Visit the MY Garage Museum today to see like-new classics, movie cars, race winners and one-of-a-kinds. Models, motors and memorabilia round out the collection for an unforgettable trip down memory lane. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

The Museum houses literally thousands of pieces of automotive collectibles and memorabilia. The facility also showcases an actual 1910 gas station that was moved and restored on site. However, the most significant pieces in the collection are the bevy of prototype, concept and racing vehicles.

The Museum has refocused emphasis from rare, low-mileage originals to showcasing automobiles that car lovers would not be able to see close up anywhere else. Between 15 and 20 care are on display with the specific Corvette or Air-Cooled VW displays changing throughout the year.

The MY Garage Retail Store is full of items for the true motor head. We have a variety of products from Books and Wheels to Cleaning Supplies and Leather Jackets. If you don’t see it on display, browse our fine catalogs and we can deliver directly to you from the warehouse. Check out our in-store discounts on discontinued and one-of-a-kind closeouts!

MY Garage Install Center offers a select group of our most popular interior, exterior, styling and performance accessories. Let us install your parts and accessories while you sit back and relax in our customer lounge, or browse and shop in the MY Garage Museum and Retail Store!

Summer Hours (April-September)
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm CST
Saturday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CST
Sunday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm CST

Winter Hours (October-March)
Monday – Saturday: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CST
Sunday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm CST

Located in America’s Heartland: Effingham, IL, is at the intersection of Interstates 57
and 70. It is within 500 miles of Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Memphis, Louisville, St. Louis and Kansas City.

Directions:
1. Traveling on Interstate 57/70
2. Take Exit 162 (US-45 Sigel/Effingham Exit)
3. Turn right at N. US-45
4. Go North on US-45 for 1.5 miles
5. MY Garage Museum & Retail Store is the first entrance on the right.

Toll Free: 866.350.4543
17082 N US Hwy 45, Effingham, IL  62401

Email: mail@mamotorworks.com

MY Garage Museum, Retail Store & Install Center – Effingham, IL is a post from: Illinois Tourism

A great place to take kids who thirst for fun and knowledge, the Children’s Museum of Illinois presents hands-on exhibits that explore science, world cultures, art and everyday living. In “Johnston’s Supermarket,” for example, kids learn about grocery shopping (they can even choose to pay with cash or check!); meanwhile, “Where in the World Am I?” uses a camera kiosk to expose visitors to faraway places like Southeast Asia and Australia.

The museum offers a collection of ever changing exhibits designed to challenge children’s minds int he arts and sciences using hands-on learning.l  They can experience flying in a plane, climbing a culture called Luckey’s climber, or even imagine them rushing a patient to the hospital.  These are just some of the experiences your children can experience at the museum.

The museum also has educational exhibits and programs to keep the kids learning and growing.  They change regularly so you can come often and learn something new.

Admission:
Everyone 2+: $5
Children under 2: Free!
Members: Free!

Hours of Operation:
Tuesday – Friday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm

Address:
55 S. Country Club Road
Decatur, IL 62521

Contact: Melinda Shaw, Director

Phone: (217)423-5437

Email: mshaw@cmofil.com

Children’s Museum of Illinois – Decatur, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Lock 16 Center, in downtown LaSalle, is 3 miles from Interstates 80 and 39 and easy to find. Lock 16 includes a visitor center, gift shop, café, and public restrooms housed in a 1910 carriage shop.

The Lock 16 Visitor Center is home to the LaSalle Canal Boat ticket sales and activities. Two blocks away, visitors board the replica Canal Boat and enjoy an hour of scenery, history and relaxation of a mule-pulled ride on the waterway that changed the face of the nation – the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Guides, dressed as Canal Era crew and passengers, take visitors back to life on the American frontier and the Illinois prairie.

Visitors also our mule tender Matt and our mules, Larry and Mo at the corral. Matt explains what Larry and Mo’s life is like – what their job is here on the canal, what they eat, where they live, and tell stories about the horses and mules that worked along the canal in the 1840s and 1850s.

A few steps from the boat dock and the mule corral, visitors meet ten passengers who rode a canal boat between 1848 and 1853 and three men who worked on the packet boats. These full size steel silhouettes and their labels introduce you to famous and not-so-famous people who walked here before you. Among the famous, see mule driver Wild Bill Hickok, Abraham Lincoln and his family, and Chief Shabonna.

Lock 16 is frequented by locals and tourists. The Canal Boat and Lock 16 offer special event space for weddings, rehearsal night dinners, showers, birthday parties, and corporate meetings. Come visit Lock 16 and the LaSalle Canal Boat!  There is a Lock 16 gift shop which is full of charming and unique gifts including a large variety for all seasons and many items made locally.  The Lock 16 Café serves homemade food for breakfast and lunch. Homemade desserts, ice cream, and specialty coffee drinks make Lock 16 the perfect stop for a snack.

LaSalle Canal Boat – LaSalle, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

“Brief History of the City of Lincoln and Logan County

Lincoln, Illinois, established in 1853, was the only town named for Abraham Lincoln before he became President of the United States. Lincoln came to the new town site on August 27, 1853 at which time lots were to be sold. At this time he was regionally well known as a one-term Congressman and popular trial lawyer, though not yet nationally known. He had been asked prior to this to christen the town, and that he did on that day. Taking juice from a pile of watermelons stacked nearby, he poured the juiced on the ground, after which the town lots were sold.
Lincoln was no stranger to the area which would later become Logan County. In 1834 he surveyed the Samuel Musick Salt Creek Ferry Road through Middletown to New Salem and on towards Jacksonville, IL. Two years later he surveyed the site of Albany approximately 5 miles south of Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln assisted in establishing Logan as a county in 1839, in honor of friend Dr. John Logan, a southern Illinois Democrat whose support Lincoln needed in moving the capitol of Illinois from Vandalia to its current location in Springfield. Lincoln rode the Eighth Judicial Circuit in which Logan County was a part, from 1840 to 1860.
It was a in a letter dated March 4, 1864 to President Abraham Lincoln, in which one of the town’s proprietors Robert Latham wrote to the President informing him that a university had been established in Lincoln, IL in his honor. Latham wrote, “…the greatest difficulty will be to … build a house that will do justice to the name and place.” We believe we have succeeded.” (This section on the county was copied from the museum website)
Directions
The Lincoln Heritage Museum is easily accessible from Interstate 55. At exit 133, you will turn towards Lincoln on Woodlawn Road (which later becomes Keokuk Street). Once you pass the Union Street stoplight, look left a few blocks later for the seated Lincoln statue at the corner of Keokuk and Ottawa Street on the Lincoln College campus. The McKinstry Building houses the museum.
Address: 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln, IL 62656
Museum Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closed Holiday Break. Closed from Saturday, December 19 – Monday, January 4.   Reopened on Tuesday, January 5, 2010.   
All Federal Holidays except Lincoln’s Birthday
 
Ron Keller
Email: rkeller@lincolncollege.edu
Museum Curator and Director
217-735-5050 ext. 295

Lincoln Heritage Museum – Lincoln, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The Homestead Prairie Farm
Walk into the past to an exciting place where the days before the Civil War live on. Homestead Prairie Farm is built around the Trobaugh-Good House located at Rock Springs Conservation Area. It has been restored to let visitors explore rural life on the Grand Prairie of Illinois in 1860 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Follow in the footsteps of the Joseph Trobaugh family by visiting their home, an heirloom garden, woodworking shop, and the nearby restored Illinois prairie.

Originally constructed by an unknown builder around 1850 as a one room log house, its name comes from the first two families who lived there.

Joseph Trobaugh from Tennessee, his wife Elizabeth born in Illinois and their family were the first known occupants of the house and owned it from 1853 to 1866. Trobaugh was a farmer and sawmill operator. He changed the house by adding rooms and making other renovations.

Today the house is furnished to reflect the lifestyle of the Trobaughs, their boarders, hired hands, and neighbors in 1860, whose lives were being affected by the important changes sweeping the nation in the last years before the Civil War.

Many special events take place at the Prairie Homestead Farm including Festival of Spring, Independence Day 1860 and the Prairie Celebration. The Homestead Prairie Farm has many interpretive programs, complete with living history volunteers in period costume and 1860′s lifestyle demonstrations. Check the events schedule for dates and times or call Rock Springs at (217) 423-7708.

