Wildlife Prairie Park in central Illinois west of Peoria developed from a late-1960s Forest Park Foundation project led by Bill Rutherford Sr. and Hazel Rutherford. Originally planned as a breeding farm for endangered species with Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Zoological Society, it became a zoological park devoted to Illinois native plants and animals. Visitors first entered in September 1977, and the park officially opened in 1978. Spread across 1,800 acres, it houses more than 150 animals from 60 species and emphasizes recreation, distinctive hand-built structures using reused materials, and unusual lodging. Ownership later shifted between the state and a local not-for-profit, while the park remained a strong regional destination.