The Prairie Restoration movement began at Santa Fe Prairie when Floyd Swink, chief taxonomist at the Morton Arboretum, brought Dr. Robert Betz to the site in 1959. Dr. Betz, a biologist at Northeastern Illinois University, was so fascinated by seeing a real prairie he promptly resolved to pursue prairie restoration.
The first major success in the effort to save Santa Fe Prairie came in 1988 when Stan Johnson, Chairman of the Civic Center Authority, convinced the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to let the Authority manage the site. He then recruited Karen Stasky and Gregg Starr as site stewards. After decades of persuasion, the Railway donated the Prairie along with a caboose to the Civic Center Authority in 1998. The caboose has been restored and now serves as a visitor center. It is open Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.