In Mascoutah, different kinds of outings are close together: public parks offer lakes, sports facilities, and places to picnic, while the museum and historic buildings offer insights into the town’s history. Two questions can help you plan: Would you mainly like to spend time outdoors, or are you more interested in the town’s history? The annual Mascoutah Homecoming can also help determine the best time to visit.
Parks: Lakes, Sports, and Swimming Pools
Prairie Lakes Park is located along Route 177. It has two fishing lakes and a picnic area on the west side of the park. This makes it a place to combine fishing with a picnic break. The City of Mascoutah’s parks are open to the public; however, information about park facilities may change.
Scheve Park offers a wide range of sports and recreation areas: baseball fields, two lighted tennis courts, a lighted sand volleyball court, lighted horseshoe pits, two soccer fields, and a skate park. There are also ten pavilions of various sizes and several playgrounds. The park also has two swimming pools. If you’re planning a swim, check current seasonal operations beforehand. A restored railroad caboose in the park is also open to visitors.
Other parks have their own features. Maple Park has outdoor basketball facilities, a play area, playground equipment, and a family pavilion. Prairie Park has two fishing lakes, a fountain, and a pavilion. Prairie Park and Prairie Lakes Park are different names for separate parks: one is described as having a fountain and pavilion, the other as having a picnic area on its west side.
Local History and Historic Sites
The Mascoutah History Museum displays exhibits about early life in Mascoutah. These include the original 1837 town plat and maps from various periods. Exhibits on display may change. St. John United Church of Christ (UCC), founded in 1843, is also part of the town’s early history.
The Berger-Kiel House is a one-and-a-half-story building made of log and timber framing, with a gable roof. The original house was built around 1863–1864 for a low-income rural family and consisted of two rooms: one on the ground floor and one upstairs. Restoration work on the house earned the Mascoutah Historical Society second place in the State of Illinois Governor’s Hometown Awards. The Berger-Kiel House is usually open during the annual Mascoutah Homecoming Weekend. Confirm that year’s visiting arrangements with the Historical Society in advance.
The Anstedt Barn and a historic garden can also be visited, but only by appointment. The barn was built in the early 1860s from interlocking logs. If you’d like to plan a visit, arrange an appointment with the historical society.
Mascoutah Homecoming
The annual Mascoutah Homecoming includes a parade that ends at Scheve Park. A past city event listing gave a start time of 5 p.m. in downtown; the route went along Main Street, turned onto 6th Street, and ended at Scheve Park. These specific route details are from a past event and may change from year to year. So check current event information for the Homecoming you plan to attend.
For a stay focused on fishing lakes and picnicking, a visit to a different park may be a better choice than a focus on sports facilities or historic exhibits at the museum. If you’d like to combine several of these interests, you can plan your days accordingly and take the Homecoming date into account. This lets you get to know Mascoutah through its actual park and history offerings, without assuming the parade or historic sites have fixed opening hours.
Discover more destinations: Fairmont City, Cahokia, Fairview Heights, O'fallon, Shiloh, Belleville, Dupo, Swansea
For the main travel overview: St. Clair.
