Northern Illinois University is closing its Lorado Taft Field Campus at the end of the year.
The campus in Ogle County holds outdoor education classes, summer camps, and conferences.
It used to offer an outdoor education degree program. That was discontinued in 1999.
In a statement, NIU’s Rena Cotsones said the facilities required significant financial support -- and those needs have only increased since the pandemic.
She also said that the university values its legacy of creating powerful outdoor education experiences but operating a youth camp has “minimal alignment with NIU’s current mission and goals.”
The campus was once the site of an early 20th century artists’ colony led by famed sculptor Lorado Taft. It was purchased by NIU in 1951.
