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The museum is awesome!! So much to see and learn. The wildlife is incredible to see. We saw a very…read moremajestic bald eagle up close. We experienced the steam engines running and visited with the curator for a bit to learn even more. The movies were very well done. The fact that your tickets are good for two days allows you to take your time. Worth every penny and your time!!! A must see!!

My sister had her wedding here and it was the COOLEST venue!! I could have stayed there all night…read moreand still found new things! The attention to detail was incredible!

This place is incredible. Very pricey, but incredible. I've been to many events here and they were…read moreall put together very well. The "barn" is a museum in its own wright. There's tons of old cars and John Deere tractors on display with descriptions and histories about them and the owner. The decor is extremely extensive as well, and I've never seen anything like it. I could wander around in there for hours!

A cute rail car that has been used as a museum. I wish they had a docent there who was trained in…read morethe history more. You have to just rely on the one page sheet they have and peruse the displays. What is bizarre is the camera set up to show you the railway right behind the car - why? If the windows were open you could see it (but I understand the need to keep sunlight off the displays). The ladies lounge when you walk in is the coolest part of the train.

These folks are clearly doing what they can with limited resources. It was a treat getting to see…read morea preserved rail car. This museum also contains photographs, uniforms, and other memorabilia. The museum is staffed seasonally, weather permitting. We found it open on a Sunday morning in mid-September, but Colleen told us they'd probably be closing for the season a in a couple weeks. This museum was especially great because we were in Carroll County for the weekend to indulge my genealogical hobby. My ancestors on my mom's side came to the Salem Township area of what is now Carroll County in the 1840s from Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hessen (Germany after 1871). My goal was to find resources to help in my research of the lives and times of my ancestors, and of living relatives whom I've never met. (Unlike the TV commercials, genealogical research is a LOT harder than subscribing to Ancestry.com, then downloading movies of your well-dressed, attractive ancestors.) Based on my late mother's comments from many years ago, I believed my grandfather, Charles. W. Schriner, had left the farm and taken work in town with the railroad. I had been able to verify her recollection to the extent that the 1910 and 1920 censuses listed a Charles Schriner with an occupation of Freight Clerk with the railroad. But that's all I had to work with. I still don't know what Grandpa Charles looked like, or how he lived in Carroll County after his wife and daughters left town around the time of WWI. I was hoping against hope to find an old photo at the Train Car Museum identifying Grandpa Charles. And there were quite a few group photos dating from the early 1900s. But while Grandpa Charles may have been in one of these photos, none named him. But I found the next best thing. Lying in a display case was an open Railroad Time Book which included an entry for "Chas Schriner" ("Chas" was a common abbreviation for "Charles," and "Schriner" is how my family spelled it (versus the far more common "Schreiner"). I'd found a first-hand record of Grandpa Charles! Sadly, however, 54-year-old Grandpa Charles wasn't working in September 1922 as a Freight Clerk, much less as something sexy like a Superintendent, Engineer or Fireman. No, Grandpa Charles was working at the age of 54 as a mere Laborer ... and not much at that either. Grandpa Charles apparently only worked one day in the first half of the month ... 8 hours on the 11th of September in 1922 ... and he seems to have been paid only $2.94 for the work. Yikes. What a life. Regardless, this is the way it usually goes in genealogical research ... even at its best. Ancestors found working at anonymous, lackluster jobs is the norm. Few of us actually have relatives who commanded armies, made great fortunes, or moved society. Fewer yet are related very closely to Cleopatra, Napoleon, or George Washington. But then, even my more successful farmer relatives didn't make it into any history books ... even though they came to northwest Illinois when there weren't even towns there yet, and even though the farms they scratched out of the wild prairie were the very foundation of all the wealth eventually generated in Carroll County. Nope. It was the self-promoting bankers, merchants, and politicians who got all the notoriety in the local histories, and whose names are now recorded on historical plaques in front of the grand old houses in places like Mt. Carroll. The ancient names "Schreiner" and "Schriner" are now mainly found inscribed on headstones in the Mt. Carroll, Chadwick, and Lanark cemeteries. Anyhoo ... thanks, Ron, Colleen, and all the other volunteers who devote their time and energy to preserving these little bits of our past. It's a rare devotion, and getting rarer all the time when the almighty buck seems to be all anyone cares much about. You folks are doing important work, and it's very much appreciated!

Great museum. We'd…read morevisited here last, about 20 years ago. Memory fades and it was time to revisit on this trip. All exhibits are housed inside on 2.5 floors. There is also a gift shop and restrooms. I found no elevator. We paid (senior rate saves $1 each) and went into a seating room where there used to be a video projection (no longer working). The staff member there today, Les, led everyone into this room to be seated. Les spoke about the rich history of Galena and he was quite detailed. We found this worthwhile. After the speech, we looked around this room at mostly US Grant artifacts, then we headed to a very large back room that has many displays, dioramas etc. on Galena. Lead mining had a rich history here for a few decades, so there was a lot of mining history on display. When we were done downstairs, we walked upstairs where there is a smallish room on the 2nd floor and a much larger room on what I'd call floor 2.5. Floor 2.5 had mostly wartime history while floor 2 had a variety of history on display. Note that the stairs are fairly steep. The first set also has a 90 degree turn near the top. There is a low, wooden banister-style handrail on one side. To access floor 2.5, there are another 6 or 8 steps to get up to it and there's a metal handrail for them. All in all - it's a pretty well done history museum for a small community and it was worth the time. I'd recommend this useful to anyone who wonders, "why does this town exist, how was it formed and what does its evolution look like". We enjoy museums like this.

