Illinois abounds with intriguing sites that seem custom-made for group tours, and they’re not all in Chicago. Leisure Group Travel has packaged articles on three topics: Illinois Wine Country, Western Illinois and the Mississippi River, and Historic Illinois Route 66 Attractions. Tour planners will find this series to be a valuable resource in crafting irresistible itineraries.
Illinois Wine Country Illinois’ wine industry is booming with more than 70 welcoming wineries and 450 vineyards around the state. Some of the most scenic spots are concentrated along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in Southern Illinois and in the rural Southwest region of the state. Most wineries in Southern Illinois offer full tasting menus, some food choices and decks that afford stunning panoramas of vineyards covering the rolling terrain set amid valleys and bluffs. The Shawnee Hills region, bounded by the Ohio River on the east and Mississippi River on the west, sits at a higher elevation than the flat and fertile lands of Central and Northern Illinois. Ice Age glaciers stopped short of Carbondale, leaving the hilly ridges (800 to 1,000 feet in elevation) of Southern Illinois untouched. The Shawnee National Forest, loaded with outdoor recreation options, is located within this area. Grape-growing in the Shawnee Hills dates to the 1860s. In 2006 the federal government designated the Shawnee Hills an American viticulture area (AVA), attesting to the growth of the grape-growing industry in recent years and the quality of its wine. It is one of 328 federally recognized viticulture areas. Vintners who make wines containing 85 percent or more of grapes raised in the area can legally use “ Shawnee Hills” on their wine bottle labels, an indication it is a regional wine distinctive to Southern Illinois. Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected]Tourillinois.org
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Illinois Wine CountryIllinois’ wine industry is booming with more than 70 welcoming wineries and 450 vineyards around the state. Some of the most scenic spots are concentrated along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in Southern Illinois and in the rural Southwest region of the state. Most wineries in Southern Illinois offer full tasting menus, some food choices and decks that afford stunning panoramas of vineyards covering the rolling terrain set amid valleys and bluffs. The Shawnee Hills region, bounded by the Ohio River on the east and Mississippi River on the west, sits at a higher elevation than the flat and fertile lands of Central and Northern Illinois. Ice Age glaciers stopped short of Carbondale, leaving the hilly ridges (800 to 1,000 feet in elevation) of Southern Illinois untouched. The Shawnee National Forest, loaded with outdoor recreation options, is located within this area. Grape-growing in the Shawnee Hills dates to the 1860s. In 2006 the federal government designated the Shawnee Hills an American viticulture area (AVA), attesting to the growth of the grape-growing industry in recent years and the quality of its wine. It is one of 328 federally recognized viticulture areas. Vintners who make wines containing 85 percent or more of grapes raised in the area can legally use “ Shawnee Hills” on their wine bottle labels, an indication it is a regional wine distinctive to Southern Illinois. Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
DAY 1 Carbondale/Makanda/Alto Pass The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail is made up of nine award-winning wineries located along a 30-mile scenic drive through Jackson and Union counties in the Shawnee National Forest. Stop for lunch at the Tuscan-themed Blue Sky Vineyard in Makanda, then visit StarView Vineyards or Owl Creek Vineyard in Cobden. Continue on to the Pomona Winery in Pomona. Afterwards, lace up your hiking shoes and make tracks to Giant City State Park. Enjoy dinner at Giant City Lodge. Catch a live performance at Southern Illinois University's Shryock Auditorium.
DAY 2 Red Bud/Waterloo/Grafton At Lau-Nae Winery, you can sample a glass of award-winning fruit wine in the charming garden. The wines are produced from fruit orchards located on site at the winery. For lunch, indulge in authentic German fare at Dreamland Palace German Restaurant in Foster Pond. Next, stop by the Waterloo Winery, housed in a historic 1800s log-and-fieldstone mansion. Nearby, Schorr Lake Vineyard and Winery produces estate table and fruit wines from its six-acre vineyard. Travel on to Grafton and have dinner at the Fin Inn, where 21 large tableside aquarium-viewing windows add to the dining experience.
