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For roughly 100 years Heritage Canyon was a limestone quarry. In 1954 it was abandoned until it was converted into a historical center in 1967. Today buildings from the 1800s can be found on walking paths throughout the 12-acre park. Included in these structures are a doctor's office and a school house. Heritage Canyon is open daily from April until December 15 from 9am to 5pm.
Address: 515 North 4th Street Fulton IL USA 61252
 1 815 589-4545
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Cherry Mine Disaster Holy Trinity Miners Memorial
In memory of the 1909 mining disaster in Cherry, a memorial was erected in the village park. On November 13, 1909, 259 miners were killed, many of them immigrants and children. The event helped change legislation on child labor and helped establish the Workers Compensation Act. The Cherry library has extra information for those interested. It is open Wednesday from 6pm to 7:30pm and Saturday from 9am to 11am.
Address: . Cherry IL USA 61317
1 815 894-2232
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The Old Market House, constructed in 1845-1846, was the focal point of community life during Galena's heyday. Today the Old Market House State Historic Site is home to exhibits, meetings and special events.
Address: 123 N. Commerce St. Galena IL USA
 Send an Email 1 815 777-3310
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Civil War documents, archived newspapers, photographs and boxes of manuscripts can be found at the Joiner History Room. The facility is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm. It is located inside the Sycamore Public Library.
Address: 103 East State Street Sycamore IL USA 60178
1 815 895-7271
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Located at the Northern Illinois University, the Regional History Center provides visitors with information about the DeKalb area through a variety of documents. The history center is located in NIU's Founders Memorial Library on the fourth floor.
Address: 1525 West Lincoln Hwy DeKalb IL USA 60115
1 815 753-1779
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The Campbell Center's opened its doors in 1853 and has been in continuous use to educate students. It started out as a seminary and today teaches courses on historic preservation and care of artifacts. The campus was adopted to the National Register of Historic Place in 1980.
Address: 203 East Seminary Mount Carroll IL USA 61053
Send an Email (3) 1 815 244-1173
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Ronald Reagan Birthplace
The Tampico apartment where former US president Ronald Reagan was born has been restored for visitors to tour. The rooms are decorated in period furnishings, with a gift shop and a museum attached. It is open daily until 4pm from April to December.
Address: 111 S. Main Street Tampico IL USA 61283
1 815 438-2130
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Albany Mounds
Miles of trails wind through the area where mounds from American Indian burial grounds can be found. There are roughly 50 sites in the park are about 2,000 years old. The park is found south of Albany and stands on 205 acres (83 ha) of land. The mounds are recognized as a state historic site. It is open daily from dawn to dusk and is free of charge.
Address: South Cherry Street Albany IL USA 61230
1 309 887-4340
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Gramercy Park/Dunleith Mound Group
Burial mounds estimated to be from the Middle Woodlands era (600 AD) draw people to Gramercy Park's Dunleith Mound Group in East Dubuque. There are 20 sites remaining here, which are thought to come from the Hopewell Native Americans. Interpretive signs and trails maneuvering visitors through the area, which overlooks the Mississippi River Valley. Picnic tables and shelters are also available.
Address: . East Dubuque Il USA 61025
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Built for Congressman Washburne in 1843, the Elihu B. Washburne House is open to the public every Friday from 10am to 4pm, May to October or by appointment. The house was built in Greek Revival style, with large pillars framing the front entrance. After the congressman, the building was owned by only one other family before being bought by the State of Illinois to be used as a historic site.
Address: 908 Third St. Galena IL USA 61036
1 815 777-9406
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Home to one a Illinois best known abolitionists, Owen Lovejoy, the homestead was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. The house was built in the early 1830s. It contains 15 rooms, including one in which slaves were hidden on their trip to freedom. A historic schoolhouse is also located on the property. The museum is open from May to September on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm, or by appointment.
Address: Off of I-80 at Exit 56 Princetown IL USA 61356
Send an Email 1 815 879-9151
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Ronald Reagan's Boyhood Home
The home that the Reagan family moved into in 1920 has since been restored to reflect how the early years of this president were while growing up in Dixon. Guides are on-site to take people through the home and to tell stories of Ronald Reagan. The museum is closed in December and January, is open in February and March on Saturdays and Sundays, and is open daily from April to November until 4pm.
