East Peoria offers a range of ways to spend your stay: visits to local history sites by appointment, a glimpse of farm life in the 1920s, a lighted drive-through park, tournament sports, and trails. The right plan depends on whether you want to focus on culture, farm life, sports, or time outdoors. Two historic sites do not have regular opening hours, and use of River Trail Phase I in winter depends on weather conditions.
Culture and Farm History
Doering Homeplace and the East Peoria Historical Society Museum do not have regular opening hours; visits are by appointment only. Arrange your visit in advance rather than planning to drop by during set public hours.
Fon du Lac Farm Park gives children a glimpse of 1920s farm life on a farm in Central Illinois. Visitors can feed live farm animals there. This brings two distinct ways of exploring farm life together in one park: a historical look at a particular era and a hands-on activity with farm animals. If you’d like to explore farm history with children, you can take both aspects into account when planning.
Lights, Parks, and Sports
Folepi's Winter Wonderland in East Peoria is a lighted drive-through park. The drive-through format makes for a distinctive outing. If you’re planning a trip around a visit, check the dates for your preferred travel period in advance.
East Peoria’s Festival of Lights, FOLEPI, debuted in 1984—a historical milestone in the local event’s history.
Levee Park consists of a raised stage, a small lawn, and a splash pad. If you’re choosing parks based on their amenities, these three features offer specific points to consider: a stage, green space, and a water play area.
At Riverfront Park-West, a pavilion and restrooms are available during reserved events. Plan to use these facilities only as part of a reserved event.
EastSide Centre in East Peoria hosts sports tournaments at the national, regional, and local levels. If a tournament is the reason for your trip, check the specific dates for your planned stay.
Trails and Outdoor Recreation
River Trail Phase I is 4.8 miles long, paved, and follows the former route of the Illinois Terminal Railroad Co. It offers a scenic route for year-round outdoor recreation, weather permitting in winter. The former rail line adds a historical detail to the route description. If you plan to use the trail in winter, factor the weather conditions into your day’s plans.
The River Trail of Illinois has access points from East Peoria through Morton and is suitable for hiking and biking through Tazewell County. When choosing a route, you can take both these access points and the listed outdoor activities into account.
Discover more destinations: Tremont, Pekin, Morton.
For the main travel overview: Tazewell County.
