Belvidere brings together public murals, parks, ice-skating lessons, and architectural history. The City of Murals extends along a designated section of State Street; the Pettit Memorial Chapel, two parks with different amenities, and an ice arena are also within the city. To help you plan, consider what you want to shape your stay: public art and architecture, recreational and sports facilities, or a canoe launch. The places below show different sides of Belvidere and offer specific starting points for making your choice.
Murals Along State Street
The City of Murals extends through Belvidere on both sides of State Street, from Hurlbut Street east to Logan Avenue. Its history began in June 1997 with ten murals in downtown, created during a festival initiated by the Belvidere Chamber of Commerce. These offer two distinct points of reference: the ten artworks and the festival mark the start of the project, while the street names define the area described. Those interested in murals can consider both the origins of the project and its location in Belvidere.
Parks for Different Interests
Bob’s Park has two playgrounds: one for children ages 2 to 5 and another for children ages 5 to 12. These age ranges make the facilities a specific option if you’re traveling with children. General Mills Park has a playground, a soccer field, and an open shelter with picnic tables. Choosing between the parks therefore comes down to different considerations: Are separate age ranges important, or do soccer and the combination of a shelter and picnic tables better suit your interests?
Red Horse Bend Park & Canoe Launch offers a third option, with a publicly accessible canoe launch. It adds a clearly defined canoeing option to the playground and sports facilities: the focus here is access for launching a canoe, not a playground or soccer field.
Ice Skating and Architectural History
Riverside Ice Arena offers ice-skating lessons for all age groups. It is located in Doty Park, near downtown Belvidere. This combines a specific lesson offering with a precise location; if you want to include ice-skating lessons in your stay, consider making Riverside Ice Arena a focus of your plans.
The Pettit Memorial Chapel in Belvidere Cemetery was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1907. The building has a specific architect attribution and a precise construction year, making it a clearly defined architectural landmark in Belvidere. Brochures are available for self-guided historical tours of the chapel. If you’re considering this tour, confirm access details before you travel.
History at the Boone County Level
In Boone County, the Boone County Museum of History promotes interest in the region’s history through education and research, as well as by preserving artifacts and archival materials. This county-level perspective takes in a broader area than the murals and Pettit Memorial Chapel located in Belvidere: it focuses on the history of Boone County as a whole.
Discover more destinations: Garden Prairie, Poplar Grove.
Back to the county travel overview: Boone County.
