An effort to make Glen Oak Park a day-long destination is a step closer to reality. Officials with the Power of Play Campaign today celebrated the opening of the Peoria Rotary Adventure Grove. The outdoor feature will eventually connect the Peoria Zoo with the PlayHouse Children’s Museum that is undergoing construction.
Emily Cahill is the Assistant Executive Director at the Peoria Park District. She says Adventure Grove will provide hands-on, interactive opportunities for children to experience the environments of local animals.
“It’s going to be able to teach kids about nature. As part of the interactive play areas, there are butterflies that include signage that allows us to change out the messages. So we can teach kids, one time, about conservation (and) another time about local animal habitats.”
Half of the cost of the 200-thousand dollar Adventure Grove project was made possible by the Rotary Club of Peoria-Downtown. The rest of the cost was paid for through a state grant.