Great little museum. Very informative past info on the local area and beyond only five dollars to…read moreenter and you get access to two museums. The staff are kinda unfriendly at the first little one a young girl but the guy working the second one with the coal museum. Was very friendly and helpful. We came like five minutes before closing he told us please don't rush take your time it's ok we appreciated that very informative history here liked it.

We always try visiting local museums whenever we're on a stop-over; even small towns often have a…read morelot of history behind them. The LaSalle County Historical Society Museum is one of the few mid-19th-century buildings left standing on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. It's a very distinctive building on the corners of Canal and Mill Streets in Utica that was built in 1848 from blocks of Utica's native sandstone. Over the years, it was a warehouse, a general store, Utica's first post office, a livery and feed stable, a garage, and a car wash. It was saved from the wrecking ball in 1963 to house the headquarters of the LaSalle County Historical Society. When we stopped in at the museum during a recent week-end trip to Utica, it also happened to be the day that nearby Starved Rock State Park was holding its version of "The Amazing Race." The old gentleman in the lobby was so happy to see a couple who actually wanted to look around the museum and weren't just popping in and out for the race that he gave us quite an enthusiastic tour. He even took down the rope barring entrance to the downstairs to let me use the bathroom! (Apparently they're usually for employees only.) The museum contains lots of interesting exhibits such as: * the coach in which a local entrepreneur drove Abe Lincoln to Ottawa for his first debate with Stephen Douglas * Native American artifacts * tools, clothing and other memorabilia from local pioneers and early residents * samples of coal and a map of some of the many coal mines in LaSalle County (all now closed) * pictures of the devastation Utica suffered during the 2004 tornado, as well as memorial pictures of a young married couple who were among the 8 people killed during this storm * a display of old Westclox radio-luminescent dial clocks that were produced by the Radium Dial Company at its plant in Peru. (Since no one knew about radium poisoning in the early 20th century, many of the young women who were hired to paint these dials later suffered from radiation sickness.) There's no fee to tour the museum, but they're happy to accept any donations. So stop by the next time you're in Utica - you might learn some interesting trivia and you'll make their day.

Amazing museum. Norway Illinois had the first settlers from Norway in all of the United States. I…read morehad no idea that was a fact. Free Parking and friendly staff who are volunteers of the museum. There's so much to learn and they have a beautiful timeline of Norwegian history. Many people dresses and uniforms and art from Norway to see here.

This Museum is an exciting living cultural museum of the past, in the area of the first Norwegian…read moreImmigrants to America. It is run by enthusiastic energetic people interested in preserving and sharing the history of the area. Lynn Sove Maxson

Starved rock is a beautiful destination for hiking. Lots of pretty trails and depending on the…read morerain and time of year they have waterfalls. The lodge and visitors center and clean and welcoming.

I found out about Starved Rock State Park as there was some Facebook post of great road trips. We…read morewere going to Springfield and Normal IL anyway. I took vacation wednesday-friday from work. We did Matthesen park first and stopped in after 4pm but the visitor center was closed. The gift shop is still open, and she gave me a pointer on the visitor center at the same time to see Starved Rock from the other side and Buffalo at Buffalo Rick State Park. We returned around 9 am. Thursday, and I hiked the Starved Rock trail myself. Spouse and I also did St Louis Canyon together. Didn't get any overpriced t shirts or sweatshirts, but I found a Bigfoot magnet and State Park sticker. It's such a cool state park to hike that is free. Go later in October for colorful leaves.

I learned so much today! The mansion history was very interesting and the history about Ottawa was…read morefascinating too. The tour was ten dollars and was well worth it. I was told Christmas is a really great time to visit. I didn't even know about this mansion until a few days ago. I searched for other things around Starved Rock and foind the mansion. It was the best part of the day.

Beautiful turn of the century home. The docent was very knowledgeable (maybe a bit too…read moreknowledgeable). She shared the history of the home, it's pervious uses and work being done to restore it to the time of the Reddick family's occupancy. We stopped as an activity during a road trip but had to leave a before the end of the tour to get back on the road. The home had beautiful plaster detail, original wood work, windows, doors, and fireplaces. Definitely worth visiting to appreciate the architecture of days gone by.