Hiking Trails
Rock Springs Conservation Area boasts nine different trails of varying lengths and difficulty. Most of these trails are suitable for cross-country skiing. You can view and print a map of Rock Springs Conservation Area, including the Hiking Trails, on or website.

Rock Springs Conservation Area is a post from: Illinois Tourism

To schedule a group tour please call 217-429-9422. To schedule a school group program please call 217-429-9422.

The Governor Oglesby Mansion is available to rent for special events such as receptions, dinners and weddings. Please call 217-423-7708 for more information.

Friend of Abraham Lincoln
Richard J. Oglesby is best known both as a friend and political ally of Abraham Lincoln. Oglesby helped form the “Railsplitter Candidate” image which put Lincoln in the national spotlight during the 1860 presidential election. Oglesby was also with Lincoln when he died in 1865 and as Governor of Illinois he lead the effort to build Lincoln’s Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. In his later years Oglesby helped preserve Lincoln’s historical legacy and shape the heroic legend of Abraham Lincoln through his speeches and interviews.

Richard J. Oglesby came to Decatur as a young orphan from Kentucky and became one of the city’s most prominent and best loved citizens.

His life was filled with many accomplishments including being elected three times as Governor of Illinois and appointed a United States Senator. Oglesby made a small fortune in the California Gold Rush and also fought in both the Mexican War and Civil War eventually becoming a general.

In his family life Oglesby was a father and stepfather of several children and married again after the death of his first wife.

Read more about the life and history of Richard J. Oglesby and his family.

Governor Oglesby had the Mansion built around 1874. The highlight of the Mansion’s history is a visit by former Civil War General and United States President Ulysses S. Grant in 1880. From one of the Mansion’s verandas Grant spoke to a crowd of people during an encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veterans’ association.

The Mansion possesses features of the Italianate style including brackets under the eaves, the low-pitched roof with belvedere (a flat deck area at the roof’s center with a balustrade), bay windows and verandas. The interior features vibrant parquet wood flooring, seven fireplaces and a walnut staircase. Throughout the house are furnishings of the era including several items owned by the Oglesby Family.

Governor Ogelsby Mansion – Decatur, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Patriarch
The Mueller family consisted of six sons and one daughter, born between 1858 and 1871. The sons played active roles in many facets of the growing company, including management, research and development. The children built fine homes in Decatur and two of the sons, having recognized the architectural genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, hired his firm to design residences which still stand on Decatur’s Millikin Place. The museum has exhibits tracing the family history and genealogy.

Inventory
Hieronymus Mueller was named Decatur’s first “city plumber” in 1871 to oversee an emerging water system. The following year he patented his first major invention, the Mueller Water Tapper, which is still in use today. He and his direct descendants held a total of 501 patents including the first sanitary drinking fountain, a roller skate design, and bicycle kick-stands. In 1892 Hieronymus imported a Benz auto from Germany and he and his sons immediately began refining it with such features as a reverse gear, water cooled radiator, spark plugs and a distributor. The Mueller-Benz won the first unofficial road race in the country in 1895 and later finished second in the first official race held in Chicago. The museum has many exhibits related to the inventions and patents held by the Muellers.

Businessman
Hieronymus was a good business man, putting profits back into his enterprises and building a good relationship with his workers whom he considered “family.” His sons carried on those principles after his death in 1900 and the company continued to grow adding the manufacturers of vitreous ware and related fixtures (no longer made), fire hydrants (half of all American hydrants today are Mueller), a full line of water distribution products. Mueller Co. remained in family ownership until 1986, and the company is a thriving enterprise today. The museum traces the history of the company, its employees and its products and has an excellent display of the manufacturing process used in the Decatur facility.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum – Decatur, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Take a spin on Scovill Zoo’s Endangered Species Carousel. The carousel, specially designed for Scovill Zoo, is unique to Central Illinois. It features 30 colorful, hand-carved wooden animals, representing protected and endangered species from across the globe.

The Endangered Species Carousel offers a unique educational opportunity for visitors. It provides an innovative way to encourage kids of all ages to learn more about conservation. From the colorful puffin to the exotic Malayan sunbear, from the unusual capybara to the popular cheetah, a one-of-a-kind animal experience awaits you. The carousel is located at the entrance of Scovill Zoo. The ride is ADA accessible. Two chariots on the carousel can accommodate wheelchairs.

Climb aboard! The Z.O. & O. Express Train offers a 1 mile narrated tour, through a tunnel and along Lake Decatur to give you a unique view of our animals. Riders will have the opportunity to see animals from five different continents like the Emu from Australia and Toucans from South America. Be sure to watch for the two South African Cheetahs, Jafari and Runako!

One of Scovill Zoo’s most popular attractions, the Z.O. &O. Express has transported tens of thousands of visitors each year. Added to the zoo in 1984, the train is a scaled replica of an 1863 C.P. Huntington Steam Train. C.P. Huntington, a California merchant in the 1800s, built and operated the Central Pacific Railroad. The Z.O. & O. Express is ADA accessible. Passengers in wheelchairs have an accessible ramp with an area that locks in the wheelchair.

Project Playground, state-of-the-art play area is a marvel in engineering and kids of all ages enjoy climbing, swinging and balancing throughout the labyrinth. A community-built, ADA-accessible treasure in Scovill Park! The playground features a rock wall, hands-on music station, and colorful play structure that will accommodate children of all ages and ability levels.

Zoo Hours

Spring Hours (April 10 – May 22)
Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Summer Hours (May 23-August 16)
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Fall Hours (August 17 – October 12)
Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Scovill Zoo – Decatur, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Amish Country of Central Illinois – Arcola, Arthur, Tuscola, Sullivan, Illinois

The Amish families came to central Illinois in 1865.  They had become dissatisfied with the worldliness of the Mennonite Church and desired to live a more strict and simple life.  The Amish in this area are “House Amish” which means they favor holding services in a home rather than a church building.

There are 25 Amish church districts in central Illinois which cover approximately 12 miles East and West and 5 miles North and 10 miles South.  The heart of the settlement is Arthur.

With a population of approximately 4,500 in three countries in East Central Illinois this group of people has greatly influenced the culture of the area.

The Amish are known for their farming skills using horses on their farms, usually consisting of approximately 80 acres.  But, with the lack of land the buy the Amish have branched out into other areas as part of their way of life.  They have embraced woodworking of excellent quality, like furniture and cabinetry, quilting, retail stores such as bike shops and grocery stores and some are even employed at various manufacturing jobs in the area.

The homes of the Amish are usually large with several rooms opening into one large room in which they hold church.  The services rotate from one home to another.

The simplicity of the homes is consistent with their belief of keeping things basic, avoiding the traps of worldliness.  The floors are bare, the windows covered with plain colored cloth and the table has benches on which to sit for meals.

The food prepared is from their own gardens and livestock and exceptionally good.

Visit the visitor centers to get the latest information on events going on in the area and a map to help you get around.

If you are planning to come to the area on Sunday you will find the shops closed as the Amish observe the Sabbath day as a day of rest.

Please respect their privacy and do not try to take pictures of them.  If you want to take pictures of their homes, buggies or the like you can do that but please don’t include the people in your shots.

In Arcola you can visit the Amish Interpretive Center Museum in Downtown Arcola which presents the heritage of the Amish through exhibits and artifacts. The museum is the first of its kind in Illinois. The Interpretive Center also provides guided tours of the Amish community and will arrange meals in an Amish home.

Arthur is a mix of the Old Order Amish and the English community where the use of horse and buggy blends with cars and trucks.  You will find thriving shops that are the central shopping area for the Amish reminding you of the wonderful old fashioned country downtown.  The area surrounding Arthur is full of small Amish owned shops and things to see and do.

Arthur hosts several festivals during the year, Arthur Days starts off the summer and the Arthur Cheese festival ends it on Labor Day weekend where over 600 pounds of cheese is given away in three days. The Central Illinois Braggin’ Rights KCBS BBQ Competition caps off the fall. But you don’t want to miss the one of the largest downstate fireworks displays, usually held the Saturday before July 4th in Jurgens Park. Several benefit auctions are also held on a yearly basis along with horse and pony auctions. The annual quilt auction in April draws hundreds from across the country.

