AttractionsGalena is filled with many historical and architectural gems. Here are a few: Belvedere Mansion: 1008 Park Ave. Italianate 22-room mansion built in 1857 for J. Russel Jones, ambassador to Belgium. Furnished with formal Victorian pieces, items from Liberace's estate, plus the green drapes from "Gone With the Wind." Call 815/777-0747. Hours 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Tour time: 25 minutes. Group tours by appointment. Open Memorial Day-October. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children. Combine with Dowling House for $6 for adults $2.50 for children ages 6-16 and younger than 6 free. Brill's Trolley Tours: 102 N. Main St. One-hour narrated tour of Galena. Purchase tickets at American Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor or Brill's Trolley Junction next to Dowling House. Hours seasonal, tour times on the hour beginning at 9 a.m. Call 815/777-3121 for information. DeSoto House Hotel: 230 S. Main St. Opened in 1855, it became known as "the best hotel west of New York City for its sumptuous accommodations and meticulous service." It was renovated during the 1980s, and now offers guest rooms, restaurants and other conveniences. Open daily. Call 800/343-6562. The Dowling House: 220 Diagonal St. Galena's oldest house, built of native limestone in 1826 as a general store and residence. Tour time: 25 minutes. Admission $5 for adults, $2.50 for children. Group tours by appointment. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Open daily Memorial Day-October; Friday-Sunday in April, November and December. Call 815/777-1250. Combine with Belvedere Mansion for $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-16 and younger than 6 free. Galena Post Office: 110 Green St. Built in 1857-59 from Nauvoo limestone as a post office and customs house, the Renaissance Revival building is the second oldest continuously operating post office in the United States. Call 815/777-0225. Galena Public Library District and Historic Collection: 601 S. Bench St. The library was endowed by the Felt family and built in 1907 in Greek Revival style. The collection includes documents and genealogical materials, Galena newspapers from 1834 and other records, ledgers and maps. Free. Historic collection hours: 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1-4 Saturday or by appointment. Library hours: 1-8:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, 1-6 p.m. Tuesday, Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Call 815/777-0200. Galena Trolley Tours Depot: 314 S. Main St. One hour narrated tours of Galena. Tours are 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Call 815/777-1248 for information. Galena/Jo Daviess County Historical Museum: 211 S. Bench St. Permanent exhibits include: Civil War exhibit with Thomas Nast's original painting, "Peace in Union." Also featured are clothing, household items, paintings, dolls and seasonal items. There is an hourly audio-visual show explaining how the town became what it is today. It is housed in an 1858 Italianate mansion. Call 815/777-9129. Admission: Adults $3.50, students 10-18, $2.50, younger than 10, free. Tours time is 30-60 minutes. Hours 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. LinMar Gardens: 504 S. Prospect. The 3½-acre garden is situated on natural limestone outcroppings. Plantings include hostas, vibernums, conifers, grasses, daylilies, annuals and perennials. Open for private guided tours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. by appointment only. Call 815/777-1177. Suggested donation, $4. Old Market House State Historic Site: 123 N. Commerce St. This Greek Revival building once served as a hub of community life. It was a multi-purpose house that continues that way today. It highlights Galena's cultural heritage. Suggested donation, $2 for adults, $1 for children. Hours 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday. Closed holidays and Election Day. Call 815/777-3310. The Old Stockade on the Cobblestone Street: 208 Perry St. Opening in mid-2000. Built of upright logs in 1832, this structure provided safety for Galena's earliest pioneers during the Blackhawk War. Clapboards converted the building to a residence, then a boarding house, tearoom and museum. A community-wide celebration honored its history in 1932. Re-opening in mid-2000, original handhewn logs will be exposed, with historical information displayed. Access during hours of on-site shop or by special arrangement. Free during open hours. River Cruises on the Twilight: Riverboat offers two-day round-trip Mississippi River cruises that depart from LeClaire, Iowa, overnight at Chestnut Mountain Resort, Galena, and return to LeClaire the evening of the second day. Departures Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday Memorial Day through Mid-October. Reservations required. Call 800/331-1467 for price information. Shopping: Whatever your favorite style of store, Galena has it. Antiques, food, galleries, wine and cheese, pottery and flowers are just a few. Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historical Site: 500 Bouthillier St. The house was presented to Grant upon his return from the Civil War in 1865. It contains original furnishings, plus items belonging to the Grant family. Admission: Donation of $3 for adults, $1 for children. Open 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m. daily. Closed holidays and Election Day. Vinegar Hill Historic Lead Mine & Museum: 8885 N. Three Pines Road. Originally mined by an Irishman in 1822, it was handed down through generations. The mine is typical of those from that era. Guided tours take visitors into the mine, and museum features lead and ore samples, along with mining tools. Admission: Adults $5, students $2.50, children younger than 5 free. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily June-August, weekends in May, September and October. Call 815/777-0855. Washburne House: 908 Third St. A Historic Preservation Agency home now open as a museum. The Greek Revival home, built in 1844 by Elihu B. Washburne. Open 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Tours every 30 minutes. Call 815/777-3310 for information. History* Located in
