River Trail Nature Center 3120 Milwaukee Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062

"We love River Trail Nature Center! My child really enjoys the outdoor playscapes and can play there with friends for hours. We also enjoy visiting the animals and going for walks through the trails. The center offers great programming too - we went for an autumn walk with a ranger and learned so much about noticing the changes in the seasons. Recently we attended a talk about insects and the instructor was very engaging and informative. Thanks River Trail Nature Center!"

"Visiting this place reminds me of all the best memories of the Cook Country Forest Preserves. It's very well maintained but has an old feeling that makes for a very comfortable place. It's been a real godsend for places to take the kids in all seasons. In colder months the indoor places are a relief but are good in the other seasons too. The staff are all so friendly and clearly are interested in the work they do. The animals are all rescue animals also. Plus, bees!"

"River Trails is so gorgeous. My children enjoy their TWO outdoor wooden playscapes especially the one by the beautiful water. We always see the coolest birds here. Our homeschooling group has learned so much from their programming by participating in their hikes and watching their knowledgeable friendly staff feed their animals. Not so long ago, we were able to see their staff feeding mice to the raptors! It was so cool."

"A must stop visit if looking for a nature fix! They have a great nature center with a lot of interesting reads and animal exhibits. There are also live animals to see: the resident coyote, hawks, owls, turtles and so many snakes! Staff is very friendly and lots of parking. From the nature center you can connect to a couple nearby trails. The unpaved Des Plaines River trail is across the street off Milwaukee Ave- across from Allison woods. It can be confusing but there’s lots of maps and helpful people there. The color change in the forest preserve late October is breathtaking!"

"Nice place to visit and enjoy the nature, it s free and opens from 9 am to 5 pm , the gates are closed at 5 pm , no dogs allowed. Open all days of the week I really enjoyed seeing different animals and birds, it s recommended to children to see animals and know more about their habitat and different species. Restrooms are available"