kid volunteers in front of a mural at the Lakeside Nature Center

The creation of Galesburg's only Nature Center has been a community effort! Many individuals and groups have worked tirelessly towards this endeavor to bring the love of nature and the outdoors to Galesburg and surrounding area.

The Nature Center is open during nature programs, and there is much to do surrounding the center. Explore the wooded nature trails, view the pollinator prairie plot, visit the habitat garden, our certified Monarch Waystation, historic Bur Oak Base and more!

Lakeside Nature Center

The Lakeside Nature Center opened in April 2013, and the City had many partners in making the nature center a reality. In 2011, several Knox College students helped to design a logo and a new roof was installed. Other upgrades include the installation of electricity, a painted exterior and new windows and doors. The habitat garden was started in 2012. Special thanks to Brian Davidson, Unique Landscaping, Galesburg Community Foundation, and Ronald McDonald's House Charities.  The Lakeside Nature Center got a facelift in 2018, with a mural painted by local artists and volunteers, with a photo-op monarch butterfly dedicated to the Nature Center's founding force, Elizabeth Varner.

The City of Galesburg Parks and Recreation Department has been selected as a host site for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources resource trunks and a field trip pack.  These are great teaching tools for educators to use with their students. Trunk contents are correlated to the Illinois Learning Standards. These can be utilized by classroom teachers, school clubs, after school programs, youth groups, home-school educators, conservation groups, religious groups, day care centers, camps and more.

Available Nature Resource Trunks:

  • Aquatic Illinois Trunk
  • Illinois Birds Trunk
  • Illinois Insects and Spiders Trunk
  • Illinois Invasive Species Trunk
  • Illinois Tree Trunk
  • Illinois Wild Mammals Trunk
  • People and Animals from Illinois' Past Trunk
  • Field Trip Pack for Early Childhood Educators
  • Amphibian and Reptile Field Trip Pack
Call 309/345-3683 to reserve a free Nature Resource Trunk today.