View text source at Wikipedia
Nauvoo State Park | |
---|---|
Map of the U.S. state of Illinois showing the location of Nauvoo State Park | |
Location | Hancock County, Illinois, United States |
Nearest city | Nauvoo, Illinois |
Coordinates | 40°32′39″N 91°22′51″W / 40.54417°N 91.38083°W |
Area | 148 acres (60 ha) |
Governing body | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
Nauvoo State Park is an Illinois state park on 148 acres (60 ha) in Hancock County, Illinois, United States near the banks of the Mississippi River. It contains 13-acre manmade lake named Lake Horton, the Rheinberger House Museum, and Illinois’ oldest vineyard.[1]
Lake Horton is stocked with largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill.[1][2] Deer, skunks, opossum, and raccoon are among the native animals. Birds include cardinals, goldfinches, geese, ducks, and wood ducks.[2]
Fishing and boating are available on Lake Horton. Hiking and cross-country skiing are allowed on two of the park's trails.
The Nauvoo State Park Museum is a house built by Mormons in the 1840s, remodeled by Icarians, and later owned by the Rheinberger family from 1850 to 1948.[2][3] It has been staffed as a museum by the Nauvoo Historical Society since 1954.[3] The restored home features a stone-arched wine cellar and a press room, and is the only Nauvoo wine cellar open to the public.[2][3][4] This also is the location of Nauvoo's first vineyard, a 3-acre concord grape vineyard planted in 1851 which has been producing grapes since the mid-1800s.[2][4][5] The museum itself exhibits artifacts from all periods of Nauvoo's history, including Native American, German, Mormon, Icarian, Civil War, and other artifacts.[2][3]