9 Stunning Small Towns In Illinois

Illinois is home to some truly stunning scenery in its small towns, from bald-eagle corridors along the Mississippi River and the Great River Road to blufftop overlooks and wildlife-filled state parks. In Monticello, North State Street’s Millionaire’s Row leads straight into the grounds of Allerton Park and Retreat Center, where formal gardens make an easy add-on after a historic-house stroll. Elsah keeps it scenic with a preserved 19th-century village perched above the Mississippi. From wildlife watching in Savanna to Galena’s hilltop views and historic museums, these small towns deliver beautiful views everywhere you look.

Monticello

Named for Thomas Jefferson's Piedmont palace, Monticello inherited the same ostentation. This central Illinois settlement swelled with prosperity thanks to the Pepsin Syrup Company (later Sterling Products), whose in-town operations began in the late 1800s and lasted for nearly 100 years. Beneficiaries built big, beautiful homes along North State Street, then dubbed "Millionaire's Row." Many such mansions are preserved in the present North State Street Historic District, which you can tour before peeping another paragon of prosperity: Allerton Park & Retreat Center. Built by philanthropist Robert Allerton in 1900, this sprawling oasis, complete with sculpture gardens and a bookable mansion, lies just a few miles southwest of town.

Harvard

Another dignified settlement with a dignified name, Harvard sits in northeastern Illinois and stuns with historic architecture. Tourists can admire St. Joseph Catholic Church, whose authentic gothic design has united believers with doubters for over 130 years; grab a drink at the similarly gothic and historic Hub Lounge; and catch an exhibit at the Starline Factory, an agricultural plant turned art mecca draped in century-old ivy. Visit Harvard in June to pair those scrumptious ocular cookies with a warm glass of Harvard Milk Days, which is considered the longest ongoing hometown festival in Illinois.

Elsah

Catch this Mississippi River village as soon as possible for whimsical, waterfront scenery. Atop its bluffs, you can marvel at the mighty Mississippi before strolling between buildings that time (thankfully) forgot. Absorb 19th-century quaintness at the Village of Elsah Museum, which occupies the former Village Hall that was erected in 1887, as well as at Farley’s Music Hall, which is a restored version of an iconic 1885 event venue. Those relics, and virtually all others in Elsah, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Further, Elsah is one of only two settlements counted among the state's top scenic spots as part of the Illinois Top 200 bicentennial survey. Its adjacent Great River Road, where motorists can see bald eagles, is also listed.

Casey

Casey stuns with size more than scenery. This east-central Illinois "city" of 2,400ish people is home to Big Things Small Town, a public art initiative characterized by colossal sculptures. Lining Casey's otherwise subtle streets are the likes of the 45-foot, 731-pound World's Largest Golf Driver; 60-foot, 1,940-pound World's Largest Pitchfork; and 56-foot, 46,200-pound World's Largest Rocking Chair. Their titles are not hyperbolic. Around a dozen Casey sculptures are Guinness World Record holders, while another 20-plus are not big enough to break records but are sufficient to drop jaws.

Savanna

Take a safari in Savanna, another scenic settlement along the Mississippi River and the Great River Road. Besides bald eagles, Savannagoers can see wild turkeys, pelicans, geese, woodpeckers, and many other avian species, plus terrestrial animals like deer, mink, foxes, and muskrats. Vehicles are great modes for Savanna-area wildlife watching, as are hiking boots (especially in nearby Mississippi Palisades State Park), but so are watercraft. Rent a kayak from Nuts Outdoors or a riverboat from Riverboat Twilight. The latter passes Savanna during a two-day round-trip from LeClaire, Iowa, to Dubuque, Iowa.

Makanda

Though far from Savanna, Makanda is as perfect a place for an Illinois safari—if not moreso. But rather than waterfowl and semi-aquatic mammals, this southern village abounds with woodland wildlife like bobcats, coyotes, armadillos, and dozens of species of snakes, many of which can be found crossing "Snake Road" during spring and fall migrations across the surrounding Shawnee National Forest. It is a kind of bird, however, that garners the most Makandan fanfare. In fact, this bird is the focus of an annual festival, Vulture Fest, which celebrates the arrival of migratory turkey vultures each autumn. With vultures circling overhead, musicians, artists, and attendees jam the Makanda Boardwalk in what "might just be Illinois' most free-spirited village."

Princeton

After visiting Harvard and its ivy-strewn art studio, continue your ivy league tour in Princeton. This northern Illinois settlement lacks a college, but it does not lack other elegant institutions. These include the Apollo Theater, an active cinema that began as an opera house in the 1880s; "The White House," a Main Street icon that originated as a turn-of-the-century dry goods store and now houses a home decor shop; and Princeton Public Library, which began in 1886 and presently occupies a modern facility. For those who prefer natural wonders, the Illinois River, stretches of which are preserved for sightseeing and recreation, is just a stone's throw away.

Arthur

If any group knows how to stage a scene of bucolic beauty, it is the Amish. In Illinois, "Amish Country" is centered by Arthur, a modernized community baptized in Anabaptist charm. Cars trade lanes with buggies and electronics stores whir near cash-only businesses. To get a taste of Amish delights, shop at Countryside Amish Furniture or dine at Yoder's Kitchen. Better yet, you can enjoy a home-cooked meal in an Amish home by contacting the Arthur Amish Country Welcome Center. Top that off with a decidedly non-Amish attraction: a classic safari at Aikman Wildlife Adventure, whose animals include zebras, hyenas, and ostriches.

Galena

If you recall from earlier, Elsah is one of only two settlements voted among the state's most scenic spots per the Illinois Top 200 bicentennial survey. The other, which should come as a shock to no one, is Galena. A poster-community for pastoral prettiness, Galena constantly tops lists of stunning small towns—not just in Illinois, but America as a whole. From the mesmerizing Mississippi River to the stately Galena & U.S. Grant Museum to the grandiose Chestnut Mountain Resort to the whimsical Galena Trolley Tours, there is food for all kinds of ocular appetites in Galena. Dig in!

Dig into all stunning Illinois towns, but make certain room for Monticello, Harvard, Elsah, Casey, Savanna, Makanda, Princeton, Arthur, and Galena. A tour of those nine settlements can provide syrup-sprung mansions, backyard safaris, riverboat cruises, jaw-dropping sculptures, Amish meals, quirky festivals, historic businesses, ivy league monikers, and all the gems in between. Cross from east to west and north to south to get pleasantly stupefied in small-town Illinois.