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Historical Trolley Tours Explore
Peoria's Past
by Jennifer Towery
Peoria Journal Star - July 14, 2009 |
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River City
Historical
Tour
Reservations are recommended! Call (309) 688-5668. |
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Peoria - the oldest continuously settled site in the
state of Illinois. The Native Americans, the French, the whiskey
and earthmoving capital of the world, the grand mansions and
Grandview Drive, the River City Tour has it all. |
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This tour highlights
Peoria's rich history. Beginning at Grandview Drive,
the tour progresses
through the Averyville area to downtown Peoria, Southtown,
High Street, Moss Avenue, circulating again to Downtown,
Glen Oak Avenue and ending back in Peoria Heights.
Admiring stately homes and the renowned scenic tour with
a view of the river, you will experience an
unforgettable Grand River City Tour. |
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June through
October 2010 |
| Day: |
Thursdays (June 3, 2010 - October 28,
2010) |
| Time: |
10:30
A.M. (1½ hours) |
|
Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Harp & Thistle, 4605 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights,
IL
(Street parking is available
near Harp & Thistle.)
For tickets, call (309)
688-5668 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Harp & Thistle
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
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Day: |
Saturdays
(June 5, 2010 - October 30, 2010) |
| Time: |
1:00
P.M. (1½ hours) |
|
Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Harp & Thistle, 4605 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights,
IL
(Street parking is available
near Harp & Thistle.) For
tickets, call (309) 688-5668 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Harp & Thistle
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
|
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Springdale Cemetery/Grandview
Drive Tour
Reservations are recommended! Call (309) 688-5668. |
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Travel Grandview Drive and then the oldest cemetery
in Illinois - hear stories about those who contributed
so much to Peoria's story. |
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Visit Peoria's premier
scenic drive that winds its way above the beautiful
Illinois River valley. See the elegant homes of today's
and yesterday's prosperous merchants, landowners and
professionals. The trolley will then go to Springdale
Cemetery. Chartered in 1855, it is the oldest cemetery
in the state. You will appreciate the serene and
park-like setting and hear about the founding fathers
and mothers of Peoria. A must see. |
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June through
October 2010 |
| Day: |
Saturdays (June 5, 2010 - October 30, 2010) |
| Time: |
10:30 A.M.
(1½ hours) |
| Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Harp & Thistle, 4605 N. Prospect Road, Peoria Heights,
IL
(Street parking is available
near Harp & Thistle.)
For tickets, call (309) 688-5668 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Harp & Thistle
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
|
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Old Peoria and the Judge |
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Visit the site of the French Village - the first
settlement in Illinois - learn about Judge John C.
Flanagan as you visit Peoria's oldest home. |
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Travel through the earliest
sections of downtown and on to Peoria's Northside.
Discover facts about Peoria's founding father, Frenchman
explorer Henri de Tonti, who established a fort in 1691
which also was the first settlement in Illinois.
During this tour you'll see a unique sculptor's bungalow
and hear the story of Peoria's Joe Kennedy connection.
End the ride with a short tour of the 1837 Flanagan House Museum
that is situated on a high bluff overlooking the
beautiful Illinois River Valley. |
|
June
2010 |
| Day: |
Fridays
(June 4, 11, 18, 25) |
| Time: |
10:30
A.M. (1½ hours) |
| Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Kelleher's Irish Pub, 619 SW Water Street (near State
St.), Peoria(Parking is available across
the street from Kelleher's.)
For tickets, call (309) 673-6000 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Kelleher's Irish Pub
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
|
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All-America City
Historical Tour
Reservations are recommended! Call (309) 673-6000. |
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Follow Peoria's history from the naughty - the 20's,
the gambling, the gangsters - to the nice - Peoria's
three All-America City awards. |
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Discover why Peoria has
been honored three times with the prestigious "All
America City" award. This trolley tour traces
triumphs time from the 1920's to the present including
the city's gangster era that includes driving by the
site of Peoria's most notorious crime scene - the Bernie
Shelton murder. There is also a look into downtown
Peoria's old, new and developing business districts. |
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July
2010 |
| Day: |
Fridays
(July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) |
| Time: |
10:30
A.M. (1½ hours) |
| Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Kelleher's Irish Pub, 619 SW Water Street (near State
St.), Peoria(Parking is available across
the street from Kelleher's.)
For tickets, call (309) 673-6000 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Kelleher's Irish Pub
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
|
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Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War in Peoria
Reservations are recommended! Call (309) 673-6000. |
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August 2010 |
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Follow Lincoln in Peoria - learn about Camp Peoria
and Camp Lyon - hear the stories of our Civil War
veterans. |
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Lincoln's first known
visit to Peoria was in 1832 when he was just 23 years
old, but it certainly was not his last. This tour
tells the story of Lincoln's other visits, the Civil War
troops and the camps where they trained . See the
markers where the camps once stood. Visit
Springdale Cemetery and see the final resting place of
many of the Civil War veterans. At the end of the
tour, you will have a short visit to the GAR Hall, built
in 1909 and hear the story of Joseph Greenhut who
provided much of its financing. |
| Day: |
Fridays
(August 6, 13, 20, 27) |
| Time: |
10:30
A.M. (1½ hours) |
| Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Kelleher's Irish Pub, 619 SW Water Street (near State
St.), Peoria
(Parking is available across
the street from Kelleher's.)
For tickets, call (309) 673-6000 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Kelleher's Irish Pub
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
|
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Uptown
Peoria!
Reservations are recommended! Call (309) 673-6000. |
|
Follow the early Peorians - travel through the first
neighborhoods - view the architectural styles that have
endured the ages. |
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As Peoria's early residents
prospered, they moved Uptown, building beautiful homes
and establishing unique neighborhoods for their
families. Travel back in time to hear their
stories and view the architectural styles they used in
designing their homes. This tour travels from
downtown through the near-Northside to the center bluff
and back. History and style . . . that's Uptown
Peoria! |
|
September &
October 2010 |
| Day: |
Fridays
(September 3, 10, 17, 24 and October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29) |
| Time: |
10:30
A.M. (1½ hours) |
| Place: |
Tour
leaves from
Kelleher's Irish Pub, 619 SW Water Street (near State
St.), Peoria
(Parking is available across
the street from Kelleher's.)
For tickets, call (309) 673-6000 |
| Cost: |
$9 tour ticket
purchased at Kelleher's Irish Pub
$1 paid to trolley driver (Seniors 65 and older ride
trolley free with proof of age.) |
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