Joliet Iron Works Historic Site

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Joliet Iron Works Historic Site

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The Forest Preserve District of Will County's Joliet Iron Works Historic Site offers picnicking, trails, and local history. Open 8 a.m.-sunset.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County's Joliet Iron Works Historic Site provides a parking area, shelter (with electricity), latrine, water fountain, and access to the 10.81-mile, paved/limestone I&M Canal Trail/Centennial Trail. The site protects foundations of blast furnaces and other structures from a dismantled iron manufacturing facility that operated from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. A 0.59-mile trail offers self-guided interpretive tours of the site's historical significance.

10/26/2026

The tour narrates information about the industrial history of the site, which was a bustling iron-manufacturing plant in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As visitors continue on their walk, additional narration will begin as they reach predetermined locations along the trail. Because it relies on invisible, location-based triggers to begin the narration at each of the 12 stops along the tour, visitors are able to walk at their own pace.

Visitors can download the app for a narrated tour through the once-bustling industrial site.

10/19/2026

Rather than send your jack-o'-lanterns out with the weekly trash, consider some of these more eco-friendly options.

Pumpkins are popping up everywhere these days, but once Halloween is over, don't just pitch your pumpkins. You can put them to good use instead.

10/05/2026

They can be tireless when it comes to burying nuts. A squirrel can bury as many as 3,000 nuts in a single season.

Squirrels stay busy in the fall collecting and burying nuts, but all for good reason.

09/28/2026

In addition to planning your garden to include blooms that last from spring into fall, it's also a good idea to include plants with varied colors, shapes and scents, which will help attract many different insects and other wildlife. And don't forget water. Late-flowering native plants will feed pollinators well into fall, but like all animals, they also need a good source of water. A shallow dish or bowl of water is sufficient, or you can add stones to a birdbath, giving the insects a place to perch while drinking.

Fall is a trying time for pollinating insects. They're still in need of food and water even as their regular sources begin to fade away as autumn fully sets in. You can help by planting late-blooming native plants and providing for their needs.

09/21/2026

Garden spiders are a type of orb weaver, a group of spiders that are usually large and colorful. Orb weavers spin the classic spider web: concentric rings of spider silk held together with spokes also made from silk. Charlotte in the popular children’s book “Charlotte’s Web” is a barn spider, another type of orb weaver, and her web is a classic orb weaver web, called a planar web.

Around this time, spiders seem to pop up everywhere, and so do their webs, including some impressive orb webs created by garden spiders.

09/14/2026

Creature feature: American white pelican. These big birds migrate through our area each spring and fall. Some preserves where you might see them include McKinley Woods in Channahon, Rock Run Rookery Preserve in Joliet and Lake Renwick Preserve in Plainfield. They are big birds, standing between 4 feet and 5 ½ feet tall with a wingspan of about 9 feet. On average, they weigh about 14 pounds!

Pelicans love fish. Unlike brown pelicans, which dive into the water to catch fish, white pelicans forage for fish while swimming through the water. They dip their heads and bills into the water to scoop up fish to eat. In addition to fish, they also eat crayfish, tadpoles and even salamanders.

Fun fact: Pelicans can hold up to 3 gallons of water in their large bills! But contrary to popular belief, they don’t store food in their bills. They eat their food as they catch it.

(Photo courtesy of Kenzo Pan)

American white pelicans make their presence known in Will County twice a year, so get to know more about these biannual visitors in our creature feature.

08/31/2026

Chances are that if you go outside in the spring, summer and early fall, you are going to encounter something yellow buzzing past you. One of the most common and most recognizable of those bright flying friends is the bumble bee.

The black and gold bumble bee is the state bee of Illinois. Learn where you might see if buzzing by.

08/24/2026

Looking for a new place to visit? Step into Joliet’s industrial past at Joliet Iron Works Historic Site, where the remnants of a once-bustling iron manufacturing facility create a striking landscape along the Des Plaines River. The 52-acre preserve offers a unique mix of history and nature, inviting visitors to explore the ruins, imagine the site in its heyday and enjoy the surrounding riverside scenery.

08/17/2026

The super monarchs can travel 50 miles or even 100 miles per day, but their wings don’t do all the work. They often ride on thermal air currents, sometimes as high as 1 mile above the ground.

The monarchs you see at this time of the year are truly special, part of a 'super generation' that's different than the three generations that preceded it.

08/11/2026

Our waters are home to many duck species, but none as ornate as the wood duck, which looks like a duck dressed up for a special occasion. As is common among ducks, it's the males that are most striking, sporting bold white stripes along with a chestnut breast and flashes of emerald green. Females are more subdued, but with blue patches on their wings and a noticeable white ring around their eyes.

(Photo courtesy of Joe Viola)

It should come as no surprise that wood ducks love trees, but that's not all that is unique about them.

Address

Columbia Street, Off Scott Street And East Of Ruby Street Bridge
Joliet, IL
60432

Telephone

+18157278700

Website

http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/

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