Renovations at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook are on track and the building should reopen to the public in the first quarter of 2025.

Forest Preserve Executive Director Ralph Schultz, who has overseen the project since the nature center site closed in February, said building and outdoor renovations should be completed in the fall and new indoor exhibits are scheduled to be installed in December.

“Once the work is completed, the building will be more accessible, more welcoming and more comfortable,” Schultz said. “But it’s going to come alive with the programming. That’s what is going to make the space special.”

The project will convert the former Bolingbrook Park District site, which was purchased by the Forest Preserve in February 2022, into a nature center tailored to Forest Preserve-type exhibits and activities.

“We believe this was a great investment for the taxpayers of Will County,” Schultz said. “The funds were available in the Forest Preserve’s budget from a previous bond issue. For a $2 million price tag, they’re going to have an almost brand-new facility.” 

In addition to the building being closed, the Hidden Oaks Preserve area around the nature center also is closed for safety reasons during construction. This includes the parking lot, the shelter/pavilion and the nature trail behind the building.

There could be some delays before the work is finished, but Schultz expects the building to reopen on schedule and to be ready to host visitors and activities in 2025 and beyond. 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Oak theme is central

Angie Trobaugh, facility supervisor at Hidden Oaks, which is located in Hidden Oaks Preserve, is collaborating on the design and programming. She said she’s excited about the new interactive exhibits, which are being designed for the diverse population the nature center serves. 

Some exhibits will feature an oak theme, including the journey of an acorn and an acorn dress-up station. A bench will mimic a decaying log and describe how fallen trees are bursting with life. And a wall panel will describe tree communication. Because the nature center is called Hidden Oaks, the oak theme is an important component, Trobaugh said. 

“It’s everything. It’s central. It’s who we are,” she said. “It’s what sets us apart from all other nature centers. It’s our name! Oaks play such an important role in our habitats that they literally have the potential to define the composition. They are a keystone species and can support over 2,000 other species. They are quite a big deal.”

There will also be a fungi corner, snake and salamander panels, exploration stations and seasonal interactive exhibits featuring snowflakes, wildflowers, monarchs and spiders. An oak leaf book nook will be created as a book worm hideaway. 

“It’s fantastic to get to see that come to life,” Trobaugh said. “The exhibits will be accessible for people who speak different languages or young people who cannot read.”

To meet this goal, the exhibits communicate messages in a variety of ways and are not text heavy, Trobaugh explained. 

“We use pictures, illustrations and photos,” she said. “We are using interactive play – like games and dress up and inquisitive prompts to look through binoculars. We have tactile elements as well to feel.”

Here are some of the improvements and renovations that will be completed during the rest of the year: 

• Welcome signs in several different languages. 
• Expansion of the reception area and the addition of a gift shop.
• Conversion of the south existing classroom into an exhibit gallery.
• Replacement of the children’s bathroom with a program staging area.
• Updated rental space for the public featuring new paint, carpet, cabinets, doors, lighting and a wet bar. 
• A new shade structure outside. 
• An elaborate indoor birdwatching lookout deck. 

Trobaugh said it's been exciting seeing the improvements come to fruition. 

“The updates so far have been a nice privacy fence along the shelter, a new shade structure, a new latrine and an accessible ramp from the nature center to the playscape," she said. 

Resident critters will return

All of the nature center’s resident animals will return. The turtles will be housed in one permanent exhibit that separates out the two aquatic turtles from the terrestrial ones.

“Rex and Cera, our box turtles, will be housed with Maxine our red-footed tortoise as usual,” Trobaugh said. “Their enclosure will include a little tunnel that they can crawl through and be separated if needed. Creed, our beloved snapper, and Paddlefoot, our red eared slider, will be separated and have their own aquatic oases.”

Ramen, the corn snake, will have a tall enclosure in the Fungi Corner exhibit. 

“And as you continue to immerse yourself in the exhibit, you will find Ghillie, our tiger salamander, incorporated into the exhibit as well,” Trobaugh said.

When the nature center is completely renovated and open, there will be something for everyone, she added. 

“The exhibits are going to be impressive, inviting and very relatable,” she explained. “We are hoping to create a very pleasant experience for the visitor that ultimately culminates into advocacy for the natural environment. I couldn’t be more excited to see my life’s work take shape into something tangible.”