Shawnee Prairie Preserve SHAWNEE NATURE CENTER — Attraction in Greenville

Dark County Parks has their office and Nature Center here. The naturalists have tons of great classes and for kids and family friendly events all year long, and most are free or very inexpensive. The park itself has hiking trails, birdwatching, geocaching, several live animals, an outdoor play area for the kids, an operational blacksmith shop, and more.

Edit 08/02/23: There is at least one person living in the woods at the southwest corner of the park. Was on a walk with my daughter and saw him sneaking in from the drive where the park borders the model airplane place's driveway and enter the woods at around 40.0937495, -84.6457254 and lift up a blanket or tarp and disappear. Maybe he's harmless and just down on his luck, but who knows anymore. There were some unattended kids out there running around and it was worrisome. We warned them and hung around long enough to make sure they got...

A wonderful place with History personified a few times a year without gadgets and electronics, unless you count the microphones outside that deliver the bird sounds to the inside as they congregate outside your windows! The log “cabin” and blacksmith shop is straight out of the 1700s. They bake real pies and breads in the authentic Cobb oven, and many people perform acoustically like they did in the olden days without lights, except fires they build. Many acres of woods and trails are explored by people of all ages and some old farm equipment, some powered by horses are exhibited several times a year with real crops they used to process! Quite a lesson around each corner, including some raptors (caged) and crafts of the artistic and functional variety are at these larger functions like Prairie Days. You may drive out most days and just walk around, which is...

It was a lovely place and the women I spoke to at the desk was a doll! I gave only 3 stars for the sad snapping turtle inside the welcome center. It’s enclosure is so small and not that for an animal anywhere near it’s size and also because when we stumbled upon the turtle, the poor things arm was trapped in the filter and couldn’t free himself. I posted photos and I’ll post a video. I got so lost in the beautiful trails outside that I forgot to mention it to the staff before I left. But I truly hope for its sake that it is set free or given a...