Tuscola is in the Amish area too with more of the traditional shopping available with the factory outlet mall to specialty shops.

In Sullivan you will be greeted with things like hitching posts downtown to provide parking for the Amish as well as the traditional parking for cars.  The community has a professional play The Little Theater on the Square which will offer a delightful change to the standard offerings of a community.

Contact: Amish Country of Central Illinois CVB

PO Box 151

Tuscola, IL 61953

Phone: 1-877-368-4527

Amish Country of Central Illinois – Arcola, Arthur, Tuscola, Sullivan, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The lake has great boating, a marina, some of the best hunting in the region and a great place to study nature.  Check out this on 6000 acres of mixed habitat from forests to swamplands.   All of it is located on the 34,000 acres  of the Lake Shelbyville project area.

When you need to "take a hike" you should head for Lake Shelbyville and enjoy their hiking trails, or maybe you feel like enjoying the beach, the lake has that too along with numerous other outdoor activities for the whole family.   There are 1,500 campsites for your enjoyment if you want to "rough it."

There is a native prarie that is nearly totally restored to it’s original splendor with over 50 plants for you to learn about while on your hike.  Located near the most extreme southeast corner of the Kaskaskia Unit of the park you will throughly enjoy this experience.

For the horse rider the horse camp area also offers a large day ride parking lot with conveniently located hitching posts.  What a wonderful way to explore the park and enjoy nature!

Lake Shelbyville is a favorite destination for fishermen seeking largemouth bass, crappie, white bass, bluegill, channel catfish, walleye, and muskie. The lake offers hunting opportunities for whitetail deer, squirrel, quail, pheasant, rabbit, mourning dove, and waterfowl.

Phone: 217-774-2244 for more information.

Lake Shelbyville – Decatur, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The college is one of the top ranked in the country.  With over 150 undergraduate programs, 100 graduate and professional programs the college has turned out, and continues to turn out the best and brightest to impact the nation and the world.

Illinois alumni have earned Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes and Olympic medals, have orbited the earth, and lead international corporations. The campus offers rich experiences beyond the classroom, from the best performing arts to Big Ten sports.

The Visitor Center at the college would be pleased to give you information about the campus.  Just stop in and look around, you will be most pleased with this lovely campus in Central Illinois.

Location: 1401 W. Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801

Phone: 217-333-4666

University of Illinois – Urbana, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Being the only college to have the name of Lincoln from the time he was alive this college has worked to provide a quality display of Lincoln artifacts and other displays to showcases of the rich local and college history, to a significant Presidential display and tribute and the September 11th exhibit which includes a three foot beam from Tower One.

The Lincoln College Museum proudly displays an original 1865 William Cogswell oil canvas portrait of Abraham Lincoln.  Outside the entrance to the main exhibit area of the Lincoln College Museum is the Hall of Presidents. It boasts a rare collection of original, hand-written signed letters and documents from every chief executive and some first ladies, as well as photographs, prints, biographical information, and commemorative medals of the Presidents.

"Brief History of the City of Lincoln and Logan County

Lincoln, Illinois, established in 1853, was the only town named for Abraham Lincoln before he became President of the United States. Lincoln came to the new town site on August 27, 1853 at which time lots were to be sold. At this time he was regionally well known as a one-term Congressman and popular trial lawyer, though not yet nationally known. He had been asked prior to this to christen the town, and that he did on that day. Taking juice from a pile of watermelons stacked nearby, he poured the juiced on the ground, after which the town lots were sold.

Lincoln was no stranger to the area which would later become Logan County. In 1834 he surveyed the Samuel Musick Salt Creek Ferry Road through Middletown to New Salem and on towards Jacksonville, IL. Two years later he surveyed the site of Albany approximately 5 miles south of Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln assisted in establishing Logan as a county in 1839, in honor of friend Dr. John Logan, a southern Illinois Democrat whose support Lincoln needed in moving the capitol of Illinois from Vandalia to its current location in Springfield. Lincoln rode the Eighth Judicial Circuit in which Logan County was a part, from 1840 to 1860.

It was a in a letter dated March 4, 1864 to President Abraham Lincoln, in which one of the town’s proprietors Robert Latham wrote to the President informing him that a university had been established in Lincoln, IL in his honor. Latham wrote, "…the greatest difficulty will be to … build a house that will do justice to the name and place." We believe we have succeeded." (This section on the county was copied from the museum website)

Location: The Lincoln College Museum
300 Keokuk St.
Lincoln, IL 62656

Phone: 217-735-5050

Hours: Sunday 1-4; Mon – Fri 9 – 4 and Sat. 1 – 4.  Closed all major holidays except Lincoln’s Birthday.

Lincoln College Museum – Lincoln, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The museum opened to the public in 1904 with an array of presidential papers and other items from the time.    Currently there are over 18,000 items on display showing the life of central Illinois from the beginning of the state history to today.  There are 10,000 volumns of information along with 1,500 feet of archives to provide information to you.

The museum has events throughout the year for the education and enjoyment of those visiting.  Unless their site says differently all events are held at the museum.

On permenant exhibit are:  Encounter the Prairie.  This The People Gallery provides the opportunity to learn about the customs settlers brought to Illinois. Meet the Native Americans of the area and the African Americans, Irish, Upland Southerners, and Germans who settled in McLean County.

You can also view kitchens from these various cultural groups and take home authentic recipes to try in your own kitchen. 

Politics Gallery:  Here you will be able to test your political thoughts and see where you actually stand on issues.  You will be able to "meet" Abraham Lincoln, David Davis, and Adlai Stevenson, as well as the common people who have called McLean County home.

Work Gallery: You will be able to see the different types of employment and manufacturing that have been part of the history of the area and try your hand at working in the "Wheel Shop" of the Chicago and Alton train shops.  You can also enter a holding cell (jail) and see what that felt like, you probably will know you want to follow the law rather than have to experience that in real life!

Farming Gallery: You will see the prairie grass that once covered the area (and see how hard it was for the farmers to break through this to be able to plant their crops . . especially with the tools they had to work with and remember, they had to do it by hand.  Relive the days when the town of Normal was famous for its horses and experience the pride of McLean County.

There are displays of the American Indians living in the area when it was settled.

The staff at the museum will help you find the materials you need for your research and suggest ways to preserve your precious papers, although they will not do it for you, they can suggest the items you will need.

Location: 200 Main, Bloomington, Illinois 61701

Phone: 309-827-0428

MCLEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF HISTORY – Bloomington, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Johnny Gruelle is best known for creating the world famous rag doll characters, Raggedy Ann and Andy. While the Raggedys were the indisputable centerpiece of Gruelle’s career, in his heart of hearts, Johnny was a dyed-in-the-wool freelance artist, who felt most at home at his drawing board, crafting illustrations and features for newspapers and magazines.

John Barton Gruelle was born in Arcola, Illinois in 1880. At the age of two, his family moved to Indianapolis, where his father, R.B. Gruelle, became known as one of the Hoosier Group of Impressionist artists. By his early teens, John Gruelle already knew he was a cartoonist. During a train-hopping adventure to Cleveland, Ohio in 1894, his caricature of a beat cop named Tom McGinty so impressed the officer that he supposedly offered to stake Gruelle while the boy sought cartooning work at a local newspaper. As it turned out Gruelle did not stay on in Cleveland (although he would return to live there years later). But after this experience, a career spent painting landscapes and portraits like those his father rendered seemed far less appealing than one spent turning out pithy little funnies for a living.

In 1901 the 20-year-old Gruelle landed his first newspaper job, at an Indianapolis tabloid called the People. There he worked for several months creating rough-hewn "chalk-plate" portraits. By April 1902, Gruelle had moved on to the more mainstream Indianapolis Sun, while managing also to do work for the Detroit-based Peninsular Engraving Company.

The Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum opened to the public in May of 1999, in Arcola, Illinois. We are the only officially licensed Raggedy Ann & Andy museum in the world!

The mission of the Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum is to preserve the life and times of the man who created the storybook characters, and to promote the inspiration, values, and spirit of imagination that has made them an American institution for so many years.

