The Kane County Forest Preserve District’s new archery complex in Elburn is set to open in early June, the district said on Wednesday.
The new complex will be one of only a few public archery ranges in the Chicago area, district officials said.
To commemorate the opening, the district is hosting a grand opening event for the public on June 6 featuring a demonstration and opportunities to try out archery.
In 2023, the Forest Preserve District was awarded a $600,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant to make the $1.2 million archery project possible, the district said. The state-financed grant is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which awarded funding to 118 forest preserve districts, conservation agencies and parks during that grant year.
The project includes the archery complex itself, as well as a picnic shelter, mowed trails, interpretive signage, restrooms and an entry drive with parking, the Kane County Forest Preserve District said in a news release. It also includes the restoration of a 62-acre tallgrass prairie.
According to Forest Preserve District Executive Director Benjamin Haberthur, the Arrowwood Point Archery Complex, at Mill Creek Greenway Forest Preserve in Elburn, will be the only public range in Kane County, and one of only a few in the Chicago area.
Haberthur also pointed to the new range’s offerings.
“With three distinct options, traditional, elevated and crossbow, we have a range for every archery style,” he said in the news release.
The grand opening event at the complex will begin at 11 a.m. on June 6, according to the release.
The event will give visitors of all ages the chance to try archery for free, with no experience necessary, the Forest Preserve District said. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the basics of archery while using Forest Preserve District equipment, with guidance from certified staff, the release said. The first 150 participants will also receive a commemorative patch, according to the district.
Staff will also be available at the event to answer questions about archery gear, future range use and how to get started in archery, the district said in the news release.
The grand opening will also include a live archery demonstration by the Kane County 4-H Youth Program.
Following the event, the archery complex will officially open for the public to use at 1 p.m., district officials said.
