A new website, www.VisitHistoricIllinois.com, might be just the help you need. It features historic homes in Illinois and has 10 suggested tours to lead tourists from one interesting home to the next. The site is sponsored by a newly formed group, Historic Homes of Illinois. This coalition has been working together since February of 2006 to enhance tourism in northern and central Illinois.
The first meeting of the coalition was held in February 2006 at the Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle. At the first meeting, it was decided that participants would begin working together by sharing brochures with one another, and to plan on developing a website that would include all of the participating homes. Alan Langguth, owner of Homestead B&B in Plano, generously donated the web address to the group.
Since that first meeting, the group has enjoyed visiting other sites around the state for meetings. They have met at Ellwood House in DeKalb; the David Davis Mansion and Vrooman Mansion in Bloomington; the Lovejoy Homestead in Princeton; and the Zinser House and Doctor’s Office and Ruppman Home in Washington. Participants enjoy visiting each other’s sites as well as comparing policies and management challenges.
The purpose of the Historic Homes of Illinois Coalition is to encourage people to visit the interesting and varied historic homes within Illinois. The group includes museum/homes, B&B’s, and state owned sites. The Coalition determined that working together would benefit all by promoting tourism in Illinois. To that end, all the participating sites work together to send visitors to other historic homes. Suggested tours have also been developed to help visitors plan trips including as many homes as possible. Other historic homes are encouraged to join in the coalition so that visitors will be given even more choices to enhance their travel arrangements.