The Lee County Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Lee County, IL. To this end, the society operates a research center.
The society offers research center access and research assistance.
The Old State Capitol is a reconstruction of Illinois's fifth statehouse, the first to be located in Springfield. The building served as the seat of state government and a center of Illinois political life from 1839 to 1876. The first floor is composed of a central hall flanked by rooms interpreting government offices, two libraries, and the supreme courtroom. A complex of first-floor rooms also provides an audiovisual theater and staff offices. Recreated second-floor spaces include a rotunda, legislative chambers, and smaller offices and meeting rooms. The building is located in the center of a large landscaped yard surrounded by a replica of the original 1850s ornamental iron fence.
The site offers tours, a short film, and occasional educational and recreational events.
Buel House, according to local tradition, was a significant site on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The family of tanner Alexander Buel was said to have fed pumpkin to hungry Cherokee Indians being driven west by the federal government in 1838. The story is probably not true, however, since records indicate that the house was built in 1840. Still, it is a historically significant structure, having been continuously occupied by generations of one family for 146 years. There are indications that over the years Cherokee stopped at Golconda to trade while journeying to visit their former homes in Georgia. The Buel House, along with much of Golconda, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, as part of the Golconda Historic District. Situated at the base of the Ohio River bluffs, the two-story rectangular square-log structure has one-story additions on the east and north sides of the original building. Also on the site is a restored and furnished log cabin used for interpretive programs by the Pope County Historical Society.
The site offers tours and occasional recreational and educational programs.
This antebellum site is the birthplace and longtime home of poet (Nicholas) Vachel Lindsay. Lindsay was internationally known in the early 20th century for his poetry, the artwork he created to illustrate the poetry, and his animated performances of his work.
The site offers tours.
The Peoria Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation of the historical heritage of Peoria, Illinois. The society owns and operates two historic house museums in the center of Peoria, as well as a research library.
The society offers guided tours of the historic house museums, weekly tours of different parts of Peoria, summer camps, and research resources. The website offers information regarding upcoming events, visitor information, and historical information regarding Peoria.
The 1843 Washburne House was for many years the home of Elihu B. Washburne, United States Congressman from 1853 to 1869. The restored home's first floor interprets an entry hall, parlor, sitting room, library, dining room, and kitchen with adjoining pantries. All are decorated and furnished to depict the lifestyle of a well-to-do midwestern professional. On the second floor are the master bedroom and a second bedroom.
The house offers tours.
The Martin-Boismenue House, a traditional one-story French Creole residence built ca. 1790, is considered one of the oldest surviving residences in Illinois.
The site offers tours.
The Museum has a range of permanent exhibits showcasing the historical heritage of the Macon County area from the 1830s to 1890s, with ever-changing exhibits highlighting different aspects of life in Decatur and Macon County throughout the years. The Prairie Village Complex includes an 1860s one-room schoolhouse and an 1850s log house, along with other period buildings and a 1922 railroad caboose.
The museum and village offer exhibits, tours, short films, research library access, and educational and recreational events.
The Ellwood House Museum presents the home of barbed wire magnate, Isaac L. Ellwood (1833-1910). Built in 1879, the Victorian mansion still contains its original furnishings. A visitor's center offers a number of exhibits, including a gallery displaying the history of barbed wire.
The museum offers period rooms, exhibits, and one-hour guided tours.
Bishop Hill was the site of a utopian religious community founded in 1846 by Swedish pietist Eric Janson (18081850) and his followers. A number of historically significant buildings have survived and are scattered throughout the village, four of which are owned by the state and managed as part of the Bishop Hill State Historic Site. The 1848 Colony Church is a two-story frame building. The three-story stuccoed-brick 1850s Colony Hotel served commercial travelers and provided a link to the outside world. The 1850 "Boys' Dormitory" is a small two-story frame structure believed to have provided housing for boys making the transition to working adulthood. An 1850s Colony barn was relocated behind the Hotel to the site of the original Hotel stable. In addition to the historic structures, the state owns the village park with a gazebo and memorials to the town's early settlers and Civil War soldiers. The brick museum building houses a valuable collection of primitivist paintings by colonist Olof Krans (18381916).
The site offers exhibits, a short film, and occasional recreational and educational events.