The Museum is open by appointment only from January 1st through March 15. Our Gift Shop, Marcella’s Corner, remains open for mail orders during this time, with Winter Hours from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (CST) Tuesday through Friday.

After March 15th, our hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (CST) Tuesday through Saturday. We are closed Sunday, Monday, and all major holidays.

Phone: 217-268-4908  

Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum – Arcola Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Environmental Education Kits
Education kits are available at no cost for educators to check out from the center for use in the classroom. Topics of the kits: Birds, mammals, insects, bats, reptiles, amphibians, prairies, animals in danger, trees, and wetlands. Add excitement to your lessons with models, specimens, videos, puppets, and other hands-on items found in these kits.

Using the Nature Center as a place to learn about the environment is a fabulous way to have your youth get excited about nature, they can see, feel and hear the different sounds and sites alive in the outdoor area as well as hands on in the visitor center.

The Nature Center has a kid’s only fishing pond available for free fishing. Please follow the posted rules and regulations for this pond. A handicapped accessible fishing dock allows handicapped children to be able to also fish in the pond.

There are also other programs available for students to participate with while learning. This asset to the Central Illinois area is a wonderful way to generate interest in the future of the world.

Location: 5253 E. US Highway 40, Altamont

Phone: (618) 483-6856

The Ballard Nature Center – Altamont, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Enjoy looking at the model train layout in the loft and see how carefully he constructed everything to replicate a real line. Take a ride through the orchards in one of Ben’s miniature trains. This is not only fun for the kids, it is fun for the adults too! Take a step back in your life and become a kid again for just a little while and ride the train!

Location: 1815 east 900th Avenue, Altamont

Phone: (217) 342-5310 TollFree: (800) 772-0750  

Ben Winters’ Steam Engine Musuem – Altamont, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Built in 1889 this home is an example of the wealth of Dr. Wright at the time. The house is designed in the Second Empire (Mansard) style with Italianate style influences as evidenced by the Mansard roof, patterned slate on the roof, the dressed stones on the exterior corners of the buildings (known as Quoins), the tall windows on first story, the bay windows and especially the brackets beneath the eaves. The original plans also show wrought iron cresting above the upper cornice. This appears on a picture of the home from 1897, but has since been removed. The only other building in Effingham county on the National Register of Historic Places is the Effingham County Courthouse which was built in 1871 and was also designed in the Second Empire style.

The Dr. Wright House was designed to be self-sufficient. It was the first house in Altamont to have a gas lighting system, indoor plumbing and a central steam-heating system.

Map and Directions
The Dr. Charles M. Wright House is on the north side of the city of Altamont, IL.

If you are coming from Effingham, IL on Route 40, turn north (right) at the stop-light onto Main Street and the house will be on your left after you go over the railroad tracks.

From Interstate 70 turn right onto Route 128 at the end of the ramp (towards Altamont) which will become Main Street. You will travel north, through a stop-light and over the railroad tracks and the house will be on your left.

Location:North Main & Jackson St., Altamont

Phone: 618/483-6397  

Dr. Charles M. Wright House – Altamont, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

They suggest that you first come to the Illinois Amish Interpretive Center to view an 18-minute video about the Amish and explore the exhibits in our Amish museum.

The tour will include a home cooked Amish meal in the true style of the Amish home. The meal is held in the home of your Amish hostess and served family style. The meal consists of a salad, fried chicken and one other meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, noodles or dressing, vegetable side, homemade bread and jams/jellies! After the meal you will be served your choice of the fruit or cream pie of the day. As it is the Amish belief to have prayer before a meal, please honor their beliefs with either a moment of silence, silent prayer, or a group led prayer.

Amish Home Tour
A member of the Old Order Amish community will guide you through her home while she explains the Amish lifestyle. She will show you her laundry facilities, kitchen, bedrooms and living area. You will see how she goes through her every day tasks without electricity.

Amish Farm Tour
An Amish dairy farmer will take you through his dairy barn and milking parlor while discussing aspects of the business from breeding to milking. You will see how milking was done before electricity in this tour.

Amish Produce Patch Tour
The owner of this produce patch will take you through his greenhouses and explain the life cycle of his flowers and vegetables. He will explain the greenhouse business and the demand for local produce. This tour is seasonal.

Amish Woodworking Tour
The use of diesel engines to produce power is the highlight of this woodworking tour. An Amish woodworker explains how he makes furniture from start to finish as you walk through his shop.

Guided Tour of the Amish Countryside
As you travel through the Amish countryside, a knowledgeable step-on guide will highlight the farms, homes, schools and business in the area while explaining their faith and lifestyle. You will also be able to stop at one of the Amish businesses and shop during this hour and a half long tour!

Any of these tours are available by contacting the company. It is an experience of a lifetime for some and an eyeopening experience for others, maybe we don’t need all the "bells and whistles" that we have become so accustomed to…you decide after you have visited the Amish community.

Location: 111 S. Locust Street, Arcola

Phone: 1-888-45-AMISH  

Illinois Amish Interpretive Center – Amish Country Tours – Arcola, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Enjoy the various activities that Rockome has to offer during the summer months from horseback riding to watching the wood carvers at work. You can join in at a quilt auction, use the archery range, take a canoeing trip down the river, enjoy a bluegrass concert or watch a glassblower. If you have an interest in history and how things were done in the past you will truly enjoy this adventure.

You can experience the Amish influence and the appreciation of nature.

A wonderful way to enjoy a day with your family or friends is at the Rockome Gardens.

Location: 125 North County Rd 425 East, Arcola

Phone: (217) 268-4106

The village is closed during the winter but opens again in the spring and runs until late fall for you enjoyment.

Rockome Gardens, LLC – Arcola, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

There’s a classic clock tower next to the Public Library and Museum too. The clock mechanism is a 1909 vintage Seth Thomas. Originally this was the Atlanta High School clock. Now it has been moved and preserved for future generations to enjoy next to the museum. The clock must be hand cranked every 8 days.

Location: 100 SE Race Street, Atlanta

Phone: 217-648-2112  

Atlanta Library & Museum – Atlanta, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

As the Jolly Green Giant stands outside of Blue Earth, Minnesota the Hot Dog Man stands in Atlanta, Illinois to show the history of the area and to draw people to the famous Route 66.

The Bunyon Giant, holding an enormous hot dog, once drew customers into the Bunyon Drive In.

The Hot Dog Man had to be moved from Berwyn to Atlanta and then repaired due to such things as bullet holes and archery piercings done over the years. Being totally fixed up the giant is now in the proud location on Route 66.

Location: 103 SW Arch St. (Old Rt. 66), Atlanta  

Atlanta’s Bunyon Giant (Hot Dog Man) – Atlanta, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Share the history of how grain was weighed, tested and stored before the current methods were installed. The elevator was built in 1904 and operated until 1976. For many years the elevator was the location for the farmers of the area to offload their product. Being built of wood the fire hazard was substantial.

The museum offers guided tours, educational programs, and demonstrations. Customized programs and tours can be designed to fit educators’ needs.

Dates & Hours — The Elevator is open for public tours on Sundays, from 1-3 p.m., during June, July and August. Guides are on hand to show you around and answer questions. Or feel free to leisurely stroll the site on your on.

Location: 2nd St. in Atlanta, Atlanta

Phone: (217) 648-2056

J.H. Hawes Elevator – Atlanta, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Soil, tillage, harvesting and planting equipment are also on exhibit and there are replicas of a 1920′s farmstead kitchen, early grain elevator office and blacksmith shop.

Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. For weekend visits or to schedule a tour, please contact them.

Phone: 217-578-2231, if no answer call 217-578-3040.

Admission: Admission by donation. Bus tours and groups welcome.

Harris Agricultural Museum – Atwood, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The church is rich in French Canadian heritage and have an interesting past. The legend of the founding of St. Marie says that thirty-two families from the area of Montreal, Canada, mostly newlywed or single came up the St. Lawrence River in search of farmland on the prairie. They traveled across the Great Lakes and stopped at Fort Dearborn (Chicago). Then they pushed south through the swamps and frontier until they reached what is now Beaverville. The group consisted of families with names such as Fortin, Dionne, Boudreau, Benoit, Nourie, LaFond, and at least six Arseneau families. They settled here because of the good land and the many creeks.

