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

Louis Latzer Homestead

Louis Latzer, the founder of the Pet Milk Company, built this homestead for his wife and family in 1901. The home had many modern features of the day, including running water pumped by hand to a holding tank in the attic, a manufactured gas light system, speaking tubes between many of the rooms and one of the first telephones in the community.

CITY: Highland

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

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

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

General Dean Suspension Bridge

Located just outside the city of Carlyle, this historic 130-year-old bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the area. The original bridge served as a crossing over the Kaskaskia River.

CITY: Carlyle

Thomas Kinkade Gallery

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

CITY: Belleville

Broadway Center of Arts

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

CITY: Belleville

Clinton County Historical Museum

This building was the former home of Judge Sidney Breese, who came to Illinois from New York. He studied law here and became Assistant Secretary of the State of Illinois.

CITY: Carlyle

Calico Moon

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

CITY: Lebanon

Centralia Historical Society Museum

Centerpieces of the collection are newspapers and memorabilia from the coal mining days with tributes to railroad history.

CITY: Centralia

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

Patchwork Corner Crafts

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

CITY: Mascoutah

Scrapbook Factory

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

CITY: O'Fallon

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

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

Clinton County Showcase

The Showcase performs at the historic Avon Theatre. Call for a schedule of plays.

CITY: Breese

Centralia Area Historical Museum

Artifacts, pictures of coal mining, railroading, business, farming in and around Centralia. A work in progress by the Centralia Area Historical Society to preserve the past of Marion County.

CITY: Centralia

Emma Kunz House

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

CITY: Belleville

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

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

Centralia Illinois Downtown Theatre

This former vaudeville and movie theatre has been restored to its former glory. The Playbill for the 2008 season includes Chapter 6, an acapella group that started at Milliken University in Decatur, IL and now tours worldwide and the touring company of Second City in Chicago. Don't miss the excitement.

CITY: Centralia

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

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

Mascoutah Heritage Museum

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

CITY: Mascoutah

Washington County Historical Museum

Built in 1871 as a private residence, this building now holds hundreds of artifacts from the country including a display of period wedding dresses.

CITY: Nashville

Rieso Farm Museum & Antiques

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

CITY: New Athens

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

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

The Palace Theatre

The 60-seat facility is complete with a restored 1928 Barton 12-rank theatre pipe organ. It was originally built to perform popular music and to accompany the silent movies of the 1920s. Group tours available.

CITY: Highland

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

The Lemming Armada Theatre Co.

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

CITY: Belleville

Hard Road Theatre Productions

Hard Road Theatre Productions is a non-profit community theater organization committed to providing the Highland area with high-quality, affordable, live theater productions.

CITY: Highland

Open House Theater

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

CITY: New Athens

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

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

Belleville Philharmonic Society

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

CITY: Belleville

The Schmidt Art Center and Gallery

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

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

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

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

The Music Theatre Company

The Music Theatre Company explores the musical in the interest of expanding the canon of musical theatre through fully-staged productions, commissions of new works and musical experiments.

CITY: Highland