 | | Tara Maue, Co-op Member | We live just 5 minutes from Wildlife Prairie State Park. We have a membership so that we can stop in at any time for free. We like to ride the train and go down the sliding board (a very long slide down a hillside). There are three playgrounds, one by the train station, one by the sliding board, and one close to the pioneer area. All of them are unique and not what you would generally see at a playground.
On our regular visits, we see animals that are native to Illinois such as bobcats, cougars, wolves, bison, elk, badger, deer, goats, coyote, red fox, and black bear. All are in large outdoor fenced areas. The best time to visit to see the animals is in the morning before it gets warm out. You can feed the goats and chickens during the summer in the pioneer area.
There is an old homestead and an old church/school? on the property, but not sure if you can look through them.
They have scheduled daily activities like a bird show, reptile show, and bison feeding. There are trails you can hike on, apart from the animal trails, but we have not done that yet. They have naturalist programs for most ages that you can pay to attend, including a homeschool program. They tend to be structured more like a classroom setting, so not very unschooly.
Additionally, you can fish in several of the ponds. They have lodging that you can stay the night in, including cabooses and silos.
They have yearly activities such as the Scary Park, Easter Egg Hunt, Friday night summer outdoor movies. They continue to try to find new activities to add. They also host events there like the Olde English Fair.
The have 2 snack shops and 2 gift shops. You can eat at their Sunday brunch for a heafty price. And I think they might still have dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.
You can easily spend a day there and it might be fun to stay the night too. Check out their website to find current prices on everything. |
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