Wildlife Prairie Park
Architect: Richard L. Doyle
William “Bill” Rutherford was associated for many years with the Forest Park Foundation, which formed Wildlife Prairie Park in the 1960s with an ingenious mission.
Rather than being a traditional zoo with exotic animals, it would feature plants and animals native to Illinois, and take visitors back to prairie times. Once again, Peoria was innovating and looking toward the future while honoring the past.
It officially opened in 1978.
Watch buffalo and elk in something approaching their natural habitat at Wildlife Prairie Park, and appreciate that Bill and Hazel Rutherford showed the way in turning something withered and unproductive – in this case an abandoned strip mine – into a vibrant, 2,000-acre community treasure and environmental success story.