DAY 3 Grafton/Elsah Stop in at Piasa Winery, located on the banks of the Mississippi River. The British-style Piasa Pub next door serves up microbrews and glasses of Piasa Winery selections. Tastings of small batch wines are offered at Chateau Ra-Ha Winery, built into a bluff along East Main Street. Catch a panoramic view of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers at Aerie's Riverview Winery & Cottages. Next, travel to historic Elsah, home to My Just Desserts, with its delicious lunches and homemade pies. Afterwards, take a scenic drive through Pere Marquette State Park. At 8,050 acres, Pere Marquette is Illinois' largest state park. The Park is famous for the beauty of its fall colors and as a home for bald eagles in the winter.
Explore Southern Illinois’ Wine Region Suggested Itinerary
Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
The Illinois wine industry has exploded in recent years, growing from just 12 wineries in 1997 to more than 70 today. During this time, the acreage devoted to grape production has grown at a tremendous rate, and today Illinois is consistently among the top 12 wine-producing states. But while the industry’s recent growth has been phenomenal, Illinois also enjoys a rich winemaking tradition that dates back to the 1700s:
1778- French settlers in La Ville de Maillet (what is now Peoria) bring the winemaking expertise of their homeland to Illinois. The village features a wine press and an underground wine vault.
1857- Emile Baxter and Sons open a winery in Nauvoo, along the banks of the Mississippi River. Baxter’s Vineyards remains Illinois’ oldest operating winery, run by a fifth generation of Baxters.
1900- Illinois is the fourth-largest wine-producing state in the nation.
1920- The Prohibition Act stops all legal winemaking. Some Illinois vineyards continue to grow table grapes, others uproot their vines to make way for corn and soybeans.
1979-1995- Wineries and vineyards are established throughout the northern, central and southern regions of Illinois.
1995- The owners of Alto Vineyards, Owl Creek Vineyards and Pomona Winery in Southern Illinois meet with area tourism officials and form the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
2001- Illinois boasts 27 wineries.
2005- September is designated as “Illinois Wine Month.” Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
History of Illinois Wine
• Connect with nature at Giant City State Park, named for the unique impressions made by its massive sandstone structures, and Pere Marquette State Park, dotted with over 150 small Native American burial mounds. Both parks feature bountiful fall foliage displays as Mother Nature transforms the parks into a dazzling spectacle of color.
• Some of the best Bald
Eagle watching is up and down the Mississippi River from the middle of December through the end of winter. Estimated as the second largest Eagle population in North America, over 3,000 Bald Eagles make their home in this region. Prime viewing locations are found in Alton and Grafton.
• Explore historic
communities on the Mississippi River such as Alton, Chester and Ellis Grove, which served as the state capital from 1818 – 1820 and home to the Kaskaskia State Historic Site.
The more than 70 wineries have also brought with them a host of charming bed and break-fasts and local crafts businesses. The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association pre-dicts continued growth in the coming years as more visitors discover the genuine culture of Illinois Wine Country.
