Welcome to Your America 250 Road Trip Through Illinois

Start your day by driving just outside of Chicago to Evanston, home of Northwestern University. Explore the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, one of a handful of museums across the country that focuses exclusively on the histories, cultures, traditions and arts of Indigenous people from the United States and Canada.

From Evanston, drive southwest to Wheaton, IL , the premier institution preserving the history of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, the oldest continuously serving division.

Next, take a 30-minute drive south to Romeoville, IL and visit Isle a la Cache Museum, a cultural and educational center dedicated to the 18th-century fur trade. The museum highlights the interaction between French voyageurs and the Potawatomi Native Americans in Illinois.

Take a 60-minute drive down Interstate 80 to LaSalle, IL where you walk along this historic Illinois & Michigan Canal that connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, fueling westward expansion and economic growth in the 1800s. Fun fact, in 1984, President Reagan signed legislation that made the I&M Canal the nation’s first National Heritage Area.

End your day by driving 30-minutes west to Princeton, IL and visit the Owen Lovejoy Homestead, the home of abolitionist Owen Lovejoy. Reverend Lovejoy was a key figure in the Underground Railroad who helped enslaved people find freedom. 

Start day 3 with a quick 30-minute drive to Dixon, IL and the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home and Visitors Center. The 40th President called this site home in the early 1920s. Today, the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

From Dixon, drive southwest to Rock Island, IL where you can visit Black Hawk State Historic Site. Situated along the Rock River, this pristine park, honors the legacy of Black Hawk, a leader of the Sauk nation. The site was named one of Illinois’ 7 wonders and is a perfect place to enjoy a relaxing picnic. While in Rock Island, visit the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, one of the oldest U.S. Army museums, showcasing military history and innovation from the 19th century to today.

Say goodbye to Rock Island and drive down the Illinois Great River Road National Scenic Byway to get to Macomb. Once you arrive, visit the Western Illinois Museum where you can learn about regional history and culture through exhibits focused on agriculture, industrial and social history, including a robust collection of civil war artifacts, historic quilts and farm tools. 

Take the longest drive of the trip (2 hours) and head to El Paso, IL where you can explore the Project XV Museum, a community-driven space that is focused on voting rights. The museum is located at the site of a barber shop where the first Black man in Illinois voted after the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870.

End the day in Bloomington, IL at the McLean County Museum of History, a historic courthouse and home to award-winning exhibits that explore the people and stories that shaped Central Illinois, including Abraham Lincoln – who you will learn a lot about in the next leg of the trip!  

Start your day just outside of Petersburg, IL at Lincoln’s New Salem Historic Site, a reconstructed 1830s village where Abraham Lincoln lived as a young man. Walk through log cabins, interact with costumed interpreters and learn how Lincoln’s early experiences here helped shape his character and political future.

Take a short 30-minute drive to Springfield, Illinois’ capital city, and visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, a world-class museum dedicated to Lincoln’s life and legacy. Through immersive exhibits, visitors can explore his presidency, the Civil War, and the lasting impact of his leadership on the nation.

Continue your Lincoln journey with a visit to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the location of the only home Lincoln ever owned and where he lived for 17 years. Located in a preserved four-block historic neighborhood, this site offers a glimpse into Lincoln’s family life before he became president.

Leave the car parked and walk a few blocks over to the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln served as a legislator and delivered his famous “House Divided” speech. This historic building stands as a powerful reminder of the political tensions leading up to the Civil War.

Next, reflect on a pivotal moment in civil rights history at the 1908 Race Riot Mural, site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. This newly designated national monument honors the lives affected and recognizes the event’s role in the founding of the NAACP.

End the day at the Illinois State Museum where you can dig deeper into the land, life, people and art that make this state so special! If you have children, make sure you visit the Mary Ann MacLean Play Museum, an interactive play area for kids. 

Say goodbye to Springfield and make your way to Jacksonville, IL for Charters of Freedom Mounments, where you can view replicas of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights as they are displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Continue exploring Jacksonville’s history with a visit to the Jacksonville African American History Museum, which highlights African American life, agriculture and the Underground Railroad in Illinois.

Get back in the car and drive an hour south to Alton, IL to see the Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument. The 110-foot-tall granite monument honors abolitionist journalist Elijah P. Lovejoy, whose fight for free press and anti-slavery ideals made him a martyr for freedom. Elijah was the brother of Owen Lovejoy, who you learned about earlier on the trip. 

Take a quick drive along the Mississippi River to Hartford, IL and visit Camp DuBois, the departure point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The site marks the beginning of one of America’s most significant journeys of exploration. While there, you can also visit the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site. 

Next up, take a short drive to Collinsville, IL and visit Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. Walk the grounds and climb Monks Mound to better understand the sophisticated Indigenous civilization that thrived here over 1,000 years ago.

End the day by driving 40 miles to Mt. Olive, IL and visit the Mother Jones Monument and Burial Site, a tribute honoring the fearless advocate for workers’ rights during the industrial era. While you’re in Mt. Olive, make sure you visit Soulsby’s Route 66 Shell Service Station, the oldest usable service station on Route 66 in Illinois, to fill your tank for the next day.  

Kick the final day of the trip off in Murphysboro at the General John A. Logan Museum, where you can learn about John A. Logan. A Civil War general and U.S. senator, Logan is best known for helping establish Memorial Day as a national holiday.

From there, take an hour drive southeast to Metropolis, IL. There, you can explore Fort Massac State Park Historic Site that played a key role in early American expansion and frontier defense along the Ohio River.

Next, drive 35 miles northeast to Mound City and visit Mound City National Cemetery, one of the nation’s oldest national cemeteries. You can pay your respects to Union soldiers from the Civil War who are laid to rest there. 

End your journey at the southernmost point in Illinois, Cairo. While there, you can visit the site of a Civil War-era Contraband Camp, where formerly enslaved people sought refuge and began building new lives in freedom. This powerful final stop reflects the enduring themes of resilience and progress that define the American story.