Joliet Iron Works Historic Site

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.

08/03/2026

You might think of moths as just dull butterflies, but wait! These tiny (and sometimes not so tiny) flying creatures are quite complex.

Think moths are just dull butterflies? Think again! Discover how to tell moths from butterflies and learn about some amazing Illinois moths.

07/27/2026

Joliet is known as both the City of Steel and the City of Stone, and the story of the city's industrial past is told along the trail traversing the remains of an iron and steel plant at Joliet Iron Works Historic Site on the city's east side. The facility was operational from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, and the Forest Preserve District acquired land for the 52-acre site between 1991 and 1997.

Today, the ruins of the iron works provide a glimpse into the city's past, with visitors being able to walk the 0.59-mile trail with interpretive signs installed along the way detailing the work done at the site and the lives of the people employed there. The foundations on the site are all that remains of the once bustling steel mill, but walking the site gives a feel for the industry that shaped Joliet into the industrial center that it once was.

(Photos by Anthony Schalk)

07/17/2026

The Kickin' It at the Iron Works event on July 17 has been canceled due to hazardous air quality.

7/17/2026: Step back in time along the legendary Route 66 and discover a hidden giant of America’s industrial past.

07/14/2026

Have you explored the ruins at Joliet Iron Works? Kickin' It at the Iron Works is your chance to discover the stories behind this remarkable historic site while enjoying live blacksmithing, historic photos and a self-guided walk through the preserve to learn the stories of the people who helped shape the city and the region.

Kickin' It at the Iron Works
When: 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 17
Where: Joliet Iron Works Historic Site

7/17/2026: Step back in time along the legendary Route 66 and discover a hidden giant of America’s industrial past.

07/13/2026

The hoot of the great horned owl is the quintessential hoot. They call out hoo-h-hoo-hoo-hoo into the night, with males and females sometimes singing back and forth to one another.

(Photo courtesy of John Thebikeman)