the rolling countryside of the northwest corner of Illinois, this was once the
center of the steamboat trade in the Upper Mississippi mine region. The city
reached its zenith in the 1850s, but by the turn of the century it was content
to serve the local population and became a quiet backwater town. With the renewed interest in the
history and architecture of a bygone era, Galena has once again assumed a
position of importance as a living example of 19th-century architecture. Most
of the buildings that dot the bluffs and line the streets have been privately
restored. History comes alive for those who
visit the home of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, or
any of the museums and restored homes that are open to the public. The scene
from Grant Park, with its restored fountain, gazebo, Grant statue and cannons,
gives a breath-taking panoramic view of the city. A walking bridge connects the
park with the historic Main Street for those wishing to explore Galena on foot. Galena's historical attractions and
museums include: The Belvedere Mansion, Galena Public Library, Galena Post
Office and Customs House, LinMar Gardens, Old Stockade, Galena/Jo Daviess
County Historical Museum, U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site, Old Market House
State Historic Site, DeSoto House Hotel, Vinegar Hill Historic Lead Mine and
Museum, Washburne House State Historic Site, The Dowling House and Galena
Cellars Winery. The storefronts that line historic
Main Street also house 150 antique shops, art galleries, and a variety of gift
and specialty shops. Some are off the beaten path, so be sure to check with the
Visitor Information Center in the old train depot, north of the U.S. 20 bridge
on the east bank of the Galena River. Visit www.galena.org . * The Belvedere Mansion, Italianate
22-room mansion built in 1857 for J. Russell Jones, steamboat magnate and
Ambassador to Belgium. Furnished with formal Victorian pieces, items from
Liberace's estate, plus the famous green drapes from "Gone With the Wind."
Admission charged. Open daily from Memorial Day through October. Call for
hours, 815/777-0747. * The DeSoto House Hotel opened in
1855. After major renovations in the 1980s, the hotel offers guest rooms,
restaurants, lounges, meeting facilities and ballroom. Open daily. For more
information, call 815/777-0090 or 800/343-6562; www.desotohouse.com . * The Dowling House, Galena's oldest
house, was built of native limestone in 1826. Admission charged. Open daily
from May through October. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Friday; 10
a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. Open Friday-Sunday, April, November and December. Closed
January-March. For information, call 815/777-1250. * Galena/Jo Daviess County History
Museum, housed in an 1858 Italianate mansion, is a good place to start your
visit to Galena. Admission charged. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For
more information, call 815/777-9129. * LinMar Gardens, a three-and-a-half
acre garden situated on natural limestone outcroppings. Open for private guided
tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sunday (1-4 p.m.), mid-May to
mid-October by appointment only. For information, call 815/777-1177. Donation:
$4. * The Old Market House State Historic
Site, a 152-year-old building was the center of community life during Galena's
most prosperous era. Hours: 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
For more information, call 815/777-3310. * Ulysses S. Grant Home State
Historic Site. The home has been restored as it appeared during the post-Civil
War period and the Grant Presidency. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. For
more information, call 815/777-3310. www.granthome.com . * Vinegar Hill Lead Mine and Museum,
located six miles north of Galena off Illinois 84, is the only lead mine in the
state approved by Bureau of Mine and Minerals that is open to the public. A
guide will acquaint you with early mining and smelting methods and a visit to
the museum will add to your knowledge of primitive tools, as well as early
artifacts indigenous to the area. Open Memorial Day weekend, daily 9 a.m.-5
p.m., June-August; weekends only September and October. Admission charged. * Washburne House State Historic
Site. This Greek Revival home was built in 1843 by Elihu B. Washburne. Closed
for renovations and is scheduled to reopen in 2002. For information, call
815/777-3310. * Galena Cellars Winery. This
family-owned winery presses, ferments and ages fruit and table wines. The wines
consistently win awards at regional and national competitions. Retail shop and
complimentary wine tasting housed in a restored 1840s granary. Hours: 9 a.m.-8
p.m. daily. June through December; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9
a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, January through May.
www.galenacellars.com . * Galena Public Library and Historic
Collection. The library was endowed by the Felt family and built in 1907 in the
Greek Revival style. The reading room features a mosaic fireplace in a wisteria
pattern, done in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School of
architecture. The extensive historic collection includes documents and
genealogical materials, many on microfilm: Galena newspapers from 1834, records
of births, deaths, burials, marriages, ledgers and maps. Admission is free.
