Spring break is right around the corner.
Cabin fever and spring fever can be remedied with a day trip a short distance from Springfield. Here are some day trips to enjoy a change of scenery and some space before school or work resumes — in no particular order.
Be sure to check ahead of your journey (phone calls suggested where possible) for closures, hours of operation and site modifications, or other conditions.
1. Arthur and Arcola
Travel time: About 2 hours
Experience what it would have been like to live in the past by visiting these two towns. Arthur is the heart of central Illinois’ Amish country and home to the oldest and largest Amish community in the state, founded in the 1860s. Explore the area for interesting finds in food, furniture, cabinets, quilts, and more. Tour companies can arrange interviews and meals with Amish families.
Slightly larger than Arthur is nearby Arcola, founded in 1855 when the Illinois Central Railroad was built through the county. The Arcola Depot and Welcome Center, open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, is a restored historic train depot featuring some history, local information, and maps. Arcola was the 1880 birthplace of John Barton Gruelle, the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Next to the information center is the World’s One and Only Hippie Memorial. The Wall Dog murals painted in and around downtown tell some of the community’s stories. Shops, eateries, and Amish furniture dealers can be found around town. It is recommended to visit these shops Wednesday through Saturday as they have limited hours until later in the spring.
Halfway between Arthur and Arcola is the Aikman Wildlife Adventure center. The drive-through safari adventure offers a mile-long path to see more than 100 exotic animals including bison, water buffalo, wildebeest and more from the comfort of a car. Afterward, stroll through the rest of the park to see smaller animals, aviary, and predators through the walk-through/petting zoo area. The park will be open Saturday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As part of its March Madness promotion, admission will be donation only for admission to the park, including drive- though, walk-through, museum of prehistoric life, and the petting zoo.
Arthur Chamber of Commerce
106 E. Progress St.
Arthur, IL 61911
(217) 543-2242
Arcola Historic Train Depot & Information Center
135 N. Oak St.
Arcola IL 61910
(217) 268-4530 or (800) 336-5456
Aikman Wildlife Adventure
125N County Road 425E
Arcola, IL 61910
(217) 268-3500
2. Grafton
Travel time: Under 2 hours
Bluffs and wooded areas and the Mississippi River flank Grafton. The harbor boasts waterfront dining, boat rides, and boat and jet ski rental. To look at Grafton from the other side, drive onto the Grafton Ferry and cross the river to St. Charles, Missouri. Get expansive views of the river at Aerie’s Resort and enjoy the winery’s beverages, dining and entertainment. For those looking for additional lofty adventures, the family-friendly Grafton zip line offers a thrilling tree top canopy adventure soaring from bluff to bluff. The activity boasts a view, rope bridges, trails and a surprise ending. The zip line is open on weekends or with reservations during the week.
Nearby, the 8,000-acre Pere Marquette State Park along the Great River Road provides a chance to be immersed in nature with a scenic drive, fishing, picnicking, birding, hiking, biking and horseback riding. Dining is available in the historic Pere Marquette Lodge, a limestone and timber structure built in the 1930s with a 50-foot vaulted ceiling, hand-made chandeliers and a massive 700-ton stone fireplace in the great room.
Aerie’s Resort
800 Timber Ridge Drive
Grafton, IL 62037
(618) 786-7477
Grafton Zip line
14 W. Main St.
Grafton, IL 62037
(618) 786-9477
Pere Marquette State Park
13112 Visitor Center Lane
Grafton, IL 62037
(618) 786-3323
See also:Illinois State Fair Grandstand tickets go on sale Friday. Here’s what to know
3. Peoria
Travel time: 1-1/2 hours
Get panoramic scenic views of the Illinois River Valley and the chance to view many historic and remarkable homes lining it on Grandview Drive. The 2.5-mile meandering pleasure driveway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. President Theodore Roosevelt referred to it as the “world’s most beautiful drive” in a 1910 visit to Peoria. The drive and park offers scenic outlooks of the Illinois River while walking, biking, or hiking one of the many beautiful trails.
Down near the river, the Peoria Riverfront Museum a giant theater screen, dome planetarium, and exhibits and collections. Exhibits frequently change out, but these three current exhibits warrant checking out.
OP ART: Illusions from the Permanent Collection
“Dizzying patterns, jarring color relationships and meditative illusions have been used throughout history to excite the eye,” according to the web site. “From vintage coverlets to OP Art of the 1960s, this selection of works from the Peoria Riverfront Museum collection explores these ‘moving’ art forms.”
MOON
“This interactive exhibition is centered around U.K. artist Luke Jerram’s giant illuminated moon. The only 4-meter moon in the U.S., Jerram’s lunar work is lit from within and uses more than 1,000 images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter! The exhibition also features NASA artifacts and interactive family fun, with items on loan from Cosmosphere and Purdue University,” the website says.