It's quirky, creative, a bit creepy, and oddly moving. Worth a detour through scenic backroads…read more A visit to nearby Norway, Illinois is also worth your while. Never seem to get there in-season to see the museum, but the general store does sell some lovely Scandahoovian kitsch, and about the widest selection of locally sourced preserves as I've seen.

The Agricultural Crash Monument is a hysterical historical site!…read more You'll find it along Route 71 a few miles south of the village of Norway, IL. It's a local monument that dramatically illustrates the fatal crash of American agriculture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Be prepared! When you're zipping along Rte 71 and come upon the monument, your first thought will be, "QUICK! CALL 9-1-1!"

You can look at your family line, certificates, history of the community, where you have cemetery…read morerecords, census records, church records, city, directors, computer access to ancestry, libraries, correspondence, files, county, history, county records, for marriages, birth deaths, probates, guardianship, and conservatorships. You also have digital surname index, family histories, funeral home, records, Illinois and Michigan Canal, land, micro records, Military, Buster rules, naturalization records, or obituary files, Pastfimder issues, books, and maps and Books Township records.

Today was my 2nd time in working with this guild. This time entailed much more in depth work. My…read moremother and I spent approx 1.5 hours looking into family history with the assistance of a member and volunteer (sorry, I forgot her name). She was fabulous and helped us a great deal. Another member assisted us with finding marriage documentation. This place is a genealogists dream. Detailed records of numerous topics. We purchased a family membership and plan to return for further research. Prices are affordable, they have wifi, allow you to use computers, make copies, and much more. The volunteers were friendly, personable and knowledgable. They were also patient as we went on and on about family issues in relation to genealogy. It was a great visit and I am thankful for their help. Their hours are limited but you can email them any time for assistance. I definitely reccomend this guild.

Located at the Starved Rock Lock & Dam,the Visitors Center is operated by the US Army Corps of…read moreEngineers. The small museum explains how Illinois Waterways are part of our National water system. From the visitors center you can go upstairs to the outdoor viewing area and watch the operation of the lock and dam. Unfortunately the day we visited there were no boats passing thru. You might get lucky tho and see an eagle or merganser flying overhead. Open 7 days a week from 9-5. Plenty of parking is available. Free admission.

Interesting museum with exhibits about the locks and maps of Illinois rivers as well as Illinois…read morewildlife taxidermy. There is an outdoor deck with telescopes where you can watch the locks in operation if you are lucky enough to have a barge going through.

Here for Kris Kringle Market. Vendors are spread apart, social distance and mask being enforced…read more Luckily for us it was a beautiful day to be outside.

This American Legion has a group of friendly and caring individuals who volunteer for various…read moreevents for our veterans. Whether it is Friday night bingo (a fundraising event), a dinner and music event, or visiting our veterans at the LaSalle County Veteran's Nursing Home, they always make time to serve the public and raise money or hold events in support of the USA military. This is a family friendly venue. Their building is somewhat outdated; however, they have been rehabbing for the past few years and have made pleasant updates. Their rental fees are reasonable and their prices on food, baked goods, alcohol, and dinner and dance tickets are reasonable as well. If you need to rent a place for a meeting, birthday party, family reunion, funeral dinner and the like, this Legion is perfect. I do not believe a large wedding party would benefit from the smaller building and since it is somewhat dated, you may not like the decor. The decor includes paneling from approximately the 1960s and numerous military photographs, prints, plaques, etc... I like the military history at the Legion and enjoy looking at the soldiers' uniforms, certificates and such. It has a small bar area with tables and chairs off of the kitchen and front room. There is a disability ramp outside as well as stairs and small deck. The large full kitchen would do well with the caterer of your choice. The American Legion has been an important member of the Marseilles community for numerous years due to dedicated volunteers from generations of local families. I highly reccomend their events!

Received a custom made piece from this company as a gift from my sister. I took me 2 hours to hang…read moreit. About one complete hour to clean it because it was taped to a piece of rigid foam insulation using packing tape. (Ever heard of bubble wrap?!) I had to clean all the glue from the tape off of the glass - very time consuming. Then, it came with 3 hinges that had to be put in precisely the correct position to hang it, with a template of where the hinges needed to be anchored to the wall. Problem was, the template was off, so I had to make my own. 2 hours of my day, and while the piece is nice - it is certainly not breathtaking, and I would move it to another place in my home but do not want to go through the hassle. I'd prefer a picture!