The Vision

The Hitchcock Design Group, the same firm that designed the renowned Children's Garden at the Chicago-area Morton Arboretum, took Riverside's vision for a landscape of adventure and imagination and transformed it into a Master Plan.

These drawings and images illustrate the possibilities should Riverside's dream of having our own land become a reality. Just imagine...

The Hub

The Hub is the gateway to the Riverside campus, welcoming new and returning visitors. It is a place where apprentices gather to gain the vision they need to see the big picture of their lives. It is also the embodiment of what education at Riverside Means: fostering adventure, imagination, and the vision of life as an adventurous pilgrimage to heaven.

Like young saplings boys need to be rooted in the reality of this world, and yet gain the wisdom of heaven, which waters their thirsty souls. The Hub is the place to gather and learn before embarking on adventure.

The Lodge

The Lodge is the public face of Riverside, welcoming new and returning visitors into flexible break-out spaces that can be customized to the day's purpose. This building serves many purposes, housing the primary education classrooms, a kitchen capable of serving large events, a library and an indoor dinning hall.

Observation Decks

Observation Decks provide panoramic views of the property. Shade trees poke through the planks, zip lines launch riders into the site, while tube slides peek out from underneath the deck. A small water-play element on the west edge of the deck flows into an aqueduct that makes it’s way towards The Treehouse.

Central Hub/Orientation

A welcoming area to gather before entering in the landscape of adventure and imagination. Here families can sit and enjoy an afternoon conversation, as the kids play on the lawn. It is the central meeting location upon arrival at Riverside.

Conifer Council Ring

Located at the front of the Riverside property and surrounded by an arboretum of evergreen trees and shrubs, the council ring is the ideal location to experience the golden hour or experiment with echoes. Fans of C. S. Lewis will recognize an iconic lamppost set among the evergreens which serves as a beacon of light from the road.

The Grove

The Grove is a versatile space focused on celebrating community and culture in the great outdoors. With multiple areas for informal and formal events and performances, the mission of The Grove is to bring people together and step outside the ordinary world.

The Hobbit Hole

The Hobbit Hole: Riverside students and guests can enter the cozy home for numerous program opportunities. The Spider's Web above opportunities to traverse the slope and discover new points of entry to the hobbit hole in the form of trap doors and rope ladders.

The Stage

The Stage is a theater-in-the round venue surrounded by trees and twinkling lights; it is a magical location to experience the creative arts. Seating options are many from stone boulder seats to a "box" in the Great Maple treehouse, which alternatively could be a light and sound booth.

The Great Maple

The Great Maple is located in the center of the Grove. A treehouse in its lower branches provides multiple means of climbing, culminating in a platform that overlooks the north half of The Grove and beyond.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall is the premier gathering space with a dining space that has an Oxfordian feel: dark wood tables for great feasts and a raised stage that overlooks the merry revelers. This is an inspiring place to foster community and to provide a grand setting that helps cast the Riverside vision.

The Workshop

It is enormously satisfying to fix and build things. Featuring numerous functional spaces, The Workshop provides these opportunities enabling exceptional and inspired creation while teaching patience and craftsmanship.

Machine Shop

From simple machinery to electronics, engines, and metal working, this state-of -the art facility is designed for tinkering and inventing. An indoor model train also gives boys the chance to layout their own world as well as service the trains that run through the space year round.

Wood Barn

The main purpose is to provide the space, tools, and instruction necessary for boys to work with wood. Programing within this space varies from traditional craftsmanship to artistic expression to production including the creation of canoes and musical instruments.

Frontier

The Frontier presents a chance for visitors to test themselves. By traveling to the far edges of Riverside, these brave pioneers will learn to not only survive, but thrive.

Frontier Settlement

Harkening back to the age of pioneers, cowboys, and the untamed American west, campers will learn woodcraft, survival skills, and archery, as well as experience the rich world of cowboy culture in the form of tall-tales, folklore, and poetry. For those seeking greater adventure, the ranger curriculum and tent camping area provide greater opportunities to become one with nature.

Adventure Campground

The adventure campground provides an oasis from the busy world, where boys, girls, and whole families can experience the beauty and challenges of nature. Imagine staying in one of our Yurts during the evening, and the next morning enjoying the archery and rifle range. Gather around the fire ring and tell stories, play music, feast, and enjoy quality time with friends and family.

April 5, 2025 | The Elm, 23 W. Harris Ave. La Grange

The Vision

The Hub

The Grove

The Workshop

Frontier

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