Alto Vineyards 8515 State Route 127, Alto Pass, IL (618) 893-4898, altovineyards.net
Bella Terra Winery 755 Parker City Road, Creal Springs, IL
(618) 658-8882, bellaterrawinery.com
Black Diamond Vineyards, Ltd 3501 Black Diamond Rd., Nashville, IL (618) 336-5700, blackdiamondvineyards.com
Blue Sky Vineyard and Winery 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd., Makanda, IL
(618) 995-WINE, blueskyvineyard.com
Cache River Basin Winery 315 Forman Ln., Belknap, IL (618) 658-2274, crbwinery.com
Flint Hill Vineyards 2075 US Highway 45 N., Muddy, IL (618) 253-7224, flinthillwinery.com
Genkota Winery, Ltd 301 North 44th St., Mt.Vernon, IL (618) 246-WINE, genkotawine.com
bounded by the Mississippi River on the west and Illinois River on the east, brims with attractions and activities for groups. Known as River Country, the region offers riverboat casinos, non-gaming river boats, hiking and biking trails, scenic drives and winter roosting places of the bald eagle. The Great River Road (last page) follows the mighty Mississippi, offering splendid scenery and intriguing river towns. Historic downtown areas in Western Illinois abound with antiques and specialty shops, museums and restaurants. And the region boasts 11 wineries. Many historical sites recall the famous people who have lived or passed through Western Illinois. Groups can tour the Galesburg birthplace of author-poet Carl Sandburg and the Ronald Reagan Museum at the president’s alma mater, Eureka College in Eureka. Several towns boast sites associated with Abraham Lincoln, such as the Lincoln Courtroom and Museum in Beardstown and the majestic brick McDonough County Courthouse in Macomb. Swedish heritage is preserved at Bishop Hill State Historic Site, while many landmarks highlight Mormon history in the Mississippi River town of Nauvoo. Peoria, the Quad Cities and Quincy each have enough to do to fill a multi-day itinerary, with shopping, entertainment, recreation and sightseeing opportunities, plus a wide variety of restaurants and accommodations. Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
Ah, this mighty river has some stories to tell. And you’ll hear your share of them as you wind along this scenic western edge of Illinois. You’ll learn the humble beginnings of John Deere, visit an historic Mormon site and see where Lewis & Clark started their great journey west. DAY 1 Start your Mississippi River tour in the historic town of Galena, a bustling hub for steamboats and lead mining during the 1800s. Shop the charming Main Street, noted for its 19th century buildings that today house modern shops, galleries and restaurants. Tour the area on a Galena Trolley Tour. Docents provide the inside scoop on local landmarks and historic sites such as the Ulysses S. Grant Home. Have lunch at Fried Green Tomatoes, an upscale Italian restaurant that was once a leather shop owned by Grant's family. Next, visit Moline, the hometown of farming hero John Deere. Learn how he changed the world's agricultural landscape at the John Deere Pavilion and John Deere Collectors Center. Enjoy a dinner and dance cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the 800-passenger Celebration Belle. Afterwards, roll the dice at Jumer's Casino Rock Island, a three-deck riverboat right on the Mississippi. DAY 2
Begin the day in Nauvoo, a river town rich in Mormon history. Visit the Joseph Smith Historic Site, which traces the Latter-day Saints movement in 1840s Nauvoo. Join a guided walk or take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the site to see such Mormon landmarks as the Brigham Young Home and the Smith Homestead. Have lunch at nearby Thyme & Seasons Restaurant. Then stop by Baxter's Vineyards & Winery, Illinois' oldest winery. Afterwards, travel the scenic Great River Road to Quincy. Learn about Quincy's renowned architecture at the Gardner Museum of Architecture & Design, housed in the town's 1888 public library. Tour the Governor John Wood Mansion, considered one of the finest
existing examples of Greek Revival architecture in the Midwest. Finish your evening at The Pier Restaurant, known for its beautiful sunset views of the Mississippi. DAY 3 Complete your Mississippi River experience in Alton at the National Great Rivers Museum, located on the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. The museum illustrates the history and important transportation role of the Mississippi through interactive exhibits and displays. The museum is located at the Melvin Price Locks & Dam, which is open to the public for guided tours.
