Arts in the Park
101 E Lafayette St, Ottawa, IL 61350
ottawaartleague.org/Art-In-the-Park
Ottawa’s Art in the Park is sponsored by the Ottawa Art League and is held annually at Washington Park. This fine art festival is a juried and judged show and sale featuring 35+ artists and artisans exhibiting works across many mediums.
Engle Lane Theatre
1012 Columbus Rd, Streator, IL 61364
Established in 1960, this comfortable, well equipped theater, which seats 247, hosts 6 plays annually. Quality live theater, this theatrical troupe performs in a variety of genres including comedies, dramas and musicals. An all volunteer organization, hundreds of individuals have contributed to Engle Lane’s success over the years; from designers of sets, costumes, make up & lighting to behind the scenes crews to board members, staff and performers.
Hegeler Carus Mansion
1307 7th St, La Salle, IL 61301
Designed by W. W. Boyington, the famed Chicago Water Tower architect, La Salle’s Hegeler Carus Mansion has remained virtually unaltered since its completion in 1876. This 16,000-sq. foot mansion features 56 rooms spread across 7 levels. The interior is just as stunning as the exterior, with its intricate parquet floors and hand-painted ceilings. This National Landmark is open for tours Wed. – Sun, year-round. Pre-registration for these tours are required.
Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp
2600 Plank Rd, Peru, IL 61354
Enjoy a classic game of Prospect League wooden bat baseball, this collegiate summer baseball league is designed to provide family friendly, affordable fun entertainment. Games are held at Veterans Memorial Park in Peru, and often feature food trucks and special theme nights.
Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra
100 N Lewis Ave, Oglesby, IL 61348
Since their first season in 1949-50, the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra has been striving to fulfill its mission “to entertain and inspire the community by performing live orchestral music.” Music from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary Periods has been prepared under the direction of seventeen conductors and has featured both local and international soloists. Annual traditions include the IVSO Pops Concert and the bi-annual Nutcracker ballet.
M.J. Hogan Grain Elevator
124 West Williams Seneca, IL
815-357-6197 senecahistory.com
This 1861 grain elevator is the last of its kind. This 65+ foot tall, 70,000 bushel elevator can be toured during special events, or call the number above to arrange a tour.
Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum
1100 Canal St, Ottawa, IL 61350
ottawahistoricalscoutingmuseum.org
Head to The Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum to learn all about the history of the boy scouts, girl scouts and the town of Ottawa. You’ll find more than a century’s worth of scouting artifacts and the largest collection of English scouting memorabilia in the United States, as well as rare artifacts from the famed Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
Ottawa Mural Tour
1028 La Salle Street, Ottawa, IL 61350
visitottawail.com/places/mural-tours/
A brush with history public art program was developed to help revitalize Ottawa’s downtown and create a cultural attraction for tourists and residents of the community.
LaSalle County Historical Society Museum
101 E Canal St, North Utica, IL 61373
lasallecountyhistoricalsociety.org
The LaSalle County Historical Society campus, located on the banks of the historic I&M Canal, consists of six locations, countless interpretive displays and some amazing relics from the history of the Starved Rock Country region. On site, you’ll also find the canal warehouse (used for artisan markets throughout the year), a one-room schoolhouse, a working blacksmith shop and an original barn dating back to 1875.
Reddick Mansion
100 W Lafayette St, Ottawa, IL 61350
The Reddick Mansion, a wonderfully unique landmark, stands at the corners of Columbus and Lafayette street in Ottawa, overlooking the Lincoln Douglas Debate Site. This 150+ year old, 22-room, Italianate mansion has been meticulously restored to the 19th century, after decades of being used as the town’s public library. Now, the mansion is open year-round for tours, Fri. – Mon.
Seneca Area Heritage Museum
431 North Main Street Seneca 815-769-5077
Seneca’s fascinating history is explained through a wonderfully curated collection of artifacts inside a vintage train depot! The museum even includes information on Seneca’s famed shipyard that produced 157 LSTs for WWII.
Stage 212
225 N Columbia Ave, Oglesby, IL 61348
This popular community theater, located in historic downtown LaSalle, mounts four shows a year: musicals in the winter and summer, and plays in the spring and fall. Performances are held Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m.
Starved Rock State Park Visitors Center
2678 East 873rd Road Oglesby, IL
815-667-4726
Starved Rock’s cutting edge visitors center helps guests learn about the park’s storied past, fascinating wildlife and ecology through the use of interactive displays and interpretive dioramas.
Streatorland Historical Society Museum
306 Vermillion Street Streator, IL
815-672-2443
Celebrate historic Streator at this riveting museum, filled with thousands of artifacts, pictures, and records dedicated to telling the story of this community.
Union Depot Railroad Museum
783 Main Street Mendota, IL
Union Depot Railroad Museum is housed in a restored portion of Mendota’s original railroad station, built in the late 1880’s and torn down in the early 1940’s. The museum houses many railroad artifacts, HO model railroad depicting Mendota in the late 1930’/ early 1940’s, extensive railroad history library, and many displays. A portion of the building is a waiting room for Amtrak passengers.
Washington Square Park
101 E Lafayette St, Ottawa, IL 61350
Visit the historic site of the first Lincoln -Douglas debate, as honored by a large reflecting pool and beautiful bronze statue.
Weber House and Garden
1503 Baker St, Streator, IL
Streator’s Ted Weber, formerly a nationally-syndicated radio interviewer, began renovating his historic childhood home in 1983. This beautiful house now sports impeccably decorated rooms, each one reflecting a different period of design, and a meticulously-manicured English-style garden. This unique blend of architecture, horticulture, interior design and broadcast history is open for tours seven days a week, April – October.
Westclox Museum
350 5th St, Peru, IL 61354
Peru’s famed Westclox factory, makers for the beloved cult-favorite clock, are honored in this fascinating museum. Through a vast collection of documents, artifacts and antiques, the Westclox Museum tells the story of the community that made these remarkable clocks.