ParkTalk Blog – A Virtual Guide Through Nature

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

As one of the agency’s core values, the Naperville Park District is committed to educating the community on the local ecosystem, and the Knoch Knolls Nature Center is a representation of the District’s broader environmental stewardship and sustainability efforts. Located at 320 Knoch Knolls Road, the Nature Center hosts various environmentally-themed programs throughout the year, and the facility is open to drop-in visitors Monday-Saturday. The lobby of the Nature Center is full of interactive displays and live animals exhibits to observe, providing engaging resources for families and visitors of all ages to learn about local wildlife.

Knoch Knolls Nature Center kiosk main menu.

In September 2024, as part of the Knoch Knolls Nature Center’s 10th anniversary, the Naperville Park District unveiled an interactive kiosk in the lobby that replaced a similar station that provided increased space for other nature topics as well. The kiosk is user friendly and the Park District can update the content over time. With a few simple taps on the screen, anyone can learn about the local environment and understand more about the green initiatives the Park District works diligently to implement across its operations.

Building Green

Display screen for the Building Green section.

By exploring the Building Green section, visitors can learn more about the building they are visiting and better understand the Park District’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. Knoch Knolls Nature Center was designed to minimize the amount of electricity and water required and to limit its impact on the planet with features like solar panels, a 1,400-gallon water cistern, walls of windows for natural light and more. The impetus for installing the kiosk was to replace an older version of the Building Green exhibit which featured physical buttons and became worn down over years of use. By implementing this information into a digital kiosk, visitors can continue to learn about specific sustainable features of the facility for years to come. 

Learn About Nature

Display screen for the Learn About Nature section

Naperville is inhabited by a diverse population of wildlife, and the Nature Center’s kiosk gives visitors the resources to learn about the creatures and plants that make up our ecosystem. Featuring information from the www.napervilleparks.org/learnaboutnature webpage, this section of the kiosk displays various topics related to local wildlife. Each page directs visitors to singular topics regarding animals and plants and describes their physiology. Additionally, some pages detail animals that call the Nature Center their home such as Lucky the Tiger Salamander or Shelldon the Box Turtle. This feature helps visitors become more ecologically minded and connects them to the world around them by providing background information that will enhance their outdoor experiences. 

Hike Map

Map display of the hiking route to the confluence.

Knoch Knolls Nature Center is a part of Knoch Knolls Park, a vast natural area where visitors can hike, fish, canoe, play disc golf, and much more. There are multiple trails throughout the park that present varying degrees of challenge for hikers , including a two-mile round-trip hike to the confluence. Following along the DuPage River Trail through Knoch Knolls Park, this hike leads to the two intersecting branches of the DuPage River. The confluence is home to a diverse range of plants and animals and historically was the meeting place for prehistoric people, Native Americans, fur traders and early settlers. With the convenience of the Nature Center kiosk, visitors can map out their own personal adventure to this historic piece of land.

Additional Features

The kiosk currently features seven topics to explore, including the previously mentioned Building Green, Learn About Nature, and Hike Map sections. The other topics, Nature Blogs, Mobile Tours, Mussel Matters film, and Upcoming Events, also are excellent resources for visitors. The Nature Blogs page displays a QR code for visitors to scan with their smartphones, bringing them to the Knoch Knolls Blog webpage. The Mobile Tour section also displays a QR code along with four different outdoor mobile tours that serve as educational guides through Knoch Knolls Park. Mussel Matters is a short video exclusive to the Nature Center kiosk highlighting the plight of our freshwater mussels and their important role in our aquatic ecosystems. Finally, the Upcoming Events page is an interactive calendar visitors can use to discover programs or events coming soon to the facility.

The Knoch Knolls Nature Center is open to public year-round Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m., as well as Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The Nature Center is closed on Sundays. For additional information on the Knoch Knolls Nature Center, including programs and news, visit www.napervilleparks.org/knochknollsnaturecenter.