A lot of people make fun of the fact that the Midwest is so flat, but its big blue sky and expanse of prairie grass is quite endearing. Dotted with rustic red barns, bucolic farm fields stretch as far as the eye can see. The clean scent of fresh mown hay drift along the gentle summer breezes. I love our state of Illinois and adore the beauty of all the old barns. You’ll discover they appear in a variety of colors but my absolute favorite is the rustic red barn.
This pair of beauties resides in Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve. The preserve itself is peaceful and idyllic and I love that history has been respected with the preservation of several buildings on the property. I shared photos of the barn on the left previously, so today I’m focusing on the second barn on the right.
Isn’t she gorgeous? I love this rustic red barn’s peeling paint, white trim, and cute outdoor light.
A gravel drive leads you to the side door of the barn at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve. I have many memories of this park, most of which occurred in high school but we won’t go there right now. <Smile>
Farm implements dot the property surrounding the barns. School children come here for field trips, runners like me come here to run the bike path that runs through the preserve, and families of all ages enjoy picnics.
The large silo wears a matching red roof, slightly rusted which adds to its character.
The south end of this rustic red barn has its own special charm and details, like the stonework surrounding the door.
A pair of iron lanterns flank the rustic red barn door.
So much attention to detail has been given to the buildings and surrounding grounds. It’s truly beautiful out here! The historic Pioneer Sholes School is located here as well and I shared photos of it in a previous post.
On this particular day, the sky was slightly overcast creating great conditions for taking photos of this beautiful rustic red barn.
Paths snake through the property creating miles of training opportunity for my upcoming marathon in November. The rustic red barns provide much needed eye candy when running mile after mile after mile. I’ll soon be taking more photos of the trails so you can enjoy Midwestern beauty as much as I do.
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I am a red barn lover and also live in the Midwest. Sure enjoyed your post.
Love, love, love the red barns and all the details….You take such great photos!
Judith
Gorgeous! I’d even live in it… wouldn’t it be fun to make a house out if that barn. If money were plentiful of course. Great post Jennifer!
This is a beautiful barn Jennifer. I love the doorway with the iron lanterns in particular. What a great place to run, walk and picnic! Have a great day! Pamela
Ooooh, love barns! This one is lovely! x
What a nice area to run. I wish I liked to run. Great shots.
The red barn is beautiful! No barns where I live. I do have huge hills 🙂
Love this Jennifer. What a beautiful piece of history. I love her in all her chippiness!!! Gorgeous post.
Kris
I think the Mid-West would be a fun place to visit. I love all the rustic barns you have in your area. They just make things feel peaceful. Adore these posts that you do with old rustic architecture that you have near your area.
Cynthia
I think you did the MID-WEST proud girl . Love this post and I want that Big Red Barn !!!!
I love your red barns. They are so different to the style we have here and ours certainly aren’t as large as yours. I think they’d be beautiful dotted around the countryside. Thank you for sharing them Jennifer.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
Barns are awesome. Seems that you found the perfect red barn with an attached silo. Great pics!
oh you KNOW how much I love these old barns…especially the RED ones! Always love your pics and descriptions!