Historical day-tripping in the Land of Lincoln
Ready, set, go, for a one-tank trip! These destinations are just a hop, skip and jump away – within three to four hours of Springfi eld. Head out to find the amazing sites in the corners and edges of Illinois on the roads less traveled.
Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon Head south for a day of art. At Cedarhurst, they have it all. Located on a 90-acre site, Cedarhurst offers exciting visual and performing arts programs for the public. In the Rolling Meadows enjoy Cedarhurst’s Sculpture Park, an outdoor gallery with more than 60 large-scale sculptures. Inside the Mitchell Museum, art connoisseurs are immersed in contemporary art exhibitions in two galleries, which includes the Children’s Gallery. The museum profiles works by artists Mary Cassatt, Maurice Prendergast, Childe Hassam and offers an American painting collection. “This is a great day trip where you can enjoy the art and experience the nature,” said Sarah Sledge of Cedarhurst. “Cedarhurst hosts Thursday Night Live each week throughout the summer. The art galleries, and sculpture park are open until 8 p.m. each Thursday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Visitors are welcome to enjoy weekly TNL programs, music on the patio, food concessions and cash bar.”
The Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst is at 2600 Richview Rd. Mt. Vernon. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. 618-242- 1236. http://www.cedarhurst.org.
John Deere Pavilion Moline, location of John Deere headquarters, is in the northwest corner of the state. In downtown Moline, the John Deere Pavilion is right next to the John Deere store. At this educational stop, kids can power-up virtual reality simulators, climb into huge machines, watch videos on the giant media wall and learn about the legacy of John Deere, who changed the course of agricultural history. The Pavilion offers insight into farming and encompasses all aspects of agriculture, including interesting historical tidbits. Exhibits rotate so if you have been to the Pavilion before, there is always something new and different to see at this kid-friendly stop. If you have a little extra time, ask about a visit to the John Deere headquarters that was designed by Eero Saarinen and a tour of the two beautiful mansions associated with the Deere family.
The John Deere Pavilion is at 1400 River Drive, Moline, 61265. Open Mon.- Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun. noon-4 p.m., 309-765-1000. http://tinyurl.com/ld7t4rn
Hannibal, Mo. Across the Mississippi River from Quincy is Hannibal. While Springfield is known as the Land of Lincoln, Hannibal is known as Mark Twain Land. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Mo. In 1839, at the age of four, his family moved to Hannibal. Using his childhood memories as a youth in a river town, Twain penned the popular The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) along with more than two dozen other books that put Hannibal on the map. The stories of these fictional characters based on Mark Twain’s recollections have made Hannibal a unique place to visit.
Start your visit with a ride in the Hannibal Trolley Company Sightseeing Tours to get your bearings and figure out just where you want to go. During the summer enjoy a ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat. Visit the Mark Twain Boyhood Museum and Museum Properties which include Clemens Boyhood Home, a National Historic Landmark, the Becky Thatcher House, Huckleberry Finn House, J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Offi ce and the Museum Gallery and Interpretive Center. Don’t miss the Mark Twain Cave Complex, which boasts America’s oldest and newest Show Caves.
There are several other Twain stops as well as the beautiful Rockcliffe Mansion that you spy as soon as you enter town. Rockcliffe Mansion is a 13,500-sq.-ft. grand residence built on four acres and situated on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Hannibal also offers ghost tours and an array of places to eat and stay. Lulabelles has great food as well as an interesting but bawdy past. If you’re looking for a romantic overnight stay, the Garth Woodside Bed and Breakfast adds a bit of luxury.
For information about times and locations of the sites in Hannibal, contact the Hannibal Convention & Visitors Bureau. Located at 505 N 3rd St., Hannibal, MO 63401, 573-221-2477, info@visithannibal.com.
Nauvoo You probably learned about Joseph Smith and Nauvoo in the history books. Visit Nauvoo to make history come alive. This Hancock County town sits along the Mississippi River and has many attractions for visitors. The town was settled in 1839 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – called “Mormons.” You can trace their history and explore the more than 40 historic sites from the 1840 time period as well as see the beautiful Nauvoo Temple, the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There are free rides on a covered wagon pulled by oxen. The rides are offered year round along with free nightly shows. Stop by and tour a blacksmith shop, check out Baxter Vineyards, the oldest vineyard in Illinois and tour the Browning gunsmith shop where Jonathon Browning started manufacturing guns and rifles in the 1840s. Antiquing and shopping opportunities also abound at this historic destination.
