Isle a la Cache Museum/Preserve

12/10/2024

Do you enjoy creating great visitor experiences and keeping things running smoothly? As the Facility Office Manager (Part-Time) at Isle a la Cache Museum, you'll support daily operations, assist educational staff and represent the district with professionalism. Greet visitors, issue permits and handle calls to ensure every interaction is positive. This is a part-time role (18–24 hours/week).

Apply here >>> https://tinyurl.com/3d7hbydr.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is accepting resumes for a part-time Facility Office Manager at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville.

12/03/2024

When you catch your reflection and realize you're antlerly adorable. 🦌👅 (Photo courtesy of Joe Viola)

Learn more about deer and what you can do if they are causing problems around your property.

11/29/2024

Shop now at OutsiderThreads.com! 🎁 🎄 🎅

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is a government organization in Illinois focusing on land preservation and restoration, outdoor recreation, and environmental education.

11/25/2024

Take a piece of the Isle home! The museum offers families a delightful way to remember their visit with unique, affordable souvenirs.

What’s in store?

✅Nature-themed earrings by Jabebo, crafted in the USA from recycled cereal boxes.
✅Handmade turtle trinkets and crochet critters from Ecuador, supporting sea turtle conservation through The Turtleman Foundation.
✅Classic toys like harmonicas, kaleidoscopes, wooden yo-yos and beautifully carved animal pens.

“These treasures are designed to help families create lasting memories of their time at Isle a la Cache,” says Janet Zavoral, the museum’s facility office manager.

Stop by and find the perfect keepsake during your visit!

Three Forest Preserve visitor center gift shops are stocked with unique items that would be perfect as presents or stocking stuffers this holiday season. Check out the items at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Isle a la Cache Museum and Plum Creek Nature Center. 

11/18/2024

Barred owls are fascinating birds with unique behaviors and characteristics. The name "barred" comes from the horizontal bars across their chest and vertical streaks on their belly. They are quite vocal and often engage in "duets" during courtship or territory defense. Mates typically bond for life and raise their young together.

📷: Joe Viola

Many owls are masters of camouflage, far more often heard than seen.

11/15/2024

Forget boughs of holly! Join us for an informative program about milkweed and then make an ornament from a milkweed pod to deck out your home for the holidays in this program from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.

11/23/2024: Learn some fun and interesting facts about the plant and its importance to the monarch butterfly then get artsy while turning a milkweed pod into a festive ornament. 

11/12/2024

The prairies we see today are largely restored, the result of untold hours of planning and work in the field, but if you know where to look you can still find small pockets of prairie that look much like they did before European settlers first arrived in the area.

Many Will County preserves include remnant prairies, but a few in particular serve as interesting examples because of why they have been left mostly undisturbed through the years.

11/12/2024

Learn about contemporary life of Native Americans in the United States in our Indige-Facts exhibit on display through Sunday, Dec. 8. The exhibit, on loan from the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, explores topics such as accepted terminology and population size to the sovereign rights of Native people. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Museum admission is always free!

9/21/2024-12/8/2024: Learn about the lives and experiences of Native peoples in the United States in this exhibit on loan from the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian.

11/08/2024

Don't let the kids have all the fun on field trips! We're hosting an adults-only BYOB Field Trip After Hours from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. Join us for trivia and other fun activities and take some time to explore the museum's exhibits as well as the "Indige-facts" exhibit on loan from the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian.

11/21/2024: Join Isle a la Cache interpreters for a night at the museum including trivia, a night hike and more.

11/06/2024

Gray wolves are canines, related to coyotes and even our pet dogs. They no longer freely roam Illinois, although they once did. Learn more about these creatures in this story from Willy's Wilderness, our nature website for kids.

They are playful, intelligent and devoted to family. They care for their sick, educate their young and have complex social lives. Are we talking about people? No, these are gray wolves. Canis lupus, as gray wolves are known scientifically, look a lot like a big dog. They are the ancestors to your pe...

11/04/2024

Get ready for Thanksgiving with our limited-edition "I'm Just Here for the Pie" sweatshirt! Perfect for the pie lover in your life (or yourself!). Available in two cozy styles for just $30 (youth) and $40 (adult). Shop now at OutsiderThreads.com and celebrate the season with some turkey-inspired style!

Get ready to strut your stuff this holiday season with our cozy sweatshirt focusing on two mainstays of holiday gatherings: Turkey and pie.

11/01/2024

Hear history go boom during a Living History Encounter from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. This drop-in program will include live demonstrations of 18th-century weapons, including muskets and a cannon.

11/10/2024: Hear history go boom as you learn about weaponry of the 18th century at our Living History Encounter.

11/01/2024

Starting today, you can grab your 2025 dog park permit! 🐶 They are good for the remainder of 2024 and all of 2025. Let your pup enjoy some off-leash fun, socialization and exercise in our dog parks. Fetch your permit and see details here >>> https://tinyurl.com/4cue5cmp.

10/29/2024

If you ever wander through the woods and spot clusters of dark, finger-like growths poking up from the ground, you might have encountered Xylaria polymorpha, better known as "dead man’s fingers!" True to its name, dead man’s fingers often appears as dark, shriveled "fingers" reaching out of the forest floor. Look for it at the base of decaying hardwoods like oak.

10/25/2024

What do Día de los Mu***os, monarch butterflies and milkweed have in common? Find out at our Winged Souls and Milkweed program from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. You'll learn the connection between the Mesoamerican holiday and beloved monarch butterflies and also get some milkweed seeds to take home. Registration is required.

11/2/2024: What do Día de los Mu***os, monarch butterflies and milkweed have in common? Learn the connections in this program.

10/24/2024

Unlock the secrets of nature’s past by signing up for our Curiosity Cabinets: Unlocked program on Sunday, Oct. 27! Explore the origins of the curiosity cabinet in a hands-on program. A naturalist will lead a lively presentation and invite you to bring your own special item – anything from a fossil to a family heirloom – to contribute to our group's "cabinet of wonders." You'll get to share stories and discover the hidden histories behind your fellow participants' objects. Don’t miss this chance to showcase your own treasures and unravel the mysteries behind them. All items will be safely returned, ready to go home with you after our fun and educational adventure. Registration is required by Friday, Oct. 25, so sign up while you still can!

10/21/2024

Our monthly Museum Campus Day open house on Saturday, Oct. 26, allows visitors to explore Isle a la Cache Museum as well as the Traders Cabin and Native American longhouse to learn about our region's role in the fur-trade era and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Isle a la Cache Museum is always free to visit!

10/26/2024: Visit Isle a la Cache Museum to explore the buildings on the campus and learn about the French fur traders and Potawatomi who once called this area home.

10/18/2024

Unlock the mystery of curiosity cabinets and learn how these collections morphed into the museums we know and love in this program from 10:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 27. Bring your own curiosity item — maybe a fossil or seashell — to display and learn about other wonders people have brought. All items will be returned after the program. Registration is required.

10/27/2024: Unlock the mystery of curiosity cabinets and learn how these natural collections morphed into the museums we have today.