March 19, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Interpretive center to reopen tomorrow

As the state of Illinois moves into Restore Illinois-Phase 4, the governor has authorized the reopening of museums and nature centers with some restrictions. In response, and in accordance with state guidelines, the Museum of the Grand Prairie and the Homer Lake Interpretive Center are happy to announce that they will reopen, on a limited basis, on July 8, 2020. 

Beginning July 8, 2020. Homer Lake Interpretive Center will be open from 1:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, with a limit of 10 guests at a time. Masks and social distancing will be required within the facility. Handwashing/sanitizing is encouraged before entering or upon entry to the building. Patrons are asked to check themselves and members of their party for symptoms before arriving and stay home if they are sick. 

Also beginning on July 8, 2020, the Museum of the Grand Prairie will be open from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The first hour of every Wednesday will be reserved for persons over 65, and other vulnerable groups. Patrons will be required to sign up for a time to visit. Sign up times will be available by pressing the register/reserve button on the website www.ccfpd.org. A name and contact information will be required for each registrant in case contact tracing should be required. Visits are scheduled in increments of an hour, and there will be a limit of 10 patrons per hour in order to keep patrons and staff safe and facilitate cleaning. Masks and social distancing will be required within the facility. Handwashing/sanitizing is encouraged before entering or upon entry to the building. Patrons are asked to check themselves and members of their party for symptoms before arriving and stay home if they are sick. 

Visitors should note that many hands-on, interactive experiences may be closed, or removed temporarily as required by the governor’s office and local public health officials. The Museum of the Grand Prairie’s Discovering Home exhibit, on the lower level, will be closed until further notice. Bathrooms and popular public areas will be cleaned on a regular basis. 

The Champaign County Forest Preserve District strives to keep its users safe while offering its great educational opportunities. It is likely that we will increase hours in the coming months as the COVID-19 virus statistics improve. Meanwhile, the Museum and Education Department will continue to offer excellent programming on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube. Find us there! 

Banner
Related Posts

Little Prince and Princess applications being accepted

July 1, 2019

July 1, 2019

The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring the Little Prince and Princess event in conjunction with the St....

Get to know to know SJO Senior Marching Band member Maya Hewkin

October 21, 2022

October 21, 2022

My favorite thing about marching band is the connection between the students. Being in band is like being a part...

Senior spotlight… Luke Cohen

October 22, 2019

October 22, 2019

Every week we ask a senior five questions. This week we talked to Luke Cohen. What do you want to...

Senior Spotlight: Katelyn Berry

June 11, 2019

June 11, 2019

Every week we ask an SJO senior five questions. This week we talked to Katelyn Berry. This post is sponsored...

Grindley keeps positive attitude during pandemic

May 26, 2020

May 26, 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic that we are all experiencing, it’s just not high school athletes that are being affected. Lucas...

‘Being the first of anything comes with challenges, but also a lot of opportunity’

July 13, 2021

July 13, 2021

St. Joseph Village Administrator Joseph Hackney likes challenges. “Being the first of anything comes with challenges, but also a lot...

‘No one believed in our kids and our teams more than he did’

April 24, 2024

April 24, 2024

Dan Wright loved life.  He loved his family. He loved his community.  Wright passed away on March 19 in Florida. ...

Spartan Spotlight… Lindsey Aden

April 8, 2020

April 8, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Lindsey Aden has big plans for her future. Aden, who lives outside of Royal, will be attending...

10 things you don’t know about me… Taylor Baldner

January 29, 2020

January 29, 2020

This week we asked Taylor Baldner of Taylor-Made Photography to tell us 10 things about herself. Baldner has recently joined...

Around Town May 27-June 1

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

May 28 St. Joseph Village Board meeting 7 p.m. Village Hall 207 E. Lincoln SJO School Board 6 p.m. St....

Wheelhouse steps up to help community

August 19, 2020

August 19, 2020

Abbie Layden-Rogiers and her husband Ryan Rogiers have always wanted to help the community. The owners of The Wheelhouse in...

A field of art

October 17, 2019

October 17, 2019

Call it art in progress. The fans at St. Joseph-Ogden High School always take note of the painted field, endzones,...

Kids say… what does a farmer do?

December 22, 2019

December 22, 2019

This week we asked students at St. Joseph Grade School to tell us what they think a farmer does. What...

Around town April 10-14

April 10, 2019

April 10, 2019

APRIL 10Free Movie Matinee: Green BookHomer Library 1 p.m. In this Oscar Award winning movie, a working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes...

Franzen chosen to lead middle school

March 30, 2021

March 30, 2021

The new St. Joseph Middle School Principal will be a familiar face. The St. Joseph Consolidated Community School Board voted...

Comments
Leave a Reply