garden and an heirloom-vegetable garden, the Homestead is frozen in time. Public programs are offered on the first and third Sundays of the month, June-October.
The Homestead Prairie Farm is located at Rock Springs Nature Center, 3939 Nearing Lane in Decatur, 217-423-7708. Free tours are offered June-October from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Special tours and programs may be scheduled by appointment at other times for students or various groups. Go to www.maconcountyconservation.org/historic.php.
Governor Oglesby Mansion
Gov. Richard J. Oglesby, who was a friend and political ally of Honest Abe, lived in this historic mansion he built in 1874. It is operated by the Macon County Historical Society. Elected governor three times, Oglesby was also a United States Senator and made a small fortune In the California gold rush. He served in the military, fighting in both the Mexican War and Civil War, ending his military career as a general. The Italianate style of the mansion is accented by period furnishings with several items actually owned by the Oglesby family. In 1880, Ulysses S. Grant stopped to see the governor.
The mansion will be open for tours every Wednesday and Saturday from 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. in June, July and August and the last Sunday of the month from 2p.m.- 4 p.m. from March through November. Call 217-429-9422. Admission is $2. More information can be found at www.maconcountyconservation.org/historic.php.
Hieronymous Mueller Museum
For something truly different, stop in the Hieronymous Mueller Museum in Decatur. It holds examples of the more than 500 patented inventions Mueller created. He was known as a pioneer in the development of the automobile and he and his family invented the water-cooled radiator, the spark plug and variable speed transmission, along with plumbing and gas equipment.
Open Thursday-Saturday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults and $1.50 for children. The museum is located at 420 W. Eldorado, Decatur. 217-423-6161.
J.H. Hawes Grain Museum
Built in 1903, the state’s only wooden grain elevator operated until 1976. It was purchased by the city of Atlanta in 1988 and restored in 1993. A museum inside the elevator demonstrates the unique systems used to empty horse-drawn wagons and later unload grain trucks. The museum also includes a brick engine house and a wooden scale house/office.
The elevator is open for public tours 1-3 p.m. each Sun., June-August. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. School groups can arrange tours by calling 217- 648-5077. The J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum is located at 301 S.W. Second St. in Atlanta. Call 217-648-2056 or 217-648-5077 or go to www.haweselevator.org.
Southwestern Farm and Home Museum
John Stampe, a retired farmer, built a living memorial to farmers in Shipman, 70 miles south and west of Springfield. Inside his museum are items depicting farming in the past and giving visitors insight into rural life. Antiques on display include a grinding stone, reaper, wagon, horse drill, bobsled and household items. Although Stampe is gone, niece Carol Barnett and her husband, Wayne Barnett, and other volunteers continue to operate the museum and a nearby one-room schoolhouse. The highlight of the site’s year is the Labor Day Weekend Fall Festival and Quilt Show.
The Southwestern Farm Museum is located at Shipman Community Park, Route 16 and Park Street, in Shipman. Open April-Nov. 1-4 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Admission: $2 per adult and $1 per child. 618-729-3278.