Mississippi River Tour—Suggested Itinerary
Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
The Illinois Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway filled with awe-inspiring vistas, is one of the most celebrated drives in Mid-America. Following a 550-mile route on Illinois’ western border, the road showcases four centuries of American frontier history. Its bluffs and banks are home to all types of wildlife and migrating birds. From Galena in the state’s northwest corner to Cairo at its southern tip, the Great River Road offers a boatload of attractions ideal for group tours. Galena’s Main Street is straight out of an old-time movie. In fact, many Hollywood films have been shot in this historic commercial district filled with antiques shops, specialty boutiques and eateries. Among the many fine 19th century mansions is the Ulysses S. Grant Home State
Historic Site, an 1860s home where the former Civil War general and U.S. president lived for a short time. Savanna, south of Galena, attracts nostalgia-minded shoppers to the Pulford Opera House Antique Mall on Main Street. For magnificent views of the Mississippi, visit Mississippi Palisades State Park, just north of downtown Savanna. In the Quad Cities area, Moline is the home of one of America’s most famous brands—John Deere. Interactive displays at the world-class John Deere Pavilion offer a fun look back at the history of farming and food production, while the retail store is filled with Deere souvenirs. The John Deere Collectors Center has a collection of early tractors, equipment and memorabilia. Celebration River Cruises in Moline offers Mississippi River excursions on an 800-passenger paddlewheeler. Rock Island, also part of the Quad Cities, is home to the Rock Island Arsenal, an active U.S. Army factory on an island in the Mississippi. Visitors can tour a museum, historic home, and national and Confederate cemeteries. They can watch boats pass through the locks at the Mississippi River Visitors Center. Several attractions in Nauvoo highlight Mormon heritage. The Historic Nauvoo Visitors Center has more than 25 restored homes and shops with artifacts from the 1840s. Watch demonstrations of pioneer crafts, like weaving, bread making and rope making, at the Family Living Center. The Joseph Smith Historic Site includes the homestead and grave of the founder of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sample the spirits at Baxter’s Vineyard/Winery, the oldest winery (1857) in Illinois. Quincy’s East End Historic district is a treasure trove of grand 19th century homes. The Richard Eells House, built in 1835, was once a stopping point on the Underground Railroad. Other homes include the Governor John Wood Mansion (1835), the Quincy Museum (in the Newcomb-Stillwell Mansion) and Villa Kathrine, a 1900 Moorish villa perched on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Pere Marquette State Park, outside of Grafton on 8,000 wooded acres along the Illinois River, is an outdoor lover’s paradise, with wildlife watching, hiking trails, nature programs and other activities. Guests can spend the overnight in the Pere Marquette Lodge and eat in the dining room. Enjoy tastings and panoramic views at nearby Aerie’s Riverview and Piasa wineries. The charming town of Grafton, at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, has a lively antiques district.
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site and Park, located on the Mississippi River at Hartford, has an interpretive center with a 12-minute film, exhibits and a full-scale replica of the expedition’s keelboat. In nearby Alton, visitors can learn about Lincoln and the Civil War at the Alton Museum of History and Art and various historic sites. At the National Great Rivers Museum, more than 20 interactive exhibits spotlight the Mississippi River, and a tour of the locks and dam is available. Alton’s Broadway Street, with more than 60 antiques dealers, is a Midwest center of the antiques trade. South of Alton, groups can tour Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, a designated World Heritage Site. Located on a 2,200-acre tract in Collinsville, it features 68 manmade mounds that hold the remains of a sophisticated Indian civilization that flourished from 700-1400 A.D. Collinsville has another claim to fame—the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, a now-empty steel water tank and tower that serves as a quirky roadside attraction. From hilly Northwest Illinois to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, travel adventure awaits along Illinois’ Great River Road. For more information, visit www.greatriverroad-illinois.org.
