Alfred Brown Museum

This museum has a large collection of post cards from the 1904 World's Fair, a drum from the civil war, Native American artifacts, old uniforms, and school artifacts.

CITY: Sparta

Arts & More Gallery

Arts & More Gallery offers custom framing, in-home consultations, art classes, hundreds of mats and frames, and thousands of prints. Also, original art by local, national, and international artists.

CITY: Red Bud

Belleville Philharmonic Society

The nation's second oldest continuously performing symphony orchestra (1867-2005) gives concerts throughout the year.

CITY: Belleville

Berger-Kiel Log House

The log house gives a glimpse into local life in the 1800s. While at the park, visit the refurbished caboose and passenger train.

CITY: Mascoutah

Broadway Center of Arts

Groups regularly perform at the "Black Box" Main Stage theatre.

CITY: Belleville

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Illinois' only United Nations World Heritage Site. This 2,200-acre site preserves the central section of the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico. An Interpretive Center presents a coherent account of this sophisticated prehistoric culture. Climb Monk's Mound, see the film and life-size village. Don't miss annual events that focus on Native American culture.

CITY: Collinsville

Calico Moon

Calico Moon features primitives, dry goods, rug hooking, primitive stitch, supplies, and classes.

CITY: Lebanon

Capitol Theater

The Monroe Actors Stage Company (MASC) offers plays from September through June.

CITY: Waterloo

Carolyn's Cottage

Carolyn's Cottage has a large collection of bird houses, Native American art, home and garden decor, and much more.

CITY: Coulterville

Coal Museum

A quilt from the Civil War, coal mining memorabilia, and more are located in the Marissa Academy Building, formerly a two-year prep school built in 1867.

CITY: Collinsville

Collinsville Historical Society Museum

Local and world histories are combined in these exhibits.

CITY: Collinsville

Creole House

This Lower Mississippi-style house was built in the early 1800s, and has been completely restored to reflect life during this period.

CITY: Prairie du Rocher

Curtains Up Theatre Company

The Company performs at The Miner's Theatre.

CITY: Collinsville

Dr. Poos Home - Heritage House Museum

Built in 1888, this home was occupied by Dr. Robert Poos, a local practitioner and druggist. Dr. Poos was also the staff physician at the Springs Hotel and Bath House, later known as the Okawville Original Springs Hotel.

CITY: Okawville

Emma Kunz House

Visitors are invited to walk through this home, considered to be the oldest Greek Revival-style home in Illinois.

CITY: Belleville

Fort de Chartres State Historic Site

This former French military stronghold has been partially rebuilt and turned into a museum. Regular living history events shed light on colonial life in Illinois, and include 18th-century crafts, food, music, hundreds of historically dressed participants, flintlock rifle and musket contests, cannon and mortar competitions, traders and much more. There are also guided tours of the 1800 Creole House, which was designed in the French-American Transitional Architecture style.

CITY: Prairie du Rocher

Gateway Geyser Fountain

As the world's tallest fountain, the Gateway Geyser Fountain reaches 627 feet in height, and is centered in a pond that holds five million gallons of water.

CITY: East St. Louis

Greater Saint Louis Air and Space Museum

Learn about the history of aviation in the St. Louis area. The Museum is located at the St. Louis Downtown Parks Airport and has Gus Grissom's flight suit, a collection of TWA artifacts, and a 1941 Meyers O.T.W. Bi-plane on exhibit.

CITY: Cahokia

In The Heat Of The Night - Misselhorn Art Gallery

A respected Philadelphia homicide detective is mistakenly accused of murder in a racist southern town, and is then hired to help the local sheriff with the investigation. The movie town's name was changed to Sparta so that signs in the Illinois community where the flick was filmed would not have to be changed. The railroad station used in the film is now the Misselhorn Art Gallery, which features a permanent exhibit dedicated to the movie.

CITY: Sparta

Jarrot Mansion

The subject of intensive historical interest, the Mansion is probably the oldest brick house in the state of Illinois. It was built in 1810 by Nicholas Jarrot, who was a native Frenchman and landowner in Cahokia.

CITY: Cahokia

Katherine Dunham Museum

Katherine Dunham is probably best known as a legendary dancer who propelled the awareness of the cultures of the African Diaspora via her choreography. Her famous dance technique reflects a fusion of many cultures. Miss Dunham was a true renaissance woman. She was an artist, anthropologist, author, activist, manager, movie star, producer, educator, wife, mother, and so much more. The world needs to know about her wonderful life story and there's no better learning environment than the Museum and Centers for Arts and Humanities she created. The museum houses Miss Dunham's outstanding collection of symbolic and functional art, including more than 250 African and Caribbean art objects from more than 50 countries.

CITY: East St. Louis

Labor & Industry Museum

The Labor & Industry Museum is the only public institution devoted to the history of the labor and industry of Belleville and southwestern Illinois. The centerpiece is Jumbo, a 19th-century steam engine along with coal mining, carpentry, and stove-making exhibits.

CITY: Belleville

Limelight Players

This talented troupe can be found at a variety of venues from dinner theater at Fischer's Restaurant to stage shows at Southwestern Illinois College.

CITY: Belleville

Lincoln Theatre

The historic theatre features first-run movies, organ concerts, puppet shows, and other special events. Tours are available by appointment.

CITY: Belleville

Looking Glass Playhouse

The Looking Glass Playhouse was started in 1972 by a small group of volunteers to raise money for McKendree College by directing and producing a musical play. The play was a success and they have been putting on performances ever since. Drama, musicals, and comedy performances are on the bill.