Address: 816 S. Hennepin Ave. Dixon IL USA 61021
1 815 288-3404
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Dedicated to Civil War hero General Ulysses S. Grant, the Grant Home was constructed in 1860 and currently stands as one of Galena's historic sites. The site is open to visitors Wednesdays thru Sundays from 9am to 5pm.
Address: 500 Bouthillier St. Galena IL USA 61036
Send an Email 1 815 777-3310
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The Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center is located along a Mississippi River tributary near Thomson. The grounds contain a center which was formed to help educated people on conservation and environmental issues. The park is open year round, Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm. From May through September it is open on Saturdays as well.
Address: 7071 Riverview Rd. Thomson IL USA 61285
1 815 273-2732
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At the Rochelle Railroad Park, visitors can watch the trains roll by while learning about railroad history. The park includes a platform filled with historic exhibits. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Address: 124 N. 9th St. Rochelle IL USA 61068
1 815 562-4189
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Allen School
The Allen School has helped educate kids for more than 100 years. The building was originally built in 1887, making it one of the oldest schools in the state. Its age hasn't stopped it from being useful. Today the school is used as La Moille's junior high school. Tours of the building can be arranged.
Address: 301 Main St. LaMoille IL USA 61330
1 815 638-2233
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The Apple River Fort provided refuge in the 1830s when the local Native Americans and the settlers clashed over an order by President Jackson to relocate the tribes. Today a reconstructed version of the fort sits where the first sturcture did. Reenactments of pioneer life held there throughout the year on the grounds and in the visitor's center and include the chores and mourning rituals of the early days. The fort is open all year round.
Address: 311 East Myrtle St. Elizabeth IL USA 61028
1 815 858-2028
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The Lucius Read House was built in 1843, becoming the focal point in the town of Byron. Read was very active in his community and was also involved the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement. The house is located next to the Byron Museum of History and can be viewed from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Tuesday through Friday, or by appointment.
Address: 106 N. Union Street Byron IL USA 61010
Send an Email 1 815 234-5031
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Illinois Waterway Visitor Center and Museum
Watch towboats make their way along the Illinois River during a visit to the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center. Inside the center, visitors can learn about the locks and dams that control the flow along the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Other exhibits focus on the construction of these structures. The facility is open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm, and is located between Utica and Ottawa on Route 1.
Address: 950 N. 27th Rd. (Route 1) Ottawa IL USA 61350
Send an Email 1 815 667-4054
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Set on the original site of the water-powered mill built in 1847, the replicated structure takes guests into the early days in Franklin Grove. An impressive four-ton wheel is moved by water from a spring, which at one time was ground corn meal and wheat flour. The Franklin Creek Grist Mill is disabled accessible and has a gift shop, an interpretive trail, fossil viewing and other displays. It is open from April to October, on Thursdays through Sundays from 12pm to 4pm.
Address: Franklin Grove IL USA 61031
1 815 456-2718
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The Macktown Living History Center was formed to remember the accomplishments of the area's first settler: Stephen Mack. The area includes Mack's home, which was built in 1839. Also on the property is the Whitman Trading Post. There are numerous artifacts and pieces owned by Mack to be seen here. The center is open from June until Labor Day (early September) on Sundays from 1pm to 4pm. It is located in the Macktown Forest Preserve.
Address: 2221 Freeport Rd. Rockton IL USA 61072
1 815 624-4200
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This private, non-profit organization runs a museum to preserve the history of the Galena area and Jo Daviess County. The mansion which houses the museum was built in 1858 as a private residence. They offer selfguided museum tours, as well as guided walking tours of Galena, a cemetery walk, with costumed actors portraying historical figures, and historic home tours.
Address: 211 S. Bench St. Galena IL 61036
Send an Email (24) 1 815 777-9129
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Pioneer Cabins
The Pioneer Cabins date back to the early days when the area was being settled. Today these two cabins are cared for by the Boone Coun | | 