About the architect…
St. Mary’s was the second of eight churches designed by Chicago architect Joseph Molitor. Molitor’s career in Chicago was brief for there is currently no evidence of any other commissions after 1915. Speculation is he died during the flu epidemic. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that Molitor is among the best Catholic church architects Chicago had to offer in the early 20th century. He used a blend of Romanesque and Renaissance Revival styles with trace elements by Byzantine and Baroque, representing late 19th century and early 20th century American religious architecture. Moreover, it appears that the St. Mary’s commission sparked the greatest "creative burst" of Molitor’s career which left an indelible mark on Chicago’s great religious architecture.

About the window’s of St. Mary’s…
St. Mary’s Church contains an exceptional set of stained glass windows which depict the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. An uncommon feature of these windows is their elaborate use of opalescent glass. This glass is masterfully matched for color and texture. The high level of compositional skill using the opalescent glass and the paintings depicted in St. Mary’s windows is rare in the Midwest. They are a hybrid between the Munich style made famous by Mayer, Zettle and TGA and the finest of American craftsmanship represented by Tiffany Studios of New York. These windows are so very important because only a small number of this hybrid have survived in this quality and quantity.

Location: 308 St. Charles St, Beaverville (the only church in town) Not all maps have Beaverville on them, but the church is located about 100 miles south of Chicago. It is located 4 miles north of Illinois Route 52; 8 miles west of the Indiana / Illinois state line and 16 miles east of Interstate 57 exist 293 at Ashkum.

Masses
Saturday evening… 5:30 p.m.
Sunday morning …. 8:00 a.m.

Tues., Wed., Fri. …8:00 a.m.
Weekday Mass is held in the
chapel.

Phone: (815) 435-2432

“Cathedral of the Country”, St. Mary’s Church – Beaverville, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Bryant Cottage was built by Bement businessman Francis Bryant in 1856. The cottage is tastefully appointed with period furnishings throughout each of the warm and charming rooms. During December, Bryant Cottage hosts a Holiday Candlelight Open House on the second Sunday of December.

Legend has it that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas met at this very site in Bement to discuss the format for the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858. Douglas was known to have been a close associate of Francis Bryant of Bement.

Tickets/Admission Info:
Bryant Cottage State Historic Site is open daily 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. from March through October; 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. from November through February.

Suggested donation: Adults $2, Children $1. The site is closed New Year’s, Martin Luther King, Jr., Presidents, Veterans, General Election, Thanksgiving, and Christmas days.

Groups of 20 or more must have a reservation. Bryant Cottage is handicapped accessible.

Location: 146 E. Wilson St., Bement

Phone: (217) 678-8184  

Bryant Cottage State Historic Site – Bement, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Relive history as you see where Abraham Lincoln practiced law, slept, swapped stories and hitched his horse on the square, once the site of the original 1839 Christian County Courthouse. Called “the last stop,” Taylorville was the last place Lincoln and fellow lawyers stopped as they rode the old Eighth Judicial Circuit home to Springfield (1839-1853).

Outdoor murals - Duke’s Office Supply, Southeast corner of square
Ten paintings portray a relaxed and humorous Lincoln as a family man, friend and lawyer prior to the presidency’s burdens. The artwork reflects years of research and artistry by Taylorville Junior High School art teacher Cindy Adams. A painting of Lincoln and pigs by local artist Gary Decourcy adorns a brick arch.

First Christian County Courthouse
Christian County Historical Museum
Near intersections of IL 29 South and IL 48

Visitors walk under the same rugged beams that sheltered Lincoln during trials, including his “writ of quietus” request to silence village pigs raising a ruckus under the floor. “The last stop” on the old Eighth Judicial Circuit, the 1839 white frame building originally occupied the center of the Taylorville Square. Authentic specifications aided restoration of this stellar example of rustic prairie courthouse architecture. Stephen Douglas also plied his trade here.

All of this is available for you to enjoy in the community of Taylorville.

Museum:
Hours: April 1-Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Dec. 1-March 31, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 217-824-6922.

Modest admission.

Then go on to Salute to a soldier
Oak Hill Cemetery
820 S. Cherokee St.
A bronze statute of a Union soldier stands heroically atop an elaborate granite base produced by Barton and Hilton Steam Granite Works, a once flourishing downtown business known for artistic and technical expertise. Dedicated in 1895, the Soldiers and Sailors monument stands sentry over thousands of graves dating to 1842.

The Last Stop – Taylorville, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

While visiting the museum you will be offered the opportunity to go on a number of journeys that travel through the life and times of Lincoln. Journey One – The Pre-Presidential Years is the first. You will enter this phase of the museum through the log cabin that is on display. Did you know that Lincoln was self taught? That he borrowed the books he read and read them by firelight? Can you imagine you doing that now?

Did you know that Lincoln made his first dollar working as a ferryman on the Ohio River? It may well be that this is where Lincoln first encountered slavery and saw slave auctions and the cruelty involved in selling another human being as a product.

You will see New Salem where it is rumored that Lincoln had an infatuation toward Ann Rutledge, although never confirmed, the rumor persists. Then you will go on to Springfield where the story of Lincoln and Mary begins.

You will see the Lincoln-Herndon law office. Lincoln is stretched out on the couch and is blissfully reading a newspaper while his boys, Willie and Tad, run riot tearing the place apart.

Campaign 1860 brings the campaign of 1860 to life for contemporary visitors with multiple video monitors featuring an election coverage TV news program analyzing the campaign in which Lincoln won the presidency. This daring and different approach makes the complex four-way presidential race of 1860 understandable to today’s audiences by accurately translating the issues and strategies of 1860 into the sound-bite media bursts of today.

You will want to take the time for The Union Theater, presented by Exelon.

A multi-venue special effects theater featuring, at various times: "Lincoln’s Eyes" – A spectacular look at the life and times of Lincoln, "Storyteller Theater" – A storyteller with programmed theatrical effects and other events, seminars, lectures and special programs.

Journey Two – The White House Years, you will go through the life and times and trials of the President during his struggle to lead the country through the times of the Civil War.

There is a display of the dressing room where Mary is being fitted for a new ball gown, just look at the layers they had to wear! Beautiful, but wow! What a pain!

Fort Sumter is a gallery presenting a dramatic mural of Confederate forces attacking Fort Sumter only six weeks after Lincoln’s inauguration. The Civil War has begun.

This history and story of the Lincoln presidency is carried forth in great detail in this facility. You will want to give yourself plenty of time to absorb all the information and emotion that the museum will provide.

MUSEUM — 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM DAILY
CLOSED — New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day

LIBRARY — PUBLIC HOURS — 9:00 AM — 5:00 PM DAILY

RESEARCH HOURS
MONDAY — FRIDAY — 9:00 AM — 4:30 PM
SATURDAY — 9:00 AM — 3:30 PM
SUNDAY — CLOSED

Phone: (800) 610-2094 or (217) 782-5764

Parking is available in the Museum Parking Garage, located on the corner of Sixth and Madison Streets. The rate is $.50hour. Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except.

The Library has no admission charge. The Museum’s admission fee is:

Adult (16 – 61 years of age) $7.50
Senior (62 years of age and up) $5.50
Children (5 – 15 years of age) $3.50
Military (id required) $5.50
Students (school/college id required) $5.50
Child (under 5 are free) No Charge

Ticket price includes admission to the exhibit areas and both theater presentations.

For what languages are the show scripts translated?
For both theater presentations we offer translated scripts in French, Russian, Spanish and Chinese. To request a copy at the Museum — locate a staff member outside the theater to assist you.

Photography is only allowed in the Gateway, Plaza and Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic in the Museum.

It is suggested to allow 2 ½ to 3 hours for your visit.

The ALPLM is near several other historic sites: the Old State Capitol, Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and Lincoln’s Home are just blocks away. The Dana — Thomas House, Vachel Lindsay Home, Governors’ Mansion and the State Capitol are all within walking distance.

