Bureau County is home to many exciting outdoor attractions, historical places, and fun things to do.

Most facilities are open for your enjoyment year round. Underground Railroads , antique shops, parks, Bureau County has many sites and experiences you won't want to miss. Quiet Pleasures & National Treasures can be found in Bureau County. The historic Hennepin Canal provides scenic views all year and you can walk along its banks or cycle for family fun.Bureau County has Motorcross racing, APBA Pro National boat racing, great running routes, golfing, hiking, and fishing that can be enjoyed by sports fans.

 

301 Main Street. The school was built in 1887, and remains one of the oldest schools in Illinois. It's presently used as a junior high school. Prearranged tours available through the school. (815) 638-2233

Bureau County Soldiers And Sailors Monument

Courthouse Square. A monument originally dedicated to Civil War Veterans of Bureau County. Today it is rededicated to all Bureau County veterans. Built in 1913 at a cost of $25,000, it is made of granite and bronze. It stands 50 feet high and is topped by the winged victory statue. Drive-by.

Cherry Mine Disaster Holy Trinity Miners Memorial

Route 89, Village Park. North of Cherry are the remains of one of the worst mine disasters in the U.S. When 259 miners were killed here on November 13, 1909, the State Legislature was prompted to pass the Worker's Compensation Act. In 1911 the United Mine Workers dedicated the memorial, with a tragic figure of a mourning woman. Information can be obtained at the library 6-7:30 Wednesday and 9-11 Saturday (815) 894-2232

City County Park

Highway 26 North, Princeton IL 65 Acres of fun consisting of;Ball Fields, Fishing, Barbecue Areas, Horseshoes, Picnic Areas, Shelters, Playgrounds, Restrooms, Volleyball Courts and Trails.

Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park

The Hennepin Canal was originally conceived in 1890 as part of an overall plan to connect the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico in order to facilitate barge shipping. The problem was that by the time the canal was finished 17 years later, a combination of decreasing railway shipping rates and increasing barge sizes had already rendered the narrow canal obsolete, particularly for commercial purposes. Thus, primary usage along the 105-mile Hennepin Canal has always tended toward recreational. In order to facilitate this objective, the entire waterway was designated as a state park and has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The best place to begin your exploration of Hennepin Canal State Park is at its visitors center near Sheffield. At the center, you can orient yourself, talk to staff members, and view excellent exhibits of tools used to construct the canal and other natural history aspects of the park. The parks primary habitat includes riparian type forests comprised of shagbark hickory, black walnut, white ash, hackberry, and red mulberry. In addition, numerous patches of tall grass prairie fill in the non-forested areas. Recreational opportunities include birding (Wild Turkey and waterfowl are park specialties), hiking/biking/horseback riding along the parks 155-mile trail paralleling the canal, boating, picnicking, and winter sports such as cross country skiing and snowmobiling.

Historical Homes And Architecture Of Princeton

Available at the Chamber of Commerce and Bureau Co. Historical Society Museum is a self-guided tour of historical homes and architectural points of interest. Visitors are invited to pick up the tour maps and drive by buildings exhibiting various styles of architecture. $.50 (815) 875-2616

Joe Myers Woods North of Dover, IL

40 Acres of pure pleasure, Picnic Areas and Trails.

Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area

Approaching 900 acres in size, Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area is
comprised of a restored strip mine which has attracted a vibrant community of plants and animals to its forests, lakes, and grasslands. Over a dozen lakes ranging in size from 0.5-15.5 acres dot the landscape. Dragonfly enthusiasts should check the sedges, rushes, cattails, and other emergent aquatic vegetation along the lakes shorelines where dragonfly perch during the warm months. This habitat is also excellent for finding water associated birds such as bitterns, rails, Red-winged Blackbirds, and the like. Hill prairie grasses and wildflower along the old mining slag heaps furnish habitat for an assortment of birds such as Eastern Meadowlark and several sparrow species. The roadways in Mautino double as hiking trails for touring the mix of bottomland forest (cottonwood, silver maple, hackberry, black cherry) interlaced with hill prairies.

