wildlife prairie state park

Nice park to visit. The animals are active and well cared for. The enclosures are spacious and natural. The animals seem happy and curious about visitors. Lots of programs available for all ages and they do different thing for the animals and visitors during holidays. I love to support small wildlife parks like this where the interactions are more personal than the large municipal zoos.Would love to go back but moved away. Highly encourage you to visit and support them.

Came here several times as a kid when we lived in the area several years ago. Visited in July and still such a nice park. The state of Illinois had control for several years and thankfully recently they went back to private ownership. Favorite part still has to be the Buffalo and they were feeding them so we saw them up close. They have redone many of the animal enclosures so it looks very nice. The train ride is a good way to see the park as well as to take a break from walking. We even spotting some deer up close too!!!

We came to the Wildlife Prairie Park for a Brunch occasion which was fine/average (food was normal eggs, coffee, etc.) but the park itself is amazing. Beautiful animals; most were visible and at least awake. I really liked the cats and the birds. The walking paths were nicely maintained. The buildings, seating, play areas, etc were just so nice. We will definitely be back. A great place to spend time while in/near Peoria. I wish I knew about this years ago!

We had been here about 1 1/2 years ago and just went back today for their 1st Harvest Days event. It is such a drastic change I am so glad we gave it another chance. I had no idea all the improvements they made. The petting zoo part is completely redone, with lots of animals. The new bird enclosures are nice as well. I am not sure if it was there last time bc we never went in, but the discovery center or whatever the room is called in the building toward the entrance where you start out is great, it has so much for kids to do and learn, and the woman in charge of it is very good with kids and knowledgeable. We saw every animal that we visited fairly close up including the bear, wolves, otters, and buffalo. Love that they have so much land to live on.I hope they continue the Harvest Days yearly, the hayrack ride was fun and lots of vendors and activities in the petting zoo area for kids-pumpkin toss, observing a cider press and sampling some cider, shelling corn, a pig race, etc and food/drink for sale there as well. The old farm house is neat to go in as well, and the new garden looks amazing. So glad to see the place looking much better kept up, we spent several hours here and could have spent longer!

The management, the food, the hall, the view all exceeded expectations! We traveled here from OH and were pleasantly surprised, as well as, folks that were local to the area. The management was very accommodating, overseeing to make sure things exceeded expectations. The food was awesome: roast beef carving station, mashed potatoes, gravy, chicken alfredo, green beans, salad, rolls; everything was fresh, hot and tasty! The hall overlooked the Bison and Elk enclosure which just enhanced the experience. The glass doors/walls opening up on the dance floor to an outdoor patio, stupendous! Highly recommend!

My father told my sister and I about this place and we were a bit skeptical. We thought that it'd be a lame little animal garden. But we were SO wrong! This place is fantastic! It took us a few hours to get through the whole place and it was so much fun! We got to see some wild animals like bison, wolves, bobcats, and bears etc in more natural habitats, which was quite nice. Also, we absolutely loved the barnyard animal section. If you have a few quarters to spare, you can buy animal food and feed some of the animals such as goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, and cows. :D We had a blast. There's also a cute little butterfly house as well. The place is kind of in the middle of nowhere, so it might be a bit difficult to find. Also, when you are entering the park with your car, be careful and drive slowly because you are in a forested area with wild animals. I say this because when we went in, we almost hit a deer that decided to jump out on the road.

My spouse and I stayed at the park in a caboose with our two grandchildren. They were so excited to see the deer that we decided to go on the Adventure Trek that goes out into the field and feeds the deer/elk. They got to feed a bison named "BIG MIKE". It was so great watching the elk running after the golf cart that the zookeepers had with food. Of course don't forget all of the other animals, the train ride and the 52 foot slide. We bought wax paper so the slide would be faster going down. In the evening when we were at the caboose the elk and the bison came over by the fenced area. It such a peaceful area (except for the loudness of my grandkids). It is definitely a lot of FUN!

I must admit I was here in 2013 on a tour and we did not have much time to explore to this year I came with my partner and his friends met us and we spent a few hours here. The TREK bus [extra fee] was the best part as we were allowed inside the Bison/Elk area and got to feed a Bison. There is a lot to see on the TREK and the volunteers were very knowledgeable. Seeing the Caboose and cabins that are available for rent has caused us to plan another visit and stay overnight for several days. It is interesting to learn that this land was once a coal mining area. We did not walk too much..another reason to come back and do those hikes! A great park for families too.

As usual we loved being at the park. I don't know if it was just timing but there weren't that many animals that we could see. In the bird aviary there was some pretty big bird dead in its cage. It was sad no one had noticed. We did get super close to the fence with the black bears and saw a black bear that was close enough to touch if anyone have the nerve! (LOL) The train is fun but the scenery is boring. I wish the train ride showed more of the park. Kids LOVED the 50 ft slide. We had some fleece blankets with us and they went flying! it was the highlight of the day. I went to get them t-shirts and was super disappointed in the prices and selection. The newer, cooler ones were upwards of $20-$30 each. The cheaper ones I could afford were decorated with nothing to do with the park like kittens or puppies. needless to say my kids left without a souvenier.

This is a great place to see a wide variety of animals in one place. I enjoyed walking along the trails and seeing the animals. I enjoyed seeing the badger and the eagles the most. The park is very nice and the trails are easy to follow.

We had reservations for 1:30 pm for the Easter Buffet . We had heard they had good food . Arrived at 1:00 pm and they were backed up . Went to report in that we were there . Hostice said she would call us when they were ready to seat us . After 45 " went by we checked again . She said they were runing 1 hr behind . No clean dishes and no bus boys to clean tables . It would be at least 1 hour + . We told her to cancel our reservation we didn't want to wait a hour or more . I figured they would run out of food by then . This was very poor planing on there part . I don't think I will ever come back . Glad we hadn't got a membership . Sorry we had supported them by buying wild life Prarie park Licience plates . We went to Galesburg il went Sirloin Stockade and had a good meal . We were seated quickly had excellent service and good meal . They had prepared called in extra help in kitchen and waitress . Don't waste your time going to wildlife Prarie Park .

We visited during the last weekend of March, outside of the normal travel season, so that may be part of the reason we didn't enjoy our trip as much as others. While we did save a dollar a person, it seemed as if half of the park was closed down. Several exhibits were empty, and the buildings were closed. The buffalo were 600 yards away. Several of the enclosures were in need of repair. We felt as if they should have warned us that half the park was closed, and we probably should have asked for a refund on the way out, as it was not cheap.

What a beautiful place to visit!! It's all in it's natural settings. The kids LOVED it and so did I! Great dining area as well. You get to look out the "all glass" (on one side) while dining. We saw adult and baby elk as well as adult and baby buffalo while enjoying our lunch. It was awesome!!

Everything was great and the management very flexible. I stayed in a fishing hut of sorts or Cottage #11. The weather was bad but the Cottage was warm. The main attractions were not available to me because I was gone during open hours and of course the lakes are still frozen but I will definitely be back. Have a lot of options for overnight and day trips and of course the wildlife.

This place is great, the animals have plenty of room to roam--unlike zoo's. They have learning experiences for kids and adults alike. They have a train ride through the park. We have actually stayed in their cottage on the lake...and had a blast...they are converted silo's and a very unique experience!! If you are traveling to Central Illinois this is a great place to stay, Wake up every morning and walk through and see the animals. We enjoyed our time there immensely!!