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Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Willow Springs, IL

Photo: Crosbiesmith, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

A Forest Preserves of Cook County nature center offering live animal exhibits, indoor displays, and self-guided trails near Willow Springs.

9800 Willow Springs Rd, Willow Springs, IL 60480 · Willow Springs, IL

About Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

Run by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, this nature center has long introduced families to local wildlife through live animals and exhibits. Visitors can explore about 2.5 miles of unpaved and paved trails on the grounds, including a 6,000-square-foot accessible garden with raised beds and tactile signs. The center also links to the wider Palos Trail System, and its 1886 schoolhouse, moved to this site in 1952, reopened in 1955 as a nature-focused school. Staff offer educational programs, and the center hosts many free events throughout the year.

  • #nature center
  • #live animals
  • #self-guided trails
  • #accessible garden
  • #historic schoolhouse

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