Historic Collection hours: 3-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday,
or by appointment. Library hours: 1-8:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 1-6 p.m.
Tuesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Handicapped
accessible form Magazine Street. * Galena Post Office and Customs
House. Built in 1857-59 from nauvoo limestone by General Eli S. Parker, a
Seneca Indian who served on Grant's staff. The Renaissance Revival building is
the second oldest continuously operating post office in the United States and
the first to be named a "Great American Post Office" by the Smithsonian. * The Old Stockade on the Cobblestone
Street. Built of upright logs, this structure provided safety for Galena's
earliest pioneers during the Black Hawk War of 1832. Clapboards converted the
building to a residence, then a boarding house, tearoom and museum. Restored to
its 1890s appearance, its history is displayed inside on the original logs.
Visitors welcome. Admission is free. Fishing* Schubert's Landing, 937 Ferry Landing Road, southwest of Galena on Harris Slough at Mile 566.8. Slip rental, dockage for transient boaters, bait, fuel, boat rental. Fully equipped fishing boat with motor and gas, $45 per day; unequipped boat, $15 per day; life preservers, $1.50 each. |
Special EventsNov. 20-22: 25th Annual Nouveau Wine Festival, Celebrating 25 years, noon, Galena, Ill. A celebration of the release of Galena Cellars Vineyard and Winery Nouveau Wine. Enjoy a traditional French stew at local restaurants followed by horse-drawn wagon deliveries on Main Street. Afternoon wine and cheese parties at various downtown locations. Galena Cellars Winery, 515 S. Main St. for more details: 815-777-3330. Nov. 20-Jan. 17: Winter/Holiday Art Exhibit, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Galena Artists Guild Gallery, 324 Spring St. Feature seasonal exhibits by member artists. Details: 815-777-2870 or visit www.galenaartists.com. Nov. 27-28: Visit with Santa Claus, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Old Market House, 123 N. Commerce St. Kids will visit with Santa and give their wish lists. Santa will have gift bags for visitors. Details: 815-777-3310. Nov. 28, 29, Dec. 5, 6, 12, 19, 20, 26: Territory Holiday Lights, 5 p.m., Galena Territory. Self guided driving tour through 6, 800 acres amid rolling hills and valleys to view decorated homes for the holidays. Vote for your favorite. Maps and ballots available at the Galena Territory Owners Club, 2000 Territory Drive or Eagle Ridge General Store, 425 Eagle Ridge Drive. Details: 815-777-8272 or visit the galenaterritory.com. Dec. 2: United Church of Galena Christmas Concert, 7 p.m., St. Michael's Catholic Church, 227 S. Bench St. Concert will include: Choirs, musicians, soloists, the Galena Brass, praise band and bells will perform traditional and new music of the sacred season. The combined choirs of the Galena Church community will perform a finale,. A free-will offering benefiting the United Churchs of Galena Food Pantry. A reception in Dolan Hll will follow the concert. Details: 815-777-2108. Parks* Recreation
Park and Alice T. Virtue Memorial Pool and Water Park on north side of Galena
on Stagecoach Trail offers picnic tables, grills, shelters, rest rooms,
playground, concession stand, sand volleyball, baseball, softball, horseshoes,
swimming pool and water park. Water park features a 131-foot water slide, main
pool and pool for children. Call for pool times and fees, summer at
815/777-0802, or winter, 815/777-1050. * Grant City Park has a restored
19th-century fountain, gazebo, band shelter, picnic tables, playground, statue
of U.S. Grant. Park overlooks city and Galena River. Walk-bridge spanning
Galena River connects park with Main Street. Camping* Palace
Campground, on U.S. 20, one mile west of Galena, has washrooms, showers,
laundry facilities, water, sewer and electric hookups. The campground includes
heated outdoor pool, wading pool, mini-lake, store, snack bar and dump station.
Outdoor movies, hayrides and game room. * Wooded Wonderland, 610 Devils
Ladder Road, south of U.S. 20, five miles east of Galena, has rustic campground
with limited facilities. |
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