Habitat Park

The great outdoors opens up to Museum visitors in our 2-acre nature park. Explore unique climbing structures, a grass maze, water painting wall, solar and wind power, a sensory garden, and an interactive sculpture trail.

Underwritten by the Diana M. and Bruce V. Rauner Family. Sculpture Trail given by the Shaw Family in memory of Charles H. Shaw. Additional support provided by the Public Museum Capital Grants Program, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Museum; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the Souder Family Foundation; Anonymous; Tom and Louise Flickinger & the Edward E. and Marie L. Matthews Foundation; Anderson Pest Solutions; and the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.

Activities

Construct using natural materials in the imagination hut
Watch for birds and small animals
Go on a bug hunt to find ants, worms, or insects
Observe natural energy being collected through a wind turbine and solar panel
Wander through winding paths to explore a 9-piece interactive sculpture collection*
Run up and roll down the gentle berms*
Go underground through a giant tunnel*
Find your way through the prairie grass maze*
Peer through binoculars to see how they change your view of the park*
Use your senses or sight, touch, hearing, and smell to examine characteristics of plants*
Climb and spin on unique structures*
Paint designs with water on slate walls and watch them evaporate*

*These activities are located in Habitat Park’s outer courtyard, which will not be accessible from late fall to early spring.

Please note that Habitat Park is a weather-dependent exhibit. For safety reasons, all or part of the exhibit will close when the heat index is above 90º F, the wind chill is below 20º F, ground conditions are wet, or after dusk.

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