Joliet Iron Works Launches Audio Tour
The Forest Preserve District of Will County has launched an app-based audio tour of the historic iron-manufacturing site.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in National Parks
The Forest Preserve District of Will County launched an audio tour of the Joliet Iron Works Historic Site, accessed through the Open Audio Tours app. The tour narrates the site's history as an iron-manufacturing plant in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Why it matters
The self-guided format lets visitors explore the site's industrial history on their own schedule, and the tour can also be accessed without visiting the site. The Forest Preserve hopes to add more audio tours through the same platform.
The interpretive trail is a 1.25-mile round trip with 12 narrated stops triggered by location, and the tour takes between a half-hour and an hour to complete. The app includes dozens of historical photos, with no timeline given for future tours.
The players
Forest Preserve District of Will County
The Illinois forest preserve agency that operates the Joliet Iron Works Historic Site and launched the audio tour, managing public natural and historic lands across Will County.
The details
Visitors access the tour through the Open Audio Tours app on the App Store and Google Play, or via a QR code posted at either end of the trail. Narration begins automatically when visitors reach predetermined locations, and the tour can be started from either end of the interpretive trail.
Timeline
Late 1800s and early 1900s: Joliet Iron Works operates as a bustling iron-manufacturing plant.
November 6, 2026: The audio tour is publicly announced.
Roadmap
The Forest Preserve District of Will County is using the Open Audio Tours app to deliver a self-guided tour of the Joliet Iron Works Historic Site, and it hopes to extend the same format to other preserve tours. The move reflects a broader shift among local parks agencies toward app-based interpretation that reaches visitors without staffed programs.
Visitors planning a trip should budget between a half-hour and an hour for the full 1.25-mile round-trip tour, and can download the Open Audio Tours app or scan the QR code at either trail entrance before arriving. The tour can also be previewed at home by searching for Joliet Iron Works in the app.
The takeaway
Downloading the app before arriving lets visitors start the self-guided tour immediately at either end of the trail. Previewing the stops at home can help plan a visit around the 12 narrated locations.
Further reading
Explore more about National Parks to see how historic sites like this one are preserved for visitors.
Source note: This article includes information reported by eNews Park Forest.