The newly opened Union Station Visitor Center, located in Springfield, has begun delivering information to visitors that reflect not only Springfield area historic sites and events but Illinois tourism as a whole. Union Station Visitor Center is strategically located across from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Another service available at the center includes on-site booking of hotel accommodations and special event packages that are scheduled across the state of Illinois (217) 557-4588.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum – Springfield, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The most famous fighter plane built by the US during World War II, the Mustang escorted Allied bombers all the way to Berlin, Germany and back to bases in England. Its brave pilots could out-fight anything the enemy sent up against it. The plane on display, the P-51, saw service in Europe during WWII. Late in the war, P-51′s also escorted B-29s from their bases in the south Pacific to Tokyo and back. The fighter also supported infantry, flying ground attack missions during the Korean War.

The Vought F4U-5N Corsairs combination of bombs, rockets and lethal cannon fire denied the enemy the use of road convoys and railways during daylight. It was also a very successful night fighter.

Hours
The museum is open from 9 to 4 PM on Monday through Friday, except for special occasions and national holidays. Please note: We are closed from 12:00 to 1:00 PM for lunch.

Please call 217-789-P51D(7513) for more information.

Tours
Guided tours by appointment with a $20.00 donation. Please call us at 217-698-3990 to arrange your tour.

Location: 835 South Airport Rd., Springfield, Illinois  

Air Combat Museum – Springfield, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

This vineyard was established in 1985 with it’s first sale in 1986. The second tasting room was built in Champaign in 2001. Alto Vineyards has Won over 500 National and International awards in wine competitions across the nation, never forgetting the family philosophy to produce the highest quality wines possible.

The hours at the Champaign location are:
WINTER (January thru April 30)
Tuesday – Friday 12 noon – 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 noon – 5 p.m.
SUMMER (May 1 thru December 31)
Tuesday –
Thursday 12 noon – 6 p.m.
Friday 12 noon – 7 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday 12 noon – 5 p.m.

Location: 4210 N. Duncan Rd.
Champaign, IL
One mile NORTH of Bloomington Rd./150

Events are held at the winery for your enjoyment, check with them to see what is coming up.

Phone: 217.356.4784 

Alto Vineyards – Champaign, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Whether you have young children or are a senior citizen there is something for you to do at the parks in Urbana. They have programs to educating as well as entertaining.

The parks are ideal for birthday parties, sports activities, weddings or whatever you would like to do outside.

Phone: main registration phone number is (217) 367-1544

Urbana Park District – Urbana, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Twelve log houses, the Rutledge Tavern, ten workshops, stores, mills and a school where church services were held have been reproduced and furnished as they might have been in the 1830s. The furnishings, including many articles actually used by the New Salem people of Lincoln’s time and others dating back to the same time period, were assembled and donated to the state by the Old Salem Lincoln League. The collection includes such early-nineteenth-century articles as wheat cradles, candle molds, cord beds, flax hackles, wood cards, dough and cornmeal chests and early American pewter.

Some of the activities that are available for you to participate in at New Salem are:

Antique Farm Show
Plowing demonstrations will be held at New Salem using draft horses and antique farm equipment. Hours 9am – 4pm, weather permitting.

An 1830′s Militia Muster with signing up for militia service and drilling will be held. The sound of musket fire will be heard on the prairies and bluffs of New Salem. The public will be invited to march carrying weapons (brooms) where Lincoln and the men of Sangamon County marched off to war in 1832.

Bring your family out to enjoy a "day in the life" of the average New Salem family. Observe cooking on the hearth, washing and mending clothes, spinning, weaving, knitting, butter churning, dipping candles; making baskets, and more. Home health care and home schooling were also part of everyday life as was gardening, tending the animals, chopping wood, toting water and fetching the eggs. The Ann Rutledge Quilters and The New Salem Fiber Guild will also display quilts and textiles at the New Salem Visitors Center. Hours: 9am to 5pm.

Learn how New Salem’s most misunderstood resident, Jack Kelso, made his living hunting, fishing and trapping in Central Illinois during the 1830′s. Witness firsthand how early pioneers put food on the table and clothing on their backs. Demonstrations will include hunting with bow and arrow, fishing with nets, the trapping of various animals, and operation of an 1830′s smokehouse.

This is just a few of the things available for you to do. They would love to have you visit them!

Location: 15588 History Lane, Petersburg, Illinois

Phone: 217.632.4000

Hours of Operation March 1 – April 15: Open Wednesday – Sunday 9am – 5pm (Closed Mon & Tue)
April 16 – Labor Day: Days and hours of operation yet to be determined
Day after Labor Day – October 31: Open Wednesday – Sunday 9am – 5pm (Closed Mon & Tue)
November 1 – End of February: Open Wednesday – Sunday 8am – 4pm (Closed Mon & Tue)
Hours change periodically, you are encouraged to call ahead 217-632-4000

Location
2 miles south of Petersburg, IL, on Rt. 97 or 20 miles northwest of Springfield, IL, on Rt. 97.

Size
Approximately 700 acres.

Admission
No admission fee, just a suggested donation of $1.00 for children, $2.00 for adults. 

Lincoln’s New Salem – Petersburg, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The Mansion was completed in 1867 after the Civil War had ended and life took on a more normal pattern. A tour of the manison is available.

Also on display is the Telephone Exhibit. This collection includes tools and materials used in the trade as well as some older telephones. Of particular interest is a cable spinner developed and used by a local resident to install and maintain lead cables during the 1930′s and 1940′s. In 1999, with a grant received from the Independent Telephone Historic Foundation, the exhibit was expanded to preserve the step x step switching equipment from the Weldon, Illinois office. Visitors can make a telephone call from one end of the exhibit to the other and view the progress of the call being made.

Farm Museum. This classic collection, housed in the two lower building, includes vintage tractors, a threshing machine, a replica of a reaper made by Cyrus Hall McCormick around 1834, and scores of well preserved old farm tools.

The Carriage Barn Tour the century-old barn and see the display of buggies and sleighs.

The Martin Sprague Memorial Bridge. The Martin Sprague Memorial Bridge is a replica of the sturdy Indiana-style covered bridge, which was well known during the period. Located in the lower pasture, the bridge connects the C. H. Moore Homestead to adjoining grounds and is used extensively during the Apple-n-Pork Festival in September.

The Carriage Barn. Tour the century-old barn see the display of buggies and sleighs.

Scheduled Events – Dates to be announced so be sure to check!

Quilt Show

Open Auto Show

Ice Cream Social

Vintage Baseball Game

Bluegrass Festival

Apple & Pork Festival

Candlelight Tours

The museum in located one block east of Business 51 at the north edge of Clinton, Illinois.

Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, April through December. The museum is closed on Mondays and holidays.

Location: 219 E. Woodlawn, Clinton, Iowa

Phone: 217-935-6066

C. H. Moore Homestead DeWitt County Museum – Clinton, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Perched on a bluff overlooking panoramic views of our hillside vineyard and the Embarras River Valley, our boutique winery was built using our grandfather’s circa 1900 pin-beamed barn. It is a peaceful, country atmosphere you are sure to love.

The have have nearly 4,000 French-American hybrid grapevines, covering close to seven acres. They crush approximately 35 tons of Illinois grapes each year and produce 14 varieties of wine, from dry to sweet, in reds, whites and blushes.

Location: 400 Mill Road, Greenup, IL

Phone (217) 923-9963

Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon-5 p.m. 

Cameo Vineyards – Greenup, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

As you pull in the drive beneath the shadow of “The World’s Tallest Abraham Lincoln Statue”, you’ll find The Centre where you can purchase tickets for our current attractions or have some of lip smacking barbeque at the Stovepipe Grill & Smokehouse.

Barbeque is a lifestyle and our flavors, smells and tastes come from years spent exploring the barbeque palaces and shacks across the four corners of this country; witnessing and experiencing the love and passion the kings and queens of barbeque have put into their creations; and learning how and why their rubs, smoke and sauces bring tears of joy to the connoisseurs as well as the novices of slow and low cooking.

Taking the lessons learned seriously, we developed our signature approach to creating the “Best Darn Barbeque You Will Ever Taste” Personally selected cuts of pork, beef and chicken are hand rubbed and slow smoked to mouthwatering perfection and served with out of this world sauces.

The Centre is also home to The Game Nexus, our high-tech computer game center, with an assortment of console games and computer stations. Here you can sit down and play one of today’s most popular console or computer games, check in with friends and family by e-mail or surf the Web.

The Game Nexus hosts tournaments for die-hard gamers on the hottest games including Guitar Hero III, Halo 3 and Madden 08.