To learn about all the great stops in Nauvoo, contact the Nauvoo Tourism Office. Located at 1295 Mulholland Street, Nauvoo, 217-453-6648, http://www.visitnauvoo.com/home.html.
established Sangamo Town. Other village buildings were constructed by a previous owner before Clayville became a rural life center. Some of these buildings are also open to the public. Clayville offers an array of events and a chance for visitors to tour and reconnect with local history. Besides music and festivals, the play Prairie Dreams; the Story of Clayville and Its People, written by local author Tara McClellan McAndrew, will be offered July 4-6.
Located on Illinois State Highway 125 east of Pleasant Plains, Clayville is open to the public with free tours Tuesday – Thursday, spring to fall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 217-582-4984, www.clayville.org.
Elkhart Twenty miles north of Springfield, Elkhart is located off I-55 on old Route 66. From the interstate it is easy to see the hill the Ice Age carved out rising 777 feet above sea level. For many years, several Indian tribes populated the area around Elkhart Hill, according to Peggy Lee, an Elkhart trustee. The fi rst white settler arrived in 1819. The Elkhart Cemetery reads like a Who’s Who with the likes of Civil War general, and three-term Illinois governor Richard J. Oglesby who lived in Elkhart from 1890 until his death, and John Dean Gillett, who was known for raising superior quality beef and for his friendship with Abraham Lincoln. Captain Adam H. Bogardus, a wildfowl market hunter, conservationist and champion wing-shot, who toured with Buffalo Bill Cody’s “Wild West” show, is buried here. Elkhart was also home to three historical baseball fi gures.
Come to Elkhart today to enjoy learning about the history of the town outlined in the Lincoln Heritage Signs and a Looking-For-Lincoln Wayside Exhibit as you stroll in the turn-of-the-century downtown.
Clayville Located by Pleasant Plains near Springfi eld, Clayville historic site has been reclaimed by the Pleasant Plains Historical Society and is now open to the public. The site profi les the Broadwell Inn, built by the Broadwell family in 1824. The Inn served as a stagecoach stop and public house until 1847 when John Broadwell sold the property. While it was a stagecoach stop, stagecoach passengers, freight caravans, freight carriers, cattle drovers and circuit riders of the legal profession stopped by the inn. Who knows, Abraham Lincoln may have been one of the visitors. The Broadwell family also owned and operated a tannery and wood mills, and Elkhart’s “Historic Rt. 66 Statue and Wayside Exhibit” will open in the spring, according to Peggy Lee. The exhibit consists of a metal silhouette statue and accompanying informational signage. The theme will be “1930s and 1940s restaurants and gas stations in Elkhart on old Rt. 66,” focusing on Shirley Temple’s stop at The House by the Side of the Road restaurant in 1938, the Texaco Station, and the Shell Station and Roof Top Garden. Keep an eye out for the doughboy statue presented to the Village of Elkhart by returning veterans of World War I. Wander in shops and check out the Wild Hare Café and Talk of the Town restaurants on Governor Oglesby Street. The Blue Moon Pub offers live entertainment regularly and there are a few antique shops and places to make heading north a fun day trip getaway!
Elkhart is located off old Route 66, between Springfield and Lincoln. The historic downtown is open Tuesdays through Sundays year-round. Contact Peggy Lee at 217-9446, http://www. elkhartillinois.us/index.html.
New Salem This Menard County site is the reconstructed village where Abraham Lincoln lived for six years. The village includes 12 log houses, the Rutledge tavern, a school, stores and a mill along the village trails. You can learn a lot about Honest Abe. While living in New Salem, he clerked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, failed in business and, after an unsuccessful try in 1832, was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and 1836.
Besides visiting the sites, consider taking in one of the Theatre in the Park performances. The plays are held in a 475-seat outdoor theater Fridays through Sundays from mid-June till late August. The first play offered this summer is The Diary of Anne Frank, followed by Footloose, then Music Man and, the last play of the season, The Pajama Game. Performances end with a Night Under the Stars concert fundraiser.
Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site is about two miles south of Petersburg and about 20 miles northwest of Springfield at 15588 History Lane, Petersburg, 62675. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the off season. 217-632-4000, http://www. lincolnsnewsalem.com.
