Visitor’s Guide

Did You Know

Fulton County . . .

Has produced the largest non-typical whitetail deer harvested in the state of Illinois.
Usually ranks in the top 5 counties of the state in total number of deer harvested each year.
Produced state records for Small-mouthed and Spotted Bass taken from Fulton County strip mine lakes.

Explore The Past

The early history of central Illinois, including Fulton county, is little more than legend, depicting prehistoric Indians, French explorers, Indian tribes, and early white settlers. For decades accounts have passed from generation to generation keeping this heritage alive. These legends are an integral part of personal affiliations in the lives of Fulton County residents. As a recognized center of historical and cultural interest, the area is renowned for Native American archaeology, agricultural evolution, literary achievements, and many other distinctive events.

The Dickson Mounds Museum, is also a branch of the Illinois State Museum and a National Register Historic Site offering a unique opportunity to explore American Indian history in an awe-inspiring journey through 12,000 years of human experience in the Illinois River Valley.
Lewistown is the oldest community in Fulton County and its history is recognized today with the Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop and Museum, Narrow Gauge Depot Museum, exhibits at the Visitors Center, and several interpretive exhibits around the courthouse and along Main Street.
The villages of Table Grove, Ipava, and Bernadotte were part of national mobilization efforts to win World War II. Camp Ellis was the largest U.S. Army training facility of its kind in the nation during World War II. Farmers vacated 17,800 acres so that construction of the training camp for service forces could begin.
Museums, Famous People, Monuments, Cemeteries, Churches and Homes all provide commemoration of past events, places and individuals can be found in many of the county’s communities.

Visit these websites to explore more of Fulton County’s past.

Dickson Mounds Museum Fulton County Historical and Genealogical Society Illinois Ancestors Presents Fulton County

Encounter Arts

Art is all around us, and Fulton County continues to provide inspiration to writers, actors, painters and photographers. Such inspiration is found in scenic vistas overlooking the Spoon and Illinois Rivers, along the lakes, wetlands, gently winding streams fringed with forest, or across our rolling uplands. It also calls out from the past in the historic architecture of our communities and farms. Artistic beauty can be found seemingly mundane things just waiting to be discovered by those who take time to see, listen, and enjoy.

The Fulton county Arts Council maintains a gallery located in the lower level atrium of Graham Hospital in Canton, locate on West Walnut Street. Spoon River College also maintains a small art gallery in the Centers Building on the Canton campus at the southwest edge of town.
Opera Houses in several Fulton County Communities provided venues for a variety of entertainment. Few have survived, and only the restored Ellisville Opera House continues to function as originally intended. The Fulton County Playhouse new Bryant, established in 1964, has presented a variety of theatrical productions for Fulton County residents and visitors.

Visit these websites to encounter more of Fulton County’s arts.
Fulton County Arts Council Fulton County Playhouse Many Lights Stage Productions

Enjoy The Outdoors

The landscapes you see and outdoor opportunities that await you today in Fulton County are the result of thousands of years of natural and human forces acting upon the landscape. The Illinois River traveling in an ancient channel of the mighty Mississippi, marks the county’s south-eastern boundary. Along the bluff here Native Americans built mounds that are still visible today. Strip mining for coal left an inheritance of many hundreds of lakes and ponds – so many that Fulton County ranks second in Illinois, with over 2,500 water impoundments!

Visit this website to encounter more of Fulton County’s outdoors.
Fulton County The Outdoor

Enjoy Festivals

Fulton County is home to a wealth of festivals, special events, and other recreational opportunities that occur throughout the year. These range from small town “Homecomings,” with food, entertainment, and often a carnival, to the Spoon River Drive Fall Festival, one of the largest festivals in the state.

Check the calendar for upcoming event dates or refer to the “Events at a Glance” listing found on the Fulton County Tourism Council website.

Visitor Services

Fulton Co. Visitors’ Services