Families, friends, organizations or groups of any kind are welcome to check out the new meeting facilities that located in The Centre at Lincoln Springs Resort.

Portraits of all 43 presidents, from the Founder of our country, George Washington to our current president, George W. Bush, line the walls of our Presidential Room which can seat up to 130 people. The Lincoln/Douglas Room is available for groups from 10 to 30 guests.

For a very special occasion request, The View, located on the second floor of The Centre is available. Overlooking Abe’s Garden to the north and the miniature golf course to the south, The View is the perfect place for a wedding, anniversary party, milestone birthday celebration or other special moments.

We also have a separate Party Room, The Ruckus Room, reserved for our youngest guests that are sure to make any child’s party a huge success. The walls are coated in chalkboard paint so children can show off their artist side.

Located just south of The Centre is our 18-hole professional miniature golf course and beautiful Koi Pond. Challenge yourself and your friends to a round of stimulating mini golf that takes you up and down a gradual hillside accented by streams, waterfalls and vivid landscaping. We host annual tournaments including a Father’s Day Tournament and the Lincoln Springs Resort Open which is a qualifying tournament for the National Harris Cup Tournament. This year, we will also introduce leagues to the mix.

Outdoor enthusiasts will love our 40+ acres of spring-fed lakes for fishing, canoeing or paddle boating. Equipment rental, boats, bait, food and beverages will be available at the Lake in the very near future.

For a more daring outdoor experience, prepare yourself for one of our Civil War themed paintball courses. Equipment rental will be available or you can bring your own. A certificate of achievement will be presented to each team who proclaims victory. You will have your photo taken with a chainsaw carved statue of the famous Civil War generals Grant and Lee.

In the future, we will also open our water park which will include a zero-depth pool, two waterslides and bumper boats. A petting zoo and go-kart track are also on the agenda for the expansion of Lincoln Springs Resort.

Location & Directions
Lincoln Springs Resort is located three miles east of Charleston, Ill. on Route 16.
From I-57 – Take Exit 190A, IL Rt. 16 at Mattoon/Charleston. Travel 13 miles on Rt. 16 through Charleston. About 3 miles east of Charleston, look for a cabin and pointing Abe statue on the left (north) side of the road. Turn left (north) at the next road, County Road 2000E. The entrance is 1/8 mile north of Rt. 16.
From I-70 – Take Exit 119, Rt. 130 at Greenup. Travel 19 miles on Rt. 130 to Charleston. Turn right on Lincoln Ave./IL Rt. 16. About 3 miles east of Charleston, look for a cabin and pointing Abe statue on the left (north) side of the road. Turn left (north) at the next road, County Road 2000E. The entrance is 1/8 mile north of Rt. 16.

Lincoln Springs Resort is a post from: Illinois Tourism

This elegant Victorian mansion, completed in 1872 for Judge David Davis and his wife, Sarah. Now you can enjoy the splendor of their home, furnished with sumptuous English carpeting, expensive French glass, and rare Italian marble, gives opulent testimony to their life and times.

From his earliest days riding the circuit with Abraham Lincoln to the years when he served as Lincoln’s appointee to the highest court in the land, Judge Davis played out his life at the very center of American politics and society. His Bloomington home, which remained in the Davis Family for three succeeding generations, provided a focal point for the social, cultural and political life of the community. In 1960, the house was donated to the State of Illinois; today, it is operated as a state historic site by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The octagonal room (at the front of the house) is the public entrance to the Mansion. It featured imported, encaustic tile from England and etched glass doors from France, and served as a transition between the public and private areas of the house–a place to impress visitors who were entering the house for the first time.

The front hall further divides the mansion into public and private space. The hallstand, which dominates the room, suggests the wealth and status of the mansion’s occupants, while the elk’s head reflects the Victorian’s love of nature.

To the east of the hallway is the sitting room, this room was designed for the family’s comfort, and the furnishings were more casual. The Judge’s handcrafted rocking chair, simple and utilitarian compared with the parlor furnishings, was placed near the fireplace.

Across the hall, the parlor is fashionably furnished and stylishly decorated, with an elegant fireplace of Carrara marble, quarried in Italy. The center table, sofa, and seven chairs, purchased from a New-York furniture maker in 1872, are constructed of walnut in the Renaissance Revival style.

The dining room was also fashionably appointed, with two sideboards, coffee-colored lace curtains and decoratively painted walls and ceilings. It has a more masculine look than the parlor, which is decorated as a feminine room.

The master bedroom decorations, though less elaborate than in the public rooms, were refined. Like the other family bedrooms in the house, this bedchamber featured a built-in closet, marble fireplace and lavatory, and was outfitted with wall-to-wall carpeting, lace curtains and other tasteful furnishings.

Upstairs the guests and family members stayed in these four bedrooms, where they enjoyed the comforts of built-in sinks and adjacent, private bathrooms.

The location and design of the servants’ wing (at the back of the house) allowed the Davis servants to complete their chores without intruding upon the family or their guests in the front of the house. Two servants’ bedrooms were located directly above the kitchen. A rear stairway, connecting those rooms with the basement and attic, separated the housekeeping functions from the rest of the house.

A modern, coal-burning, cast-iron cooking stove, which featured two large baking ovens and two smaller warming ovens, was the centerpiece of the Davis kitchen. The stove also heated water that was stored in an adjacent copper tank and circulated throughout the mansion.

Guided tours of the David Davis Mansion are given every half hour and every hour throughout the day, beginning at 9:30 A.M. Tours begin in the Barn/Visitor Center.

Hours:

Wednesday – Sunday, 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. Last tour begins at 4:00 P.M.

Closed:

Monday-Tuesday

New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Days

Donations:

No fee is charged; donations are always welcome.

Suggested donations: Adults: $2. Children (under 17): $1
Reservations:

Group tours are always welcome. Reservations are required for parties of 10 or more.

Tours Available:

Adult/Coach General Day Tours

Adult/Coach Evening Tours

Adult/Coach Evening Reception

Adult/Coach Special Tea Program

Adult/Coach Evening with Sarah Davis

Adult/Coach Sarah’s Garden Tour

School Children – Dave & Abes Great Adventure

School Children – Snap Apple Tour

School Children – Big House on the Prairie Tour

School Children – Sarah’s Garden Tour

Visitor Services:

Public restrooms are located in the building north of the Visitor Center

These rooms are accessible to persons with disabilities:

Public restrooms

First floor of Mansion

Visitor Center

Location: 1000 E. Monroe Dr., Bloomington, IL 61701

Telephone: (309) 828-1084

David Davis Mansion – Bloomington, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival represents a long-established tradition of professional theatre devoted to performing the plays of Shakespeare.

The Festival originated in 1978 as a joint enterprise of the Illinois State University Department of Theatre and the College of Fine Arts, in cooperation with the Illinois State University Foundation (a not-for-profit enterprise). From the beginning the productions have been performed in an open-air, Elizabethan-style theatre constructed on the site of the abandoned tennis court on the grounds of Ewing Manor in Bloomington.

Since its completion in 1929, Ewing Manor, a Channel Norman style mansion with formal English and Japanese gardens, has been a Bloomington-Normal landmark and the home of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

Single Platinum + Platinum Gold Silver
Adult Thu-Sat $40 $32 $28 $24
Adult Sun-Wed $36 $28 $24 $20
Student/Senior Thu-Sat $36 $28 $24 $20
Student/Senior Sun-Wed $32 $24 $20 $16
Preview $30 $22 $18 $14
Flex-Pass
Adult $108 $84 $72 $60
Student/Senior $96 $72 $60 $48

Ewing Manor is located at the corner of Towanda Ave. and Emerson St. in Bloomington, IL and is easily accessible from the north and south on I-55 or I-39 or from the east and west by I-74. From Veterans Parkway, turn west on Vernon Avenue, turn left on Towanda Avenue and go ¾ mile. At the corner of Towanda and Emerson turn right. Parking is on the left, the Festival is on the right. From Main Street (Bus 51)/ Turn east on Emerson Street and go 1.5 miles. The Festival is on the left and parking is on the right.

Parking:
Complimentary parking is available in the St. John’s Lutheran Church parking lot, which is located directly across the street to the south of Ewing Manor.
Please do not park on the grass. 