curio shops and kitschy roadside attractions….billboards and Burma-Shave signs…necklaces of neon glowing in the night. Though the original Route 66 has been rerouted, renamed and replaced by interstate superhighways, travelers can still indulge in nostalgia as they retrace parts of America’s Mother Road, an iconic ribbon of concrete and asphalt that stretched more than 2,400 miles from Chicago’s Lake Michigan to the oceanfront in Santa Monica, Calif. For generations, the federally-funded artery (started in 1926 and finished in 1938) meant “going somewhere.” Spanning eight states and three time zones, this road to adventure—one of the first cross-country highways—was immortalized in the song Get Your Kicks on Route 66, written in 1946 by Bobby Troup and popularized by Nat “King” Cole. For generations of motorists, the road became the “Main Street of America” because it went through so many towns. Cont... Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
In Illinois, tour groups will find lots to discover when they get off Interstate 55 and follow the “Historic Route 66” exit signs on their way between Chicago and St. Louis. The last of the original Route 66 shield signs came down in 1984 after the only remaining portion of the old road was bypassed at Williams, Arizona. To get your Route 66 fix in the Chicago area, have lunch or dinner at Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, a frontage road survivor from the good old days. Besides legendary fried chicken and brawny burgers, the simple brick restaurant in suburban Willowbrook, owned by the same family since the 1940s, has displays of Route 66 memorabilia to get you in the mood. In downtown Joliet, almost an hour from Chicago, groups can commune with the Mother Road at the Route 66 Experience and Visitors Center, part of the Joliet Area Historical Museum.
Guests can sit in a car couch and watch a drive-in movie, grab a photo opportunity with the Blues Brothers, listen to radio tunes of the era in a car at a drive-in diner, and tune into the Route 66 TV series in a mock hotel room. For a photo op right across from the museum, there’s a replica Mobil Oil gas pump, one of five historic pumps around town that enchant camera-happy tourists. Downtown’s ornate Rialto Square Theatre is the oldest theater on Route 66. South of Joliet, the next major Route 66 landmark is the Gemini Giant, a 28-foot-tall green spaceman that has greeted customers to Wilmington’s Launching Pad Drive-In since 1965. More Route 66 memories surface in Pontiac, home of the Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum. Housed in a 1900 building that once served as a fire station, police station and city hall, it sports a glorious Route 66 shield mural on the exterior back wall, a perfect backdrop for group photos. A new addition to the outdoor exhibit area, recently paved with original bricks from Route 66, is a wishing well that stood at the Wishing Well Motel in Countryside, Illinois. For picture-posing inside the museum, sit down in an old Steak ’n Shake booth, complete with a waitress mannequin, or stand “behind bars” in the upstairs jail cells that have been transformed into galleries displaying the Route 66 images of photographer Michael A. Campanelli. The building also contains the Livingston County War Museum, a treasure trove of military artifacts. A collection of 18 new murals that artists painted on buildings last June afford more picture possibilities in downtown Pontiac. The sunset mural sponsored by the Route 66 Association of Illinois shows a bright yellow 1950s Chevy.
For tour groups, Pontiac’s tourism department, with cooperation from Vermilion Players Theatre, can arrange a performance of a Route 66 musical. The Old Log Cabin, an eatery on the edge of Pontiac, abounds with Route 66 nostalgia. When it opened in 1924, it faced Illinois Route 4 (later to be called Route 66) but was lifted up and moved, literally by horse power, to face Route 66 when that road was repositioned and became a four-lane highway. Heading south from Bloomington, groups may want to exit I-55 in McLean for a break
at the Dixie Trucker’s Home, the first-ever truck stop/diner on Route 66. Nearby is a popular Route 66 souvenir stop, Funk’s Grove, the home of pure maple sirup (yes, they spell it “sirup”).
Illinois Route 66 Cont...
