Andresen Nature Center, 409 N. 4th Street, Fulton, IL, is located to the south of the entrance to Heritage Canyon. Both family-friendly attractions share dates and operating hours for the City of Fulton Christmas Walk. The Nature Center is open from noon to 6:00 p.m., on Saturday, December 7, 2024. Admission is free. The phone number is 815-208-7059.
Director Kyle Kopf stated Andresen Nature Center is a perfect place to visit, after people have visited Heritage Canyon. They can wait inside for the City of Fulton Jolly Trolley to take them back downtown to Fulton Corporation. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes between noon and 5:30 p.m.
The center has a unique addition to its wide collection of taxidermied wildlife mounts. This white, luscistic opossum differs from an albino animal, because its eyes are not are not pink. The opossum’s fur, nose, and tail developed without typical dark coloration. A resting fawn is a popular mount, as is the playful bobcat.
Two bee hives are always of interest, and one is an indoor, observation hive. Unfortunately, Kopf said, “We lost all our bees,” this year. The outdoor hive typically held 40,000 bees; the observation hive had 20,000 winged residents. But the bees produced seven gallons of honey before their demise! Visitors on Saturday, December 7, may taste some.