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.

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

Overheard Charles the tour guide question a service animals purpose and express that it seemed like…read morean emotional support animal not a service animal. Charles also was not great at answering questions to guests and was very sarcastic.

Beautiful Mansion and everything you want to learn about the history of the Belvedere. The tour had…read moregave plenty of history, why it was build, and the history it still contains inside. The Mansion itself is just so beautiful, feels a bit cramped and so much pieces and masterpieces that it contains. The tour guides were friendly and knew all the details and explained the story the correct way and very entertaining. After we left we had to google the history itself to learn more. This is such a hidden gem! Tip: To save some money buy the combo tours which include Belvedere mansion and the dowling house. Also bring cash for the tips at the end of the tour!

Cool historic home with lots of stories. Was built in Galena's peak as major, bustling town in the…read more1850s. Very well restored. The tour guides have a ton of history both about the town and the house to share. The items inside aren't original to the house, but everything together is quite a sizable collection of antiques with the house being part of the eclectic assortment. Our tour took just over an hour. We got the first tour of the day. Our tour guide clearly showed a passion for her work.

What a historical place, and how the volunteers are all passionate about keeping this piece of…read moreGalena history alive! We were walking down Main Street at Galena, and stumbled upon this place. Turned out it was a live museum! There are volunteers blacksmithing while telling the significant history of the shop and blacksmiths at Galena. On top of that, they are 100% supported by the admission fee ($5 per person), and proceeds from the gift shops (many are items forged by the volunteering blacksmiths). We enjoyed our visit, and learned an interesting piece of history!

This was the most interesting thing we did in Galena! This is a real working blacksmith shop. The…read morestaff is very friendly and they volunteer their time. We got so much information on how things worked and the origin of the shop and its history. When you are there take a look at the picture of the original shop. It looks exactly the same. I disagree with the other yelper that said they need updated signs and that it looked like a "crappy old shack". It is historical and looks like a crappy old shack because that's what it would've looked like. As for cleaning the place, why would you clean a place that uses coal to fuel the fires? Take your children here and show them how things were. Make a donation or buy an item that was made there to keep them open. They have bottle openers, hooks, pokers, decorative lamp pulls, and meat turners for grilling. I think it just depends on the day you are there what has been made.

Almost missed out on this FREE gem just west of downtown... we are so glad that we saw it mentioned…read morein their tourism magazine. We wandered the grounds for quite some time to find all of the creative scrap metal sculptures - some more hidden than others. Very fun and whimsical. We were lucky they had bug spray available since it was a bit buggy but that should not deter you from visiting. Do stop when in Galena.

If your ever visiting Galena this is such an amazing Hidden Gem. The hand-crafted unique sculptures…read moreare a must to see. We had a good time walking through the park. All the art sculptures were created by John Martinson. His creativity for art will blow your mind. He came out and spoke about his masterpieces and how he created a few of the artwork. I was impressed with all his wonderful work. Just to experience someone with an imaginary mind who's turns metal it into something wonderful. There were so many unique and fun sculptures. My favorites were the Climbing the Ladder to Success, You're So Vane, Eyeful Tour and a few others. Very brilliant and crafty. There is a donation box next to the tree to help support the cause.

This is the house of President Grant's Secretary of State, probably most famous for being the house…read morewhere Grant (and Washburne) waited to hear the election results. Similar to the Grant House, tours run continuously; if the door is closed, wait on the front porch and in 10-15 minutes a docent (possibly costumed; ours wasn't, but the tour before us was) will come get you and give you a tour. You'll get a very good view of both front parlors and the office where they waited on the election results (note the telegraph on a small table); you'll get a little history on Washburne and his family, represented in the private parlor, together with a painting from an early photo of Galena (showing an early, smaller version of the house you're in). The bedrooms upstairs can only be viewed over a small barrier. An interesting tour; less popular than Grant's house and thus much less crowded. Suggested donation $5.

A visit to Council Hill Station is one of my most highly anticipated experiences. It's a uniquely…read morebeautiful and unusual experience. It's beyond my capabilities to adequately describe the place. It's a historic landmark with remarkable charm. But perhaps it's most unique and delightful feature is the proprietor, he is a most charming and charismatic person. He shares his many interesting stories of his musical career And he often will pick up a guitar, harmonica or sit at the piano and thrill you with amazing songs and his impressive musical skills. not to be missed.

We've been coming here a long time and I don't know of any place as significant and unique as…read moreCouncil Hill. We made it out there in the winter time because we were with friends who had never been there. We had to practically drag them away. The vibe and the patrons make it really special. Drop in musicians and impromptu jams in a groovy, historical place .... Nothing else like it.