Tyrell Trailside Museum / Thatcher Woods 
738 Thatcher Ave
River Forest, IL 60305
708-366-6530
http://fpdcc.com/nature-centers/hal-tyrell-trailside-museum/
Museum: Bike, Fish, Hike, Nature Education, Picnic, Science, Walk
Established in 1931, the Hal Tyrrell Trailside Museum of Natural History served as the first public nature education facility of the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Visitors to the Museum, housed in a historic mid-1870′s Victorian mansion, will discover displays of live native animals, colorful wildflower gardens, information about local wildlife and their habitats, and more. Natural-surfaced hiking trails through the surrounding Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve wind through beautiful oak woodlands and floodplain forest, and to a pond and along the Des Plaines River. Trailside Museum is child-friendly, and offers a wide variety of public nature programs and guided hikes every month, for children, families and adults. School groups and organizations are welcome to make reservations to visit, and will receive a customized tour with a naturalist. Trailside Museum is located at the western edge of suburban River Forest, and is easily reached by foot, bicycle, car, or public transportation. Programs and events are sometimes offered at nearby Thatcher Woods Pavilion.