Crabtree Nature Center

Crabtree Nature Center is a nature education facility operated by the Forest Preserves of Cook County in Barrington Hills, Illinois. The center features native wildlife rehabilitation exhibits, hiking trails through restored prairie and wetland habitats, and educational programming about the ecosystems of the greater Chicago region.

The center’s raptor exhibits house non-releasable birds of prey including barn owls, red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls that serve as educational ambassadors. These birds were injured in the wild and cannot survive independently, so they help visitors learn about native raptors and their ecological importance.

Crabtree Nature Center holds American Humane Certified status for its animal care programs, making it one of the few nature centers in the country to achieve this distinction.