There is a 130 year old little red schoolhouse just outside Chicago. It is full of great free exhibits, animal viewing and interactive learning opportunities. And, just outside the doors, are some beautiful Forest Preserves of Cook County trails through forest, prairie and along Longjohn Slough. Keep reading to find out why we love visiting the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center of Cook County Illinois.
A Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center Walk Through
The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center in Willow Springs is actually a collection of buildings old and new. Let us start our tour with the Little Red Schoolhouse itself.
THE Little Red Schoolhouse from 1886
The titular “Little Red Schoolhouse” is an actual schoolhouse built in 1886! The building itself was actually moved several times, and today it stands at the nature center. It now has some charming displays about the that you can peruse whenever it is open. However, you will find the bulk of the nature center’s displays in the much larger modern building neighboring the schoolhouse. You will be able to identify the schoolhouse by its distinctive red color. Its entrance faces away from the road and towards the nature center’s grounds.
The Main Nature Center Building
The main nature center building is much larger and closer to the parking lot. If you enter at the main entrance, you will find a staffed information desk before you. Behind the information desk is a door that leads to outdoor animal enclosures and that Little Red Schoolhouse. There is also trail access back there.
Nature Center Play Space
If you turn right at the information desk, you will end up in a fairly open space that usually has props for unstructured play. In this area we have encountered felt boards, puzzles, stuffed animals, blocks and many books.
Bathrooms at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
To the left of the information desk, you will encounter bathrooms. We appreciate that the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center has a family bathroom in addition to two larger bathrooms with stalls.
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Exhibits
Beyond the bathrooms to the left are some traditional nature exhibits including taxidermy displays from the surrounding natural areas, some live animals and interactive exhibits for identifying scat or other natural elements.
If your children are frightened by taxidermy, you may want to keep them closer to the exhibits near the front of the building which include a scale model of the area, a fossil discovery activity and a replica of the kind of dwelling built by people indigenous to the area.
The Ramp!
Keep walking and you will encounter a pretty epic winding ramp that moves you through the natural history of the site beginning 4.6 billion years ago. As you travel down the ramp you will also travel closer to modern day. Along the way, fossils, plants and information placards help you envisions this place as it was through the years. You can even walk in the footsteps of prehistoric beasts, as their tracks are replicated on the floor here.
The Pond and Tanks
At the bottom of the ramp is an impressive indoor pond with above and underwater viewing. The reigning monarch of this pond is a massive snapping turtle. (There is a sign reminding guests NOT to feed their fingers to this behemoth.)
Beside the pond is a series of tanks housing aquatic and semi-aquatic animals like frogs, turtles and fish. Axolotl fans (of which we know there are many) will appreciate finding those little cuties in the tanks here.
Outside the Nature Center
In the grounds around the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, you can find an accessible garden with interpretive signage, a sensory water feature and a paved half mile trail. Past the accessible trail there are three additional unpaved trails that connect to the Palos Trail System.
Between the Little Red Schoolhouse and the modern building, there are outdoor animal enclosures and great views of Longjohn Slough.
Our kids love exploring these areas, and on past visits, we have even been given a little scavenger hunt to complete along the walking trails.
We hope you get to visit the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center soon! Here are some quick pointers for your visit!
Getting There
Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center is part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. It is located at 9800 Willow Springs Rd in Willow Springs, IL 60480. Look for signs on the road for the entrance, as the buildings may not be visible from the road.
There is parking near the buildings but not immediately next to them. The entrances to the building themselves also do not face the parking areas, so be prepared for a walk to the entrance.
The trails around the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center also connect to the Palos Trail System.
When to Visit
We have visited the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center on weekends and weekdays in all kinds of weather. While some days are busier than others, we have never found the buildings or grounds to be overwhelmingly crowded.
At the time of writing, opening hours for the nature center are seasonally dependent. In March through October, the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center is open 9am to 5pm Saturday through Thursday. In November through February, the hours are shortened slightly to 9am to 4pm, also Saturday through Thursday. The center is closed on Fridays as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Final Tips for the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center in the Forest Preserves of Cook County
We like visiting The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center during the winter, because the nature center does a great job of bringing the outside in. We love that we can still enjoy natural surroundings on even the coldest days. Plus, the main building is really quite large, so that open space also helps relieve some cabin fever. The surrounding trails are usually pretty accessible even on snowy days, and it is easy to scurry back into the main building if we get too cold.
We also like visiting during warmer months for the slightly longer hours and so that we can spend plenty of time comfortably exploring the beautiful surrounding grounds.
Sight lines at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center can get a little tricky. The schoolhouse building and play area in the main building are fairly open and easy to supervise, but once you move into other areas, large exhibits and the multi-level structure can impede your view. If you are worried about losing track of excited little ones, we recommend making a plan with your kids to visit each individual section one at a time.
Finally, be sure to check the activity schedule for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. There are some great free opportunities for classes, art projects and guided hikes. You can find those on the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center webpage here.
Thank you for reading our quick guide to the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center near Chicago.
We hope you have a chance to visit soon. If you are looking for more tips on Chicago area attractions check out some of our other articles including: Visit Brookfield Zoo Chicago for Free This Winter, Top 5 Tips for Visiting Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, Best Deal in Children’s Museums: Chicago Area’s CLIMB Network and Why The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is Great for Kids. Finally please consider subscribing to our free newsletter below, and get our latest tips in your inbox. Thanks again for reading!
