation.

History of Trailside » Trailside on Facebook »