We’re feeling festive!
Commemorating 200 years in the making, Quincy, Illinois is 2025’s historic destination of the Midwest.
Built on beauty and value, the scenic small city along the Mississippi River bluffs was established in 1825 for a whopping 60 bucks. John Wood of Moravia, NY set his sights on the sweeping landscape and a vision was born. Quincy and the County of Adams donned their names from the newly elected president, John Quincy Adams.
Find adventures all year long with the 2025 Travel Guide and celebrate big with THE BIG LIST OF 200 THINGS WE LOVE + THE SPOTLIGHT ON 20, featuring favorite people, places & pastimes in Quincy and Adams County.
SPOTLIGHT ON 20
2010 E 150TH ST, MENDON
- Originated in 1941 as a one-day fall fest and livestock show on the “square” in Mendon
- Now a 7-day event south of Mendon
with camping sites and beer garden - Grandstand entertainment, pageants, rides, tractor pulls, demolition derby, 4-H exhibits & food vendors
122 E MILL ST, MENDON / 217.779.7934
- Pumpkin patch
- Old-fashioned, kid-friendly games
- Bonfires + field trips
- Open mid-Sept through Oct
WESTBOUND US HWY 2
- Est. 1987, unique at the time with a combination of prefabricated steel and precast concrete sections
- Built at a cost of $32 million; total length 4,507 ft
- Quad-color tech lighting system installed 2015
4. CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT TOURS
425 S 12TH / 217.222.1835
- Located in the beautifully decorated Greek Revival home of John Wood, Quincy’s founder
- Complimentary cookies & cocoa
- Live music
217.222.7980
- Spring season opener with the city’s prolific Dogwood trees in full bloom
- Themed parade down historic Maine Street
- Dogwood Party & Festival at the historic Lorenzo Bull House with food trucks, live music, and free activities for all ages
800.978.4748
- Augustine Tolton spent his formative years in Quincy beginning in 1862
- Attended St. Francis Solanus College (Quincy University) continuing to ordination at St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome
- Became the first Black priest in US, celebrating Solemn High Mass at St. Boniface in Quincy, 1886
7. FREE COFFEE AT THE POUR HAUS
625 MAINE, STE 103 / 217.214.7687
- Free coffee bar daily; take a cup, stay a while and make yourself at home
- Coffee house by day; cocktail lounge by night
- Full menu from espresso to crafted cocktails
- Outdoor patio + frequent live music
OAKLEY LINDSAY CENTER
3RD & YORK
- 2-day Intertribal Powwow
- Blessing of the Eagle, world-class entertainment
- Native dancing, flute players, educators
- Food & craft vendors
- Eagle-viewing at Lock & Dam 21
800.978.4748 > MID MOD QUINCY ARCHITECTURE GUIDE
- Visionary modernist, born in Quincy, 1911
- Designed 500+ buildings across the country
- Works include several of Quincy’s most prominent public spaces and remain some of the most admired buildings in western Illinois today
507 N 12TH / 217.222.9767
- Home of the “loose-meat” sandwich, enjoyed best with homemade shakes & crinkle fries
- Visited by Food Network’s Alton Brown, 2007
- Served diner style... but no tipping tolerated!
- Clat Adams Park / 201 N Front
- Kesler Park / 800 Bonansinga Dr
- Ben Bumbry Riverview Park / 1001 N 2nd
- Sunset Park / 200 Cedar
- Villa Kathrine / 532 Gardner Expy
12. O’SHEA’S GARGANTUAN TENDERLOIN SANDWICH
339 CEDAR / 217.222.7392
- Friendly hometown bar & grill
- Big menu of homemade favorites, including the oversized Tenderloin Sandwich
- All You Can Eat Fried Chicken Thursdays
- Open for breakfast 7 days a week
13. PET-FRIENDLY QUINCY
Guide > 800.978.4748
- Over 50 pet-friendly locations
- Paw-Friendly Patios (free pup cups!)
- Shopping with your BFF
- Pet-Welcome Stays
- Shelter Pals, Daycare & Boarding
14. QUINCY PRESERVES FALL HOME TOURS
- One-day only, annually in October
- Showcasing five-six historic residences, many in the East End Historic District
- Homes include exquisite examples
of architectural styles ranging from Italianate to Prairie, Queen Anne to Shingle Style
YORK ST BETWEEN 9TH & 10TH
- Annual celebration of all things German
- Authentic German food, beer, live music and tunnel tours
- In the Dick Brothers Brewery District
2211 E 640TH PL, URSA / 217.964.2678
- Nestled on the scenic Mississippi River Valley bluffs
- Outdoor seating + indoor stone fireplace
- French-American hybrid wines produced onsite
- One of the most award-winning wineries in the state of Illinois with 170+ medals
17. STONE ARCH BRIDGE ON SOUTH 8TH STREET
740 VALLEY ROAD
- Built in 1899 and still in use today
- Designed by iconic local architect, Ernest Wood
- Spans Curtis Creek on South 8th Street between South Park and Indian Mounds Park
18. THYME SQUARE BAKERY & CAFÉ ARTISAN BREAD
615 HAMPSHIRE / 217.224.3515
- Artisan bread baked fresh daily
- Quincy’s fresh farm-to-table eatery & bar
- Local meats butchered, cured & smoked in-house
- Award-winning, designated Illinois Maker
19. UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MUSEUM
415 JERSEY / 217.223.1800
- One of the first documented Underground Railroad sites in the nation
- Underground Railroad stop #1 east of Missouri
- Home of prominent abolitionist, Dr. Richard Eells
- Oldest brick home in Quincy, est. 1835
416 S 4TH / 217.223.4764
- Oldest corner grocery store in Quincy, est. 1948
- Deli meats, cheeses, home made sandwiches, soups, salads, ice-cold pop + penny candy aisle
- Home of the delicious brown bag lunch
- Service with a smile:)