Illinois Shakespeare Festival – Bloomington, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Illinois Symphony Orchestra consists of musicians from Central Illinois performing – classical concerts and three pops performances each year.

Student tickets – $10
Free tickets to Masterworks and Chamber Orchestra concerts for children 12 and under

Illinois Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Series
Connoisseur – 11 Concerts
$260
$246
$222
$174

Conductor’s – 9 Concerts
$210
$200
$181
$146

Symphony – 7 Concerts
$207
$189
$155
$105

Masterworks – 5 Concerts
$150
$137
$112
$77

Pops – 2 Concerts
$64
$58
$48
$32

Single Tickets
$40
$35
$28
$18
Connoisseur 11 = Masterworks, Chamber Orchestra and Pops
Conductor’s 9 = Masterworks and Chamber Orchestra
Symphony 7 = Masterworks and Pops
Masterworks = 5 concerts
Pops = 2 concerts

Illinois Chamber Orchestra
Series Tickets – $76 (4 concerts) General Seating
Single Tickets – $23 each, General Seating

Flexi-Tix
Available in packages of 8, 6 and 4.
Redeemable for any concert in Zones 2, 3, or 4.
They offer maximum flexibility for the spontaneous concert goer.
8 / $200 6 / $168 4 / $120

Location: 904 S. Eldorado Rd., Bloomington

Phone Number: (309) 661-2662 

Illinois Symphony Orchestra – Bloomington, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Miller Park Zoo is the only Illinois zoo to feature the endangered Sumatran Tiger. This zoo features indoor and outdoor exhibits.

The beautifully landscaped grounds of the zoo will welcome you to the experience of viewing some of the beautiful animals from around the world.

From lumbering Galapagos tortoises to frolicking California sea lions, a mysterious Sumatran tiger, jewel-like poison arrow frogs, majestic bald eagles, and a whole rainbow of colorful birds in the Tropical American Rainforest exhibit, you will learn and enjoy the diversity of the zoo.

Location: 1020 South Morris Avenue, Bloomington, IL

Phone: (309) 434.2250 

Miller Park Zoo – Bloomington, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

This is an ideal location for teachers to bring their class to study the environment. A traveling naturalist will come and speak to the class and discuss the varied issues related to the environment with them.

Not only is this a great place for a classroom to break to but is also ideal for home study students to experience the impact that nature and the environment have on their life.

Everyone can learn something when they step into the Naturalist’s Field Station in the Exhibit Hall. As the students look at the displays you will be pleased to see their interest peeked and wanting to know more!

Hours:
Mar 1-May 31: M-Sa: 8am-5pm & Su: 12-4pm Jun 1-Aug 18: M-F: 8am-6pm, Sa: 9am-4pm & closed Su

Located at the north end of Crystal Lake Park, the Anita Purves Nature Center is an environmental education facility open free to the public. Next door you’ll find Busey Woods, a 59-acre forest preserve with a boardwalk loop, seasonal ponds and more.

1505 N. Broadway, Urbana, IL

Phone: (217) 384-4062 

Anita Purves Nature Center – Urbana, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

The Spurlock Museum permanent collection partially includes portions of the collections of two now-defunct major museums on the Urbana campus: the World Heritage Museum and the Natural History Museum. The Museum also holds objects on loan from the Krannert Art Museum and other institutions and private individuals.

The museum is located on the campus of the University of Illinois Champagne/Urbana campus, east of the Krannert Center of the Preforming Arts.

Location: 600 S Gregory St., Urbana, Illinois

Phone: 217-244-3355

Spurlock Museum – Champaign, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Anita Purves Nature Center – Urbana, Illinois offers a wide variety of programs for youth and adults alike.

The Anita Purves Nature Center is home to several wild animals that cannot be released into the wild. They are part of the exhibits in the center’s Field Station and help teach thousands of visitors each year about Illinois natural history and ecology. Many are taken to area schools as part of the Naturalist in the Classroom Program. Volunteer caretakers help keep these animals’ homes clean and make sure they are well fed.

School Tour Leader

Thousands of children participate in the School Tour program at the Anita Purves Nature Center every year. Volunteers are needed to lead these children on guided tours of Busey Woods and Meadowbrook Prairie on school days. Training sessions teach volunteers how to lead the tours and share their love of Illinois’ Natural Areas.

Busey Woods is an adjacent 59-acre forest that was managed by the Urbana Park District for a number of years before it was purchased in 1991. This additional resource has enhanced the Urbana Park District’s environmental program offerings. Busey Woods is used by for interpretive hikes and school tours, as well as by the public for walks and bird watching. The Anita Purves Nature Center has more than 35,000 visitors each year and Busey Woods has more than 10,000. 

Anita Purves Nature Center – Urbana, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

In 1840, the same year that Thomas Lincoln bought the Goosenest Prairie farm, Stephen Sargent sold his dry goods store in nearby New Richmond and purchased a farm about ten miles east of the Lincolns. Three years later Sargent, with his wife Nancy Chenoweth Harlan, began constructing a spacious timberframe house. Sargent, by all appearances, enjoyed considerable success as a farmer. By 1850, he had accrued 400 acres of land and more than 600 head of livestock. A progressive farmer, Sargent kept up with the latest agricultural innovations of the period, a marked contrast to Thomas Lincoln’s older and more traditional farming methods.

The Sargent Farm has been fully restored at Lincoln Log Cabin where you will be able to see how these more progressive people lived in 1845. Talk with the Sargents and their neighbors to experience the sites and sounds of the Sargent Farm.

Lincoln Log Cabin
State Historic Site
400 S. Lincoln Highway Road
Lerna, Illinois 62440
Phone: (217) 345-1845
Fax: (217) 345-6472  

Sargent Farm – Lena, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Reuben Moore came to Illinois, with his family, after they left Butler County, Ohio in 1839. The promise of rich farm land is what probably brought him here. Within nine days of arriving he purchased 320 arces of land. Reuben paid $1,055.00 for the land, which was a princely sum, for this rich Illinois farm land. The Reuben Moore Home State Historic Site stands among the remnants of the Farmington settlement, one mile north of Lincoln Log Cabin.

In late 1856 Reuben Moore built the house and moved in with his wife Matilda Hall (Abraham Lincoln’s stepsister) and five children from their previous marriages. Matilda lived in the frame house for several years after Reuben’s death in 1859. In January of 1861 Abraham Lincoln bid his farewell to his stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln on his way to the White House.

The Moore home features a beautifully restored interior, including stenciled walls, a grained mantel, marbelized shelves, and lovely pieces from the 1860s. Come and enjoy this quaint setting where Sarah Bush Lincoln and her neighbors made one last meal for Abraham.

Location: Lincoln Log Cabin
State Historic Site
400 S. Lincoln Highway Road
Lena, Illinois

Phone: (217) 345-1845
Fax: (217) 345-6472  

Moore Home – Lerna, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism

Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site was the 1840s home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, father and stepmother of our 16th president. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer living in Springfield by the time his parents lived here, but he did visit them periodically.

Just as the Harlan-Lincoln House in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa holds historical significance for the Lincolns so does the Lincoln Log Cabin. To study the history of the Lincoln family encompasses a wide range of locations in Illinois and Iowa as well as the Capital. If you are a true fan of history and the Lincoln history is especially on interest you will be able to travel to numerous sites and gain a true feeling for the complex lives of the family, the joys and sorrows.

Today the Thomas Lincoln Farm comes to life through this historic tour with
interpreters. Come and see what life was like in 1845 for the Lincoln family on their farm in Illinois. The house and surrounding farm are still being used as they were then; the interpreters portray the family members and neighbors who lived in the area.

An accurate replica of the Lincoln cabin was reconstructed on its original site after the State of Illinois acquired the land in 1929. The cabin reconstruction was based on photographs and affidavits, since the original was lost following its move to the Columbian Exposition in 1892. Both rooms are furnished with items and artifacts of the 1840s, though none are known to have belonged to the Lincolns.

Location: 400 S. Lincoln Highway Road, Lena, Illinois

Phone: (217) 345-1845
Fax: (217) 345-6472

Lincoln Log Cabin – Lerna, Illinois is a post from: Illinois Tourism