Contact Information: Angela Ingerson Tour Illinois Chairman 1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201 Champaign, IL 61820-7269 Phone: 1-800-369-6151 [email protected] Tourillinois.org
In the farming town of Atlanta, see the colorful Route 66 murals and have your picture taken with the iconic Bunyan Giant. The 19-foot-tall statue of a guy holding a hot dog, known locally as Tall Paul, was moved from a Chicago-area restaurant. The Palms Grill Cafe, an Atlanta fixture during the height of Route 66 travel until closing in 1960, was recently restored and serves blue plate specials with everyone’s favorite comfort foods. In the town of Lincoln, the Railsplitter Covered Wagon has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest covered wagon. Seated in front is a 12-foot-high Abraham Lincoln reading a book. Located at Route 66 and Woodlawn Road since January 2007, the wagon once enchanted Mother Road buffs in nearby Divernon. To play up its
Lincoln and Route 66 connections, the local visitors bureau uses artwork that shows Lincoln doffing his stovepipe hat from the seat of a classic red Corvette. Springfield, 30 miles from Lincoln, boasts Route 66 attractions in addition to its wealth of Abraham Lincoln lore. Bill Shea’s Gas Station brims with service station
memorabilia that recalls the early days of filling up. His vast collection includes uniforms, oil cans, fuel pumps, phone booths and a 1952 Airstream travel trailer. The spry and witty Mr. Shea, born in 1921, pumped gas from this old Marathon station from 1955 to 1982. (Asked if he has lived in Springfield all his life, he quips, “Not yet.”) Springfield’s Cozy Dog Drive-In is a diner once owned by Ed Waldmire, credited with inventing the corn dog in the 1940s. Each “cozy dog” (don’t say “corn dog”) is freshly dipped and fried, just like at the county or state fair. The restaurant sells the flour mix for those who want to make their own hot dogs on a stick. Route 66 highlights in Litchfield, south of Springfield, include the Skyview Drive-In Theatre, the last such remaining theater on Route 66, and Ariston’s Cafe, an excellent restaurant operated by the Adam family since 1924. In Hamel you’ll find Scotty’s Bar & Grill, a casual roadhouse since the late 1930s. Henry’s Rabbit Ranch and Route 66 Emporium in Staunton displays highway and trucking memorabilia in a replica vintage gas station. Yes, there are rabbits—both the animal and Volkswagen types. In Collinsville, near St. Louis, wander off the highway a bit and you’ll find the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle. Dating to 1949, it served as a water tower for the Brooks catsup factory. The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in Madison, built in 1929 as part of the original Route 66, once carried auto traffic across the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis. Since 1999, it’s been a recreational trail and one of the world’s longest bicycle and pedestrian bridges. For a look back at early automobile travel in America, Illinois’ Route 66 attractions provide groups with warm memories of a bygone era. For information, visit www.tourillinois.org and www.illinoisroute66.org.
Travelers cruising down memory lane on old Route 66 will find many sites related to the life of Abraham Lincoln, Illinois’ most famous son. Springfield, the state capital, has the most Lincoln attractions. Among them are: • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library &
Museum. Blending scholarship with showman ship, the state-of-the-art facility uses 21st century technology to immerse visitors in the 19th century.
• Lincoln Home National Historic Site. The only home Lincoln ever owned is part of a four-block district that includes a visitors center and the homes of his neighbors.
• Old State Capitol State Historic Site. Lincoln gave his “House Divided” speech here, and his body lay in state before his burial. President Barack Obama announced his presidential campaign on the Capitol grounds.
• Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site. The final resting place of Lincoln, his wife Mary and three of their four sons is at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
New Salem State Historic Site, a pioneer village 20 miles northwest of Springfield, provides a look at Lincoln’s early adulthood. In the 1830s he worked in New Salem as a clerk, merchant, postmaster and surveyor. Costumed interpreters provide a window into everyday life, demonstrating pioneer chores and crafts in the log buildings. In the town of Lincoln, 30 miles northeast of Springfield, Lincoln College Museum has rare Abraham Lincoln artifacts, including an 1860 campaign banner and furniture from the White House. Also on display are tassels that covered his coffin, locks of hair from Lincoln and his wife, and a piece of the birthplace log cabin in Kentucky. Postville Courthouse State Historic Site in Lincoln is a reproduction of the Logan County courthouse where Lincoln practiced law. Bloomington’s David Davis Mansion is the grand 19th century home of a wealthy mentor to Abraham Lincoln whom Lincoln appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A popular photo op in downtown Pontiac is a life-size bronze statue of Lincoln leaning on a fence, his stovepipe hat on the post. Located on the grounds of the grandiose Livingston County Courthouse, the statue is a memorial to Lincoln’s many visits to Pontiac, where he tried cases in the circuit court. One of the new downtown murals recalls Lincoln’s visit to a Pontiac home.
