Others Near Mt Vernon,IL
Grant Park - galena - Galena Dave Cameron: This is a park right across the river from downtown Galena. You can get there via bridge over the river - or theres parking on the eastern side. Theres a hill from the main entrance on the east side of the river to get to the top - with great views of downtown Galena. This is such a nice park. There are paved walkways that take you through the park There are a number of benches various views. Theres a gazebo, a statue of Grant, historic cannons/howitzers, a water fountain, a playground for small kids, and a basketball court. Can be a good place to just relax.
Old Market House State Historic Site - Galena T P: This museum is mostly a Ulysses S Grant museum. It has a ton of smaller things, pictures, collectibles, etc. There was a section showing off lots of highways, counties, towns, and other things named after Grant. Theres a lot more than youd think!
While we were there, there was a clay sculptor finishing up several large busts of various important people from the era. It was very neat seeing it in action! Just like the Grant Home, this museum relies on donations. Dont be afraid to give a couple of bucks to keep this piece of Illinois history alive.
Belvedere Mansion & Gardens - Galena Pumpkinthepuff: First of all, this tour is not nearly in the time frame they tell you it is. If you are on a time schedule, plan accordingly. Overall we were there for about an hour.
Lucky for us it was a very lovely day to be waiting outside. A guide came out and said, it will only be about 10 more minutes before they would let us in. She collected our money, handed out the tickets and left. Over 20 minutes later and about 10 more people walking up, they FINALLY let us in. Then, we had to wait even longer because they made us all go in, crammed into a small area while they collected the money from the later arrivals.
This home is so beautiful but the tour was ruined because of too many people. 20 people all crammed into small areas while the guides just talked on and on about things not relevant to the tour. No offense but when Im crammed into a room with 19 other strangers, I dont need to know anyones medical history or why you work at the place or how you know the owners. On top of that, the door bell constantly rings because of the sign out front and that too also plays into the time frame.
There are only two things original to the house so, as other reviews have said, its like being at an antique store. Cool stuff for sure but when odds and ends of different things are pointed out that have nothing to do with the home it takes away from the beauty and charm of the home itself.
If you are claustrophobic, dont like being too close to people, dont like standing in one place while someone just likes to hear themselves talk, or have no patience to wait around for long periods of time, I would not recommend this place. Also, they really dont show a lot of the home, which is also disappointing. For such a grand home you only see two floors and even with that you dont see everything.
Dowling House - Galena Dave Cameron: Our tour guide was Ted. My wife and I just happened to arrive at 10:55 just before the first tour started and paid and started right away. Reviews say the tour is 30 minutes... but our tour group enjoyed his knowledge and stories and asked questions. He took the time to thoroughly answer - so we went over 45 minutes and kept engaged the whole time. Gives a true sense for life in Galenas heyday in the 1850s!
Linmar Gardens - Galena Cecilia Monroy: This is such a beautiful gem, and every turn we took was a whole new experience. Each garden has something unique and beautiful. Highly recommend visiting and touring, but make sure to reserve ahead of time.
West Street Sculpture Park - Galena Kraser Art: As an artist, I truly enjoyed this park. It is like a free outdoor museum with some small, mid-size, large, and humongous sculptures you would not see in a real museum! I had the honor of meeting the artist, chatting with him and learning about his artwork which he has been perfecting for over 40 years. This park definitely exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to do while in Galena.