CITY: Lebanon

Main Street Jazz & Blues

Join the group at this small intimate club featuring performers from St. Louis and the local area.

CITY: Belleville

Marissa Academy Museum and Coal Miners Monument

Memorabilia celebrating the city's growth from a coal mining town to the present makes this an interesting stop.

CITY: Marissa

Martin/Boismenue House

Built in the 1790s, the house is designed in the French vertical-log style rather than the more familiar horizontal-log style. This is the oldest known residence in Illinois.

CITY: East Carondelet

Mascoutah Heritage Museum

The museum focuses on the businesses that helped the city grow, particularly milling.

CITY: Mascoutah

National Lampoon's Vacation - Poplar Street Bridge

In this wacky comedy a Chicago family takes a hysterical road trip across country to reach a theme park on the West Coast. Illinois scenes include Buckingham Fountain in downtown Chicago's Grant Park (seen spouting its famous cascades of water in the background as the family leaves Chicago) and the Poplar Street Bridge that spans the Mississippi River in East St. Louis (where the family gets lost).

CITY: East St. Louis

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

The Shrine has 200 beautifully landscaped acres of gardens and devotional areas, including the Outdoor Amphitheatre, Shrine Church, Lourdes Grotto, Stations of the Cross, Millennium Spire, the Visitors Center with a restaurant and gift shop, and the Shrine Hotel.

CITY: Belleville

Old GM&O Depot Roscoe Misselhorn Gallery

Two thousand original drawings, paintings, and woodcuts by Roscoe Misselhorn, the Norman Rockwell of the Midwest, are displayed in the depot. Much of the work is in black and white and depicts historic sites throughout the area.

CITY: Sparta

Open House Theater

Shows are performed at the Turkey Hill Grange, Progressive Grange, and The New Athens Senior Center.

CITY: New Athens

Our Common Ground

Our Common Ground is a nonprofit organization dedicated to growing local art by organizing mixed media shows in rural communities.

CITY: Lebanon

Patchwork Corner Crafts

Patchwork Corner Crafts has a wide variety of quilting and craft supplies.

CITY: Mascoutah

Peterstown House

Built in 1830, this is the only stagecoach stop still intact along the 60-mile Kaskaskia-Cahokia trail.

CITY: Waterloo

Pierre Menard Home

(TEMPORARILY CLOSED beginning 10/08 except for special events.) Pierre Menard, an important political figure in 1818, built this home. It is furnished with many of the Menard family's personal possessions and other period pieces. The surrounding grounds and outbuildings include an herb garden, smokehouse, springhouse, and adjoining kitchen.

CITY: Ellis Grove

Rex's Museum

A Lionel train set shares space with a Li'l Abner Dogpatch Band windup toy and British toy soldiers. Antique collectibles, clothing, glassware, a mule deer antler chandelier, and many more unusual items fill the 2,000 sq. ft. "extra room" added onto the house.

CITY: Waterloo

Rieso Farm Museum & Antiques

There is a large collection of machinery and primitives dating back to the 1800s.

CITY: New Athens

Rock Mill and Museum

The entire village of Maeystown is on the historic register with much of the history preserved in the museum.

CITY: Maeystown

Roscoe Misslehorn Art Gallery

This gallery features the works of renowned Southern Illinois sketch artist Roscoe Misslehorn, as well as exhibits by contemporary artists. The building is the GM&O railroad depot that was used as a location for the 1967 movie, In the Heat of the Night.

CITY: Sparta

Scrapbook Factory

The Scrapbook Factory offers all the supplies you need to create the scrapbook of your dreams.

CITY: O'Fallon

Skyview Drive-In

Open from April to October, this theatre shows first-run movies, and is one of only 200 drive-inns left in the United States.

CITY: Belleville

St. Clair County Historical Society Museum

This Victorian adaptation of a Greek Revival home was built in the early 1800s. In addition to period furniture and vintage clothing, artifacts, and quilts, the museum contains an extensive research library and gift shop.

CITY: Belleville

The Creole House

The house, built in 1800, is an example of French and American architecture.

CITY: Prairie du Rocher

The Hett Theater

Distinguished speakers, concerts, and drama are all part of the playbill at The Hett, McKendree College's showcase Center for the Arts.

CITY: Lebanon

The History Museum of Monroe County

Anchored by items gifted by Col. Edd & Violet Kueker, this collection represents the settlement of the West, numerous U.S. wars and early transportation. There is even a display of items from the Stone Age retrieved during a local archaeological dig. Changing displays and Special Exhibits from the Museum collection and "on loan" items provide awesome journeys through the pages of history.

CITY: Waterloo

The Lemming Armada Theatre Co.

Performances throughout the year include music, drama, and comedy.

CITY: Belleville

The Mermaid House

The beautiful house is an example of an 1830s hotel. Charles Dickens once visited there in 1842 while researching a book he wrote on prairies in America.

CITY: Lebanon

The Schmidt Art Center and Gallery

Over 350 permanent works, including a beautifully landscaped and sculptured garden, are on display.

CITY: Belleville

Thomas Kinkade Gallery

The Thomas Kinkade Gallery of Belleville is full of beautiful works by Thomas Kinkade.

CITY: Belleville

Three Sisters Crafts & Gifts

Three Sisters Crafts & Gifts offers handmade crafts, beads, jewelry-making supplies, home decor, scrapbook and quilting supplies, and much more.

CITY: O'Fallon