The Grass Is Rattling Exhibit at the Wildlife Discovery Center

Welcome to The Grass Is Rattling (GIR) Conservation Program and Exhibit featuring one of the nation’s largest public exhibits of rattlesnakes and other venomous reptiles. This internationally acclaimed program would not be possible without the involvement and support of The City of Lake Forest and the entire Lake Forest Community is to be commended for their commitment to this program. The GIR is part of the Wildlife Discovery Center located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The WDC has been in existence since 1996 and features and extensive display of reptiles, amphibians and raptors. The best way to describe us is that we are a combination of a zoo (specializing in reptiles), museum (due to the rarity of the farm that we are located at), and nature center (interpreting one of the rarest ecosystems on earth; the tall grass savanna where our center is located). Between our indoor exhibits and outdoor raptor displays and nature trails, not to mention our many programs, there is something for everyone!

The GIR is one of several exhibits housed at the Wildlife Discovery Center (WDC) which is part of the City of Lake Forest’s Parks and Recreation Department, Lake Forest, Illinois. In addition to our GIR rattlesnake exhibits, we also feature many non venomous reptiles such as Illinois native herps, crocodilians, giant constrictors, rhino iguanas, giant lizards such as the Crocodile Monitor and much, much more. This exhibit is free of charge but we do encourage leaving a donation when you visit. We are located at 1401 Middlefork Drive, Lake Forest, IL 60045. Days and hours vary so check out our schedule on this website before your visit. This web page is jammed packed with all kinds of fascinating information about the animals in our exhibits, the latest research in herpetology, the Middlefork Savanna, what’s new at the Wildlife Discovery Center, staff herpetological excursions, our gift shop (with lots of great merchandise that helps to support our facility), caring for pet reptiles, upcoming events, information about birthday parties and events and much, much more. This site is also an excellent resource for students and teachers alike. Most importantly, though, this site is all about rattlesnakes! That’s how the name “The Grass Is Rattling” was thought up by the Curator. The “Grass” refers to the many prairie grasses found on the Middlefork Savanna and the “Rattling” refers to our most critically endangered reptile in Illinois, the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake which was once native in this area. The Grass Is Rattling is a dream come true for those who love rattlesnakes.

We now have a highly recognized and cutting edge conservation program to teach people about the plight of the rattlesnake along with many other threatened and endangered herps from all over the world. Rob Carmichael, Curator/Founder of the WDC, had a vision 6 years ago to begin planning the nation’s largest exhibit of rattlesnakes for the purpose of teaching the public about the many positive attributes of these misunderstood animals. One of the things he wanted to do was to give people the opportunity to get nose to nose with these magnificent creatures to see just how magnificent they really are (and do it in a very safe manner!). Folks also realize just how incredibly beautiful rattlesnakes are along with some of their amazing adaptations. We are passionate about conservation and one of the most important components to our mission is to make sure that animals like rattlesnakes have plenty of habitat to live out their lives without the pressures of the humankind. The WDC supports a variety of worldwide reptile conservation projects including: The Guatemalan Beaded Lizard, the Eastern Massasauga, the Eastern Indigo Snake, various Cyclura (rock iguanas), and more.

Although the WDC has been around for nearly 10 years, the GIR exhibit officially opened in the spring of 2004 and we have been going gangbusters ever since. Over 5000 students have completed a one day conservation program about rattlesnakes and the Middlefork Savanna. Currently, our collection in the GIR is comprised of over 30 species/subspecies of rattlesnakes, copperhead, cottonmouth, the gila monster and beaded lizard and 15 exotic venomous reptiles including “Thai” the King Cobra, a huge gaboon viper, mambas and more! The atmosphere is very intimate at this old farm and unlike large zoos, you can get right up close and personal with our beloved reptiles. Our expert animal keeper staff also serve as our educators and they are always happy to provide a personalized tour during your visit. Recently, we were featured on Animal Planet and one producer said “this is the finest facility of its kind that I have seen in the U.S. The collection was amazing, the animals well cared for and the exhibits spectacular…to be able to get so close, in a safe manner, to venomous reptiles leaves you speechless and makes you realize the good work you are doing in breaking down peoples misconceptions towards reptiles in general and to promote
conservation.”

Our facility is located at the historic Elawa Farm which was built in 1917 by world famous architects Afred Hopkins and David Adler. This is the last fully intact gentleman’s farm in the Midwest and it sits next to the Middlefork Savanna. The Middlefork Savanna, owned by the Lake County Forest Preserve District, is the finest example of a black soil, tall grass savanna in North America! It is also the perfect habitat for two extirpated animals from this area; the blanding’s turtle and the eastern massasauga. The WDC hopes
to reintroduce these animals back into this pristine ecosystem. Currently, the WDC is captive breeding these animals who will then be head started prior to being released (but we still have approvals pending with the county and state).

We will be updating this site often so make sure you become a regular visitor. Ask questions. We love hearing from folks about our program and we are always looking for feedback on how we can improve our operation.