Exposition Gardens Forest Park Howlin' on Water EastPort Marina Peoria Art Guild Players Theatre Scottish Rite Holocaust Memorial

East Peoria- there you will discover the EastSide Centre, many athletic tournaments, the holiday Festival of Lights, fine dining restaurants, shopping, golf courses, great entertainment, car shows, and fishing tournaments. For information and events, visit www.cityofeastpeoria.com.

Opera Illinois. One of the finest, full–time professional opera companies in the Midwest, Opera Illinois produces the highest quality performances of the great works of the operatic repertoire. Opera Illinois presents three fully–staged opera productions with leading singers, directors, sets and costumes from major opera houses throughout the world, and talented local artists who perform in the chorus and orchestra. Call (309) 673–7253 or visit www.operaillinois.com.

 Exposition Gardens. Home of the annual Heart of Illinois Fair in mid July, Exposition Gardens presents a variety of trade shows, antique and craft shows, banquets, fundraising events, livestock events, pet shows, circus events, auctions, wedding receptions, reunions and parties. Call (309) 691–6332.

Fon du Lac Parks. Experience 1, 600 acres of parks, natural areas, riverfront, and trails in East Peoria. Enjoy two golf courses, a picturesque marina and campground, Central Illinois' premier waterpark, and a variety of recreational programs and activities for all ages. Visit the Fon du Lac Farm Park, a unique outing for families featuring live farm animals, playgrounds, antiques and concessions.  [Top]

 Forest Park Nature Center. 500 acre Illinois Nature Preserve offering 7 miles of hiking trails ranging from rigorous uphill courses to flatter, less strenuous paths. The center also features a natural history museum, spacious bird watching room, nature hikes, guided walks and a nature store. Call (309) 686–3360 or visit www.peoria.org

Glen Oak Park. The rolling hills and extensive fields of this 117–acre park offer baseball diamonds, tennis courts (4 lighted), shuffleboard courts, a fishing lagoon, Tricentennial Playground and 2 other playgrounds, an outdoor ice skating rink in winter, and picnic shelters. Glen Oak Park is also home to Luthy Botanical Garden, Glen Oak Zoo and the Glen Oak Amphitheater.  [Top]

 Howlin' on Water – Dueling Pianos at the Waterhouse. A unique performance and reception facility in downtown Peoria along the Illinois River, the Waterhouse is home of Central Illinois' only Dueling Pianos show – Howlin' on Water. Laugh, clap, sing and party along, and get crazy every Friday night at this hilariously entertaining show. The Waterhouse’s rustic, yet contemporary atmosphere makes it the perfect venue for banquets, parties and business functions. Call (309) 494–9100 or go to www.waterhousepeoria.com.

Landmark Recreation Center . Landmark Recreation Center is over six acres of fun under one roof and one of the largest and most elaborate sport and recreation complexes in the country. The recreation complex features 50 fully automated bowling lanes, a racquet and heath club, 12 GKC movies theaters, The Finish Line banquet facilities, Peoria OTB, a sports bar, and a bowling pro shop. Landmark is home of several major regional tournaments. Call (309) 685–8200 or visit www.landmarkrec.com.  [Top]

 EastPort Marina. One of the area's premier marinas, between Chicago and St. Louis, EastPort Marina is a major resting point for boaters along Illinois Route 116 on the Illinois River. Rated Four Anchors in the 2004 Quimby Cruising Guide, the marina is lined with 280 slips ranging from 25 to 50 feet in length. Transient boaters are welcome to stop and spend a few days enjoying the marina and its amenities, including restroom/shower facilities, laundry facilities, a swimming pool and two hot tubs, and gas/ diesel pumps, as well as the entertainment in East Peoria and the Peoria area. A floating jet port allows jet skis to be stores out of the water. Visit www.cityofeastpeoria.com.

Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, Lakeview Museum features art and science exhibitions, the children’s Discovery Center, a Planetarium, the Illinois Folk Art Gallery, Illinois River Decoy and Illinois Jacquard Coverlet exhibitions, the Museum Store, and more. Lakeview Museum's planetarium is an astronomical resource that brings the wonders of the universe and current astronomical discoveries to Central Illinois utilizing the latest projection technologies. Visit www.lakeview–museum.org.  [Top]

 Peoria Art Guild at Foster Art Center. Founded in 1878, Peoria Art Guild is the oldest community arts center in Illinois with exhibit galleries and retail spaces featuring works by local, regional, national and international artists in all mediums – from painting and photography to sculpture and jewelry. Host to the nationally ranked Annual Fine Art Fair downtown on the Riverfront each fall, the Guild offers a wide range of educational workshops, seminars and classes for adults and children, and is proud of its broad community outreach programs. Visit www.peoriaartguild.org.

Peoria Park District. With 9,000 acres of open space, Peoria Park District features 68 park sites, 5 swimming pools, 6 golf courses, a golf learning center, 9–hole pitch and putt, 31 tennis courts, 29 baseball fields, 11 softball fields, 22 soccer fields, sand volleyball, a zoo, museums, a conservatory and gardens, a nature center, an indoor ice center with 2 hockey size rinks, the RiverPlex Wellness and Recreation Center with an AquaPlex, an amphitheatre with an outdoor bandshell, 2 outdoor riverfront stages, hiking and biking trails, a national historic drive, 2 marinas, and a shooting range. Visit www.peoriaparks.org.  [Top]

 Peoria Players Theatre. The Peoria Players Theatre has been in continuous operation since 1919, making it the oldest continuously running community theatre in Illinois, and the fourth oldest in nation. The historic theater presents a variety of performing arts and shows, including dramas, comedies and musicals, and some of the most talented players in the Midwest. Visit www.peoriaplayers.org.

Ronald Reagan Museum. Housed in the Donald B. Cerf Center at Eureka College, the Reagan Exhibit features a collection of 2,000 items of memorabilia from President Reagan's student days at Eureka, his movie and television career, his eight years as Governor of California, his campaign for presidency, and his two terms in office as 40th President of the United States. At the request of Mr. Reagan, the first items in the collection came to the College in 1975. It is now the largest collection of Reagan memorabilia outside of the Reagan Library in California. Call (309) 467-6407 or visit www.eureka.edu.  [Top]

 Scottish Rite Cathedral. Listed in the National Registry of Historic Buildings, Scottish Rite Cathedral is a Gothic–style auditorium with flying buttress design and symbolic stained glass windows. Walking distance of downtown Peoria, the 1,018–person cathedral and 350–person Banquet Hall hosts a variety of events, charities, weddings and receptions, dinner dances, fashion shows, opera rehearsals, coaches’ meetings, and functions. Call (309) 676–4472 or visit www.valleyofpeoria.org.

The Clubs at River City. This multipurpose health, racquet and fitness facility features cardiovascular and weight training equipment, 12 indoor and 8 outdoor tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, a youth fitness center, basketball and volleyball courts, and yoga, pilates, spinning, and body pump classes. Call (309) 693–5700.  [Top]

 Peoria Holocaust Memorial. Located at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie, the Peoria Holocaust Memorial contains 11 million buttons, each representing a life lost during the Holocaust, one of the most tragic persecutions in human history. Six million represent the Jews who perished and 5 million represent the “enemies of the state” who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. Visit www.theshoppesatgrandprairie.com/.

Wheels O’Time Museum. Located 8 miles north of downtown Peoria, the Museum displays vintage and classic autos, gas engines, fire engines, airplanes, tractors, musical instruments, juke boxes, toys, dolls, animated miniature circus, and many "hands–on" exhibits. Visit www.wheelsoftime.org.  [Top]