Getting there
Spring Valley’s main address is 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. Volkening Heritage Farm is listed at 201 S. Plum Grove Road. Use the official map to plan your walk between areas.
Places to Explore · Illinois
Woodland boardwalks, prairie paths, pond wildlife, and a visit to Volkening Heritage Farm in Schaumburg.
Spring Valley is a 135-acre refuge of fields, woods, marshes, and streams managed by Schaumburg Park District. More than three miles of walking trails connect its natural areas with the historic farm landscape.
These photographs bring together visits in different seasons: autumn paths, spring birds and ducklings, summer flowers, and close looks at life around the pond. The farm photographs add another part of the visit, with horses, cattle, pigs, and chickens at Volkening Heritage Farm.
Woodland boardwalks and open prairie paths show different sides of Spring Valley. Fresh green growth, summer grasses, and autumn leaves give the same landscape a changing character.
Great blue herons and pied-billed grebes share the pond, while mallard families explore the shallows. Other photographs catch smaller birds and a hawk among the branches.
A resting deer, a squirrel, a basking turtle, and frogs on floating leaves reward a slower look around the trails and water. Dragonflies and butterflies add smaller details.
Small woodland blossoms and bright summer flowers bring color to the collection. These photographs record what was in bloom during the visits, rather than a complete plant list.
Spring Valley also includes Volkening Heritage Farm, a living-history site interpreting Schaumburg’s rural German farming community of the 1880s. During scheduled hours, interpreters share seasonal farm work and everyday life from that period. These photographs include the farm setting and its domestic animals.
Plan a visit
Spring Valley’s main address is 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. Volkening Heritage Farm is listed at 201 S. Plum Grove Road. Use the official map to plan your walk between areas.
General admission is free; some special farm events may charge admission. The district describes the trails as accessible. Check the current map and conditions for the route and facilities you need.
Stay on marked trails. Pets and bicycles are not permitted, and visitors must not feed wildlife or farm livestock. Follow staff guidance around the farm animals.
Grounds, farm buildings, and visitor facilities have different seasonal hours. As checked October 26, 2026, the district lists the nature center as closed for renovations. Check official updates before visiting.
Visitor information: Schaumburg Park District — Spring Valley · Volkening Heritage Farm · Official trail map.
Photographs by Brian Woolman / Where’s Wildlife.