Wildlife Prairie Park

About Wildlife Prairie Park

Wildlife Prairie Park is a zoological park in Peoria County, Illinois, at 3826 N. Taylor Road in Hanna City, about 10 miles west of Peoria according to the state tourism listing. The park's website describes it as an 1,800-acre zoological park with wildlife viewing throughout the year. Wikipedia says it is operated as a not-for-profit corporation by Friends of Wildlife Prairie Park.

The collection is limited to animals native to Illinois. The park's website says it holds more than 180 animals native to the area, representing more than 60 species, and lists bison, black bears, cougars, elk and wolves among them. Wikipedia gives more than 150 animals of 60 species and adds waterfowl, otters, badgers, snakes, bobcats and butterflies, and other published figures vary from 150 to nearly 200 animals, so the number is best confirmed with the park. The park is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

History

According to Wikipedia, the park was established by Bill Rutherford Sr., a philanthropist and attorney, and his wife Hazel. The Forest Park Foundation acquired the land in the late 1960s with an original plan to work with Brookfield Zoo on breeding endangered species, and the project then turned toward preserving wildlife native to Illinois. A travel article describes the original concept as a breeding farm for Brookfield Zoo on 480 acres, since expanded to 1,800 acres.

Wikipedia says visitors were first welcomed in September 1977 for six weeks in honor of Hazel Rutherford's birthday, and that the official public opening came on August 4, 1978.

Ownership has changed. On September 5, 2000, Bill Rutherford Sr. transferred the deed to Governor George Ryan, and the site was renamed Hazel and Bill Rutherford Wildlife Prairie State Park under the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In May 2013, management moved to the not-for-profit Friends of Wildlife Prairie Park, which Wikipedia says officially reclaimed the park in 2014. Wikipedia also notes that construction used recycled materials, including reclaimed whiskey barrels, resawn wood and telephone poles.

Exhibits and habitats

The park's website lists animal locations across the grounds: the Aviary, Bob Linder Trail, Forest Hall, Merrill Woods, the Pasture, the Pioneer Homestead and the Train Loops. A regional blog describes a 1.5-mile wooded animal trail that passes cougars, black bears, foxes and bobcats, and a travel article says enclosures replicate natural Midwest habitats rather than using traditional cages.

Large grazing animals are kept in pastures. The website names bison and elk among the residents, and Wikipedia describes cabins with porches facing bison and elk pastures. Wikipedia and a travel article also refer to a rare white bison. The travel article also names cranes, and a regional blog lists foxes, eagles, otters and owls among the park's animals. A regional blog describes a butterfly habitat with more than 20 butterfly species, including painted lady, giant swallowtail and red-spotted purple.

The Prairie Zephyr Train is a one-third scale train on more than a mile of track, according to Wikipedia. The blog describes a two-loop route with optional boarding and exit points. Wikipedia says the train has a steam-style locomotive powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine and a diesel-style locomotive powered by a gasoline engine, along with two freight cars and nine passenger cars, five of them previously used at the St. Louis Zoo and four acquired from the Milwaukee County Zoo. Wikipedia notes that the train runs during fair weather.

The grounds also include a sculpture walk with more than 30 statues and sculptures, according to a regional blog, and the state tourism listing names a historic schoolhouse and a 60-foot slide set in a wooded hillside. The park's website refers to the Forest Hall Education Center and a Pioneer Homestead. The tourism listing names 24 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, six stocked fishing lakes and kayak rentals, while other sources give somewhat different trail and lake counts.

Conservation and programs

The park's website describes educational field trips that use exhibits and staff to build understanding of the natural world. The state tourism listing names animal encounters, field trips and a Keeper for a Day program. The Adventure Trek is a hayrack tour narrated by an animal care specialist that goes behind the scenes and through the bison and elk pasture, according to the park's website, which also describes a wheelchair-accessible option. The website lists daily animal programs, including a bear chat, an otter chat and a wolf chat. A regional blog describes a Junior Naturalist Program in which children receive a badge and booklet for each session.

Programming on the park's website includes Conservation Connection activities, Movie Saturdays, Wildfire Concerts on select summer Fridays, and seasonal events such as Groundhog Day and Wildlife Scary Park. A regional blog also describes an annual Bison Blessing weekend.

Recreation is part of the park's offerings, with laser tag, a pump track, disc golf, biking, kayaking and fishing, according to the tourism listing and the park's website. In winter, the tourism listing names cross-country skiing, fat biking and sledding, and the park's website describes sledding with a view of the bison and elk pasture and natural ice skating on Caboose Lake once it freezes.

Planning your visit

As listed on the park's website in September 2026, park hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, with the park open until 9 p.m. every Friday in June, July, August and September. The tourism listing says it is open year-round, and hours and activity schedules can change by season.

The park offers overnight stays, and several sources describe the range. Wikipedia lists contemporary cabins with porches facing the bison and elk pastures, converted Santa Fe train cabooses, former grain bins, one-room log cottages and patios facing Caboose Lake. A regional blog says the double grain bins sleep up to 10 and that tent camping is available without hookups. Food service and a gift shop are listed on site. The phone number in the state tourism listing is 309-676-0998.