McCune Sand Prairie

This 200-acre rare prairie type was donated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service Bureau County District by Mr. and Mrs. J.D. McCune (120-acres) and the University of Illinois (80-acres). Due to the exceptionally sandy soil composition, sand prairies are exceedingly well-drained and are therefore even drier than typical Midwestern tall grass prairies. However, the northern portion of this site supports tree and shrub growth, and is populated with sparse specimens of green ash, eastern red cedar, Osage orange, Iowa crabapple, prairie rose, red mulberry, and bur oak. Grasses and forbs common to the site include unusual prairie species such as sand bluestem and hairy grama grasses, Bicknells sedge, Scribers panic grass, hairy lens grass, clustered poppy mallow, Illinois tick trefoil, rough blazing star, marble seed, pale beard tongue, and even prickly pear cactus.

Owen Lovejoy Homestead Site

East Peru Street (Route 6), 1 mile from downtown. The 1838 Owen Lovejoy Homestead was the home of a fiery abolitionist minister and a famed station on the underground railroad. Rooms are furnished with period furniture. Visitors are invited to look into the hidden area above the stairs where runaway slaves were hidden. Also on the property is the Colton one-room schoolhouse built in 1849. Open 1-4 Fri. Sat. & Sun. May thru Sep. or by appointment. Adults $2.00, senior citizens $1.50, children $.50. Brochure available: City of Princeton P.O. Box 220 Princeton, IL 61356 (815) 879-9151

Red Covered Bridge

1 1/2 miles north of Princeton on Rt. 26. One of five remaining covered bridges in Illinois, this bridge was built in 1863 and is still open to traffic. It crosses Big Bureau Creek and was once part of the Peoria-Galena Trail. This beautiful landmark is a delight for artists, photographers and nature lovers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Peter's Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church

Corner of Cook and Washington. The church was established by Danish immigrants on October 24, 1869 and is the oldest organized Danish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in America. The Historical Society has restored it to the period of 1880-1890. Brochure is available Peg Schmitt 235 S. Reed Street Sheffield, IL 61361 Nov. thru May 10:30-4 Tues & Fri., 11-4 Sat., 12-4 Sun. June thru October 12-4 Tues. thru Sun. (815) 454-2788

Warneke Woods

Warnecke Woods is a 33.5-acre botanical gem that was donated to the Bureau County Natural Resources Conservation Service District in 1984 by Marie Warnecke. Ecologically, the site is a mix of rare black oak/black maple savannah, swampy flood plain forest dominated by swamp white oak, and abandoned agricultural land which is gradually succeeding back to woodland through careful management. Interesting savannah plants include Ohio buckeye, wild leek, gray dogwood, Virginia bluebells, gooseberry, and downy yellow violet. Down in the lowlands, the early spring woodland wildflower show features ephemeral species such as jack-in-the-pulpit, spring beauty, trout lily, American pennyroyal, mayapple, bloodroot, skunk cabbage, and red trillium.

Witness Tree

Bureau County's Witness Tree is a 250-year-old bur oak which has served as
a landmark and meeting site for at least 200 years. This mammoth oaks burly trunk measures 14 feet in circumference with a branch spread of over 80 feet. The bur oak is a seminal Midwestern prairie tree with acorns so large that only one can fit t in the palm of the hand. As early as the 19th century Potawatomi Indians, led by Chief Shabbona, held council at the tree with members of the Fox and Sauk tribes. The tree stands along the Old Indian Trail that once ran through northern Illinois, parallel and just north of today's I 80. In 1944, local farmers donated small parcels of land surrounding the Witness Tree to ensure its preservation.

Tiskilwa Farms

With over 100 alpacas this farm takes its name from the nearby village of Tiskilwa, Illinois and named after the Pottawattamie Indian Chief who spent the summers with his tribe in the area.
A visit to the farm includes time with alpacas as well as other miniature animals including ponies, potbelly pigs, poultry, llamas and our Akbash dogs. Call and arrange a visit soon!