Chesterfield: Nature, Parks and History

Chesterfield offers travelers a variety of ways to combine their stay with nature, park trails, art, history or events. If you are looking for a hotel, these themes can help you decide what to focus on during your trip. The attractions offer different highlights: the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House showcases tropical species and plants, parks offer trails and other features, and the Historic Village at Faust Park takes visitors through different architectural styles.

Butterflies, plants and an accessible house

The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is home to more than 60 tropical butterfly species and more than 150 tropical plants. They are housed in a covered Tropical Conservatory spanning 8,000 square feet. The house also includes the outdoor Native Habitat Garden, with its interactive Nature T.R.E.K. trail. This brings together tropical species and plants in the covered area, as well as a garden and an interactive trail as different themes for a visit. As you plan, you can consider whether you are especially interested in butterflies, plants or the trail.

The Butterfly House and its trails are fully accessible to visitors who use a wheelchair, walker or scooter. This information may be important when choosing your destinations if you use one of these mobility aids.

Park trails, a lake and sculptures

The River's Edge Park Trail runs around a 1.6-mile-long lake. Two wooden boardwalks and a mulched trail branch off from it. So, in addition to the route around the lake, the description includes two boardwalks and a trail with a mulch surface. The park also has a boat dock connected to a park shelter, where visitors can fish. The trail and the dock appeal to different interests: walking by the lake and fishing.

The Central Park Trail is one mile long and runs along the lake and the playground path. Central Park also has various sculptures for visitors and art enthusiasts to view. Note what the distances refer to: the 1.6 miles refers to the length of the lake at River's Edge Park; one mile is the length of the Central Park Trail. The sculptures in Central Park are a separate point of interest for art enthusiasts, whether or not the trail is your main focus.

Architectural history and events

The Historic Village at Faust Park comprises four houses and 14 other buildings. Architectural styles range from log construction to brick construction; the buildings date from 1840 to 1910. The different construction methods make the changes in materials and forms over this period a tangible theme. If you are interested in historic architecture, the houses and other buildings offer concrete examples to explore by construction style and period.

Guided tours of the Historical Village at Faust Park and Thornhill are available at group rates by appointment. Keep the appointment requirement in mind if you want to include a tour in your plans.

The Chesterfield Amphitheater can host theatrical, musical, educational and business events. This range makes it a possible focus for travelers interested in any of these types of events. When planning your trip, you can therefore first consider whether nature, trails, art, architecture or an event is the deciding factor. The places and themes mentioned offer different options, and you do not need to fit them all into the same stay.

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