LOCATION: Cultural Hall
SHOW TIME: Year round, Monday – Saturday at 7:00 pm Second show at 8:15 if needed
(Tickets are required but free. You may reserve tickets up to ten months in advance at Tickets and Tours (217-453-2237 ext 122). Tickets must be picked up the day of the performance at the Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center.)
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 60 min
Plenty to do in Nauvoo.
Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo
Wagon Tour of Old Nauvoo
LOCATION: Corner of Partridge and Hubbard Streets (Obtain required free tickets at the Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center on the day of the ride. Doors to the Visitors’ Center open at 7:30 a.m. during the summer season.)
The horse-drawn wagon is a novel and unusual way of seeing the historic sites and homes of Old Nauvoo.
This town is one of the most delightful villages in the country, and a wagon ride is a unique way of seeing the beauty you might otherwise miss. It’s fun and appeals to children and adults who find riding more comfortable than walking.
The tour is approximately one hour and is narrated by a tour guide.
You can board the wagon at the corner of Partridge and Hubbard Streets, but you must have a ticket for each rider, which you can obtain at the Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center on the day of the ride. For more information, call Tickets and Tours (217-453-2237, ext 122). Park in the east lot of the Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center adjacent to the boarding area.
Pioneer Pastimes
LOCATION: Main Street South of Scovil Bakery
April (weather permitting) though mid-October (weather permitting)
Oxen & Wagon Ride
LOCATION: On Main Street West of the Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center
A yoke of real oxen will pull you in a covered wagon across the “Mormon Trail” - in the record time of fifteen minutes!
Oxen were used by many migrating pioneers because of their great strength. However, they could take some time to train, as Abner Blackburn noted about his near-wild oxen: “I was in the trail part of the time, and that was when I was crossing it.” Oxen would also eat anything that was green, unlike a horse or mule who preferred grain.
This is one of the best photo opportunities in Nauvoo.
Handcart Trek
LOCATION: Northeast of Historic Nauvoo Visitors’ Center on Partridge Street
Opens in spring when whether permits; closes in winter months
APPROXIMATE LENGTH OF GUIDED TOUR: One to three hours, depending on the trail you select
Experience a handcart trek similar to the one some of the Mormon pioneers endured 150 years ago.
Although most early pioneers traveled west using a covered wagon and team of oxen, there were some who couldn’t afford such travel accommodations.
The less expensive handcart, much like a large, shallow wheelbarrow, allowed the poorer of the Mormons to afford the journey west. Because travel was more difficult with a handcart, it became a familiar symbol of dedication and duty to God.
Historic Nauvoo’s handcart experience is a self-guided trek for families or groups who want to get a first-hand feel for what the pioneers had to face.
For reservations and more information, please call Tickets and Tours at 217-453-2237, ext. 122.
Family Living Center
LOCATION: Main Street behind the Cultural Hall
All Sites, Tours, Shows, and Rides at Historic Nauvoo are FREE and
Family Friendly!
Visitors can watch tour guides as they demonstrate timeless skills in producing everyday items made from wood, metal, clay and other materials.
Guests can view demonstrations in a wide variety of 19th-century trades such as spinning, bread making, candle making, pottery, rope and barrel making.
Tie everything together as you help the rope maker create another length.
Finish it all off with the baker, and taste delicious bread from the brick oven.
A must stop for the children!