What a great little museum! We didn't know what to expect, but I can honestly say we were blown…read moreaway! The ladies that welcomed us were so friendly and knowledgeable about the museum! There was so much packed in! It wasn't only about Grant but about the whole settling of Galena and all the way back to the ice age! I have to say this is a gem of a place and definitely a must see! It's clean and reasonably priced! We will definitely come back when we come to visit again.

We came here on a Sunday with my kids (5 and 3). It being March, the outside was open so we were…read moreglad to explore outside for a bit but it closed at 4 pm. I felt this time that the place was kept tidier. I saw employees moving from area to area and trying to keep things in place, which seems like a pretty tough task with the amount of stuff in each area. My kids had a lot of fun in the upstairs area. There's lots to do & for $12 each, it can easily keep young kids entertained.

I cannot recommend this place highly enough!! Absolutely killer on every level!! This is fun for…read moreadults to come to too! Obviously you need to be an inquisitive person and still enjoy learning new things.... But if you have some kids to bring it's literally like Disneyland but where they learn how everything works in the universe...... You really need to come here multiple times to take everything in..... If you care about your kids, and want them to be smart, this place is mandatory!

I visited Tinker Cottage today because I am writing a paper on it for a school assignment and I…read morehonestly loved learning everything about this family who lived here. The lady who gave the tour was super kind and made the experience very try fun. This is definitely a must see if you visit Rockford. The library was so beautiful inside and I loved learning about the secret sparkly mirrors that were used back in the day.

A very old beautiful mansion from the mid 1800's that is a museum now. All the furnishings were…read moreowned by the Tinker family. It's very nicely renovated and preserved. It is also haunted. A must see in the Rockford area.

Great place to stop if you are spending anytime in Galena! Staff was very knowledgeable and kindread more

One of many historical buildings associated with our 18th president, the Ulysses S. Grant home in…read moreGalena, IL, is a good stop for history buffs. Growing up in IL, I had learned about the town of Galena and this home from my school education, but never seemed to find a trip to take me there to check it out. So as my wife and I were heading down the Mississippi River road from Iowa/Wisconsin to Missouri, we made a slight detour to come to Galena to visit. There are two main parking areas (both free): one on the opposite side of the road and one next to the home. There is a large lawn to the left of the house, where one can wander while waiting for the next tour to start. The tours run continuously from 9:00 am to 4:45 pm, and multiple guides will lead multiple small groups of 16 or less through the home. One might need to wait outside for a maximum of 15 minutes, which is how long we ended up waiting. Admission is free, with a donation box (suggested $5 per person) at the end of the tour. This 3,300 square feet, brick home was built and fully furnished as a gift to General Grant and his wife, coming from the citizens of Galena, after the end of the Civil War. The Grant family did live here for a short period of time, before he moved to Washington after being elected president, though they maintained legal residence here for sixteen years. The Widow Grant maintained ownership until her passing in 1902. It was donated to the City of Galena, and then given to the State of Illinois in 1931, which manages it today. More than 90% of the items inside the house were originally owned/used by the Grants. It's a short tour, about 20 minutes in length. Our volunteer guide was good, answering our few questions and guiding us where we needed to move to. After the tour, he suggested we go next door to a replica of a general store during that time. One interesting display was a large diorama of each president and the pets that they had in the White House. There are a lot of open historical museums associated with President Grant: -- He was born (1822) in Point Pleasant, OH, in a small one bedroom cottage which is now a private museum. -- National Historic Site is in St. Louis, MO, in the estate where the Grants from 1854 - 1860. -- rented a small home in Galena from 1860 - 1861. Left to rejoin the army. -- returned to this home in 1865, until becoming president. -- National Landmark is found in Mount McGregor, New York and was his final home, where he finished his memoirs and died in 1885. -- National Memorial (Grant's Tomb) is found in Manhattan, NYC and where he and his wife are buried. -- Presidential library and museum is on the campus of Mississippi State University.

Do not miss this unique experience! What in the wrong hands could have been a dull 15 minute tour…read morebecame a fascinating 1 hour history lesson led by the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable person! 64 year old guy, we forgot his name (Ted? Tim?), but he was AWESOME.

We had a very knowledgeable tour guide; I believe his name was Ted. My wife and I just by chance…read morearrived at 10:55 just before the first tour of the day started and paid and started right away. Several reviews say the tour is 30 minutes... but our tour group asked many questions - and Ted took the time to thoroughly answer - so we went over 45 minutes and kept engaged in the story the whole time. Gives a true sense for life in Galena's heyday as a major bustling city in the 1850s!

I was just in town for the weekend wanted to check out historical sites.. the buildings sign out…read morefront said the jail tours are closed to renovations :/ Looked cool tho

It's a great place to go to: Their is however an Erie felling in the air it was a place for the…read moreworst criminals and a museum of a lot of american history from when you walk through the squealing doors to the raftors above it's a great and scary place to be just think of all the murders

A paradise for kids! This is such a thoughtfully designed place full of lots of different themed…read moreareas, from doctor's office to airplane, building areas, lego area, farm area, stage and dress up area, kitchen area, music room, sensory play area, a mini bank, dinosaurs and rocks... the list goes on. It is a large space with tons to do. My toddler was absolutely delighted to be here and could have played all day. A perfect place to bring kids, and it seems like it's geared toward kids between 0-10 years old. Also, there is a changing table as well as a kid sized toilet in the bathroom; they thought of everything! This museum is a fabulous resource for the area.

Wonderful museum for kids of all ages. There are two areas designated for very young kids. The rest…read moreof the museum has an arts room, puppet room, sensory room for children with special needs, areas to run and tumble, and places to build. There's a farm and garden area, and a restaurant section. Fun place to spend hours!