Uncovered: The Ken Burns Collection
Explore the private quilt collection of award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns for its first, limited public tour and final stop at Peoria Riverfront Museum, one of only three museums to debut this rare once-in-a-lifetime exhibition. It showcases 26 colorful American quilts dating from the 1850s to 1940s.
Located just outside Peoria, the Wildlife Prairie 1,800-acre zoological park is home to 60 different species and over 150 animals that are or were all native to the area. Guests can enjoy the landscape and learn about and see wolves, bison, waterfowl, black bears, elk, cougars, otters, badgers, snakes, bobcats and more.
Peoria Riverfront Museum
222 S.W. Washington St.
Peoria, IL 61602
(309) 686-7000
Wildlife Prairie Park
3826 N. Taylor Road
Hanna City, IL 61536
(309) 676-0998
4. Oglesby
Starved Rock State Park
Travel time: About 2 hours
Located along the Illinois River in LaSalle County, the Starved Rock State Park area was once populated with Native American tribes, a cultural history which can be traced to 8,000 B.C. European explorers once had villages and encampments nearby along the riverbanks. The park derives its name from the Native American legend of a group of Illiniwek Indians who starved to death on top of the 125-foot sandstone butte.
The park features 13 miles of hiking trails winding through 18 canyons of glacial meltwater-cut vertical walls, scenic rock formations, horseback riding, fishing, boating and more. While the visitor center is temporarily closed, the park features maps and videos online. Trolley and boat tours are available through Starved Rock Lodge.
Starved Rock Lodge
2688 E. 873rd Road
Oglesby, IL 61348
(815) 667-4211 or (800) 868-7625
Starved Rock Visitor Center
(815) 667-4726
5. Collinsville
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Travel time: Under 1-1/2 hours
Cahokia Mounds, located outside Collinsville and just a few miles from downtown St. Louis, is billed as the largest prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico.
Grounds are open daily dawn until dusk. The site’s Interpretive Center is currently closed for renovations, though. Outdoor tours may be available when weather is conducive from Monks Mound parking lot. When tours are available, the site will publish information on the website and social media.
The area contained first settlements by Late Woodland Indians around 700 A.D. As time went on and the culture grew more complex, the area became a regional center with farmsteads, villages and satellite towns with several mounds. At one point Cahokia Mounds covered about 4,000 acres and included at least 120 mounds. The state of Illinois now protects 2,200 acres of the central portion of the site and 72 or the 90 remaining mounds.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
30 Ramey St.
Collinsville, IL 62234
(618) 346-5160
Admission: Free, donations appreciated
6. Jacksonville
Travel time: Under an hour
The Jacksonville Area Museum features the history of the Jacksonville Area with exhibits and original artifacts located in the historic post office. It covers various industries like Eli Bridge Co., maker of Ferris Wheels, other manufacturers, famous people, artwork, sculptures and more. The museum also serves as the new home of the MacMurray College archive collection, which is on long-term loan from the MacMurray Foundation for preservation, display and interpretation.
Jacksonville Area Museum
301 East State St.
Jacksonville, IL 62651
(217) 408-1197
The David Strawn Art Gallery
The Art Association of Jacksonville’s The David Strawn Art Gallery was gift to the association in 1915. The parlor, hallway, and sitting rooms contain gallery viewing spaces featuring area art work which changes monthly September through May. Gallery openings are held each month and are free and open to the public.
331 West College Ave.
Jacksonville, IL 62650
(217) 243-9390
7. Galesburg
Travel time: About 2 hours
The Galesburg Railway Museum, with tours by appointment, includes artifacts, historical documents, letters, accounts, and more related to the history of the local railroad.
Across the street is Discovery Depot, a 14,000-square-foot facility providing children ages 1 to 12 with a wide range of activities and exhibits that promote critical thinking and hands-on learning.
At the Knox College campus, the Old Main building is the only existing site of one of the famous 1858 senatorial debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Galesburg also is the birthplace of American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor Carl Sandburg. The State Historic Site features a visitor’s center and Sandburg Family Cottage. While the visitor center doesn’t open for a few weeks, visitors can tune to 88.7 FM and listen to a brief presentation about Carl Sandburg and the Historic Site. There’s also a downloadable brochure “Carl Sandburg: A Driving Tour of Historic Sites in Galesburg.”
Galesburg Railway Museum
211 S. Seminary St.
Galesburg, IL 61401-4955
(309) 342-9400
Discovery Depot Children’s Museum
128 S. Chambers St.
Galesburg, IL 61401
(309) 344-8876
Carl Sandburg State Historic Site
313 E. Third St.
Galesburg, IL 61402-0585
(309) 342-2361
