Spent the weekend with my mom and aunt checking out the mississippi river area. On the back end of…read moreour quest , we ended up in Galena , Illinois. The two ladies are getting up there in age , so we thought the best way to see this city was by taking the trolley tour. The tour cost twenty dollars a person and lasts about one hour. Our guide was very informative about the history of this famous city. We drove by all the important historical homes and markers, while avoiding having to get in and out of the car , numerous times and having to do tons of walking. Parking can be an issue here. The city is also full of lots of hills. So this quick tour was right up our alley by saving us tons of walking and time while getting a more thorough understanding of this city. I highly recommend this tour for people trying to get the Galena experience without doing a ton of walking, searching for parking, and doing a bunch of in and out of cars.

This is the perfect way to start your visit to Galena. When we went, they had trolley tours…read morestarting on the hour from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The tour goes by all the tourist attractions - at a slow pace - through Main St and up the hill to the west of downtown. Then it crosses the river and goes east of downtown as well. There are several short stops - not to get off - but where the driver explains the significance of what we were seeing. The tour enables us to easily figure out what to see and do and where things are.

Took the tour the other day. They have an option to purchase online and save a couple bucks. Or,…read morebuy the tickets in the office. There is a competing tour just up the street on the east side of Main, make sure you are on the west side of the street for this tour! (We had to run to catch it because we showed up at the other place! We bought tickets online and didn't note the address) It lasts approximately 1 hour, and was very informative. Our tour guide and driver was Johnny, who was both informative and funny. This is a great way to learn a lot about Galena, its history, restaurants, etc in a relatively short period of time. Your tour encompasses stops, etc on both sides of the Galena River. Very nicely done..

From the owner: Since 1940, Tri-State Travel has been combining comfort and authenticity to bring you memorable…read moretravel experiences to the world's most desired destinations. The Tri-State Travel collection has expanded to include dozens of guaranteed departure trips, multi-day tours as well as our popular one-day trips departing from Galena, IL and the Quad Cities. We continue to provide the best charter bus services for groups, schools and universities. It is our commitment to service that reaffirms Tri-State Travel as the most trusted name in local and global travel today.

What a hoot! We did their wine and goat hoof it event after staying a few days in Galena…read more You start out trying out Illinois wines. These are from Fergetaboutit Vineyard, and to be blunt, they were the best wines we have tasted in Illinois. If you like wine and have tried wines from France, Spain, Italy or California, yes, I mean that. The "hoof it" part was fun. You get set up with a guide (don't forget to tip the guide) who lets around a dozen goats out of the pen, and you walk with them on a 1.2 mile hike. It's mostly shaded (so shaded that we didn't wear sunscreen, and I don't tan, I scorch, and got NOTHING, so it's pretty shaded. There is poision ivy on the trail, so if you see leaves of three, let them be. The goats are quite affable, but listen to the guide. At the end before they approach the pens (which the goats will run towards) they let you feed the goats with carrots and you have to show the goats you don't have carrots in your hands (two hands up, open) or they will jump on you to get "your carrots." They stop several times. The pace is best described as "sedate" - you'll have a hard time breaking a sweat. Our advice, stick to the path, don't go off into the weeds. Some other things: Pack in, Pack out - they don't have trash cans, so what you bring in, you carry out. You will get a glass for each person who signs up for the wine event (which has the logo on it) as a momento. We got out a little late. The goats all have names, but you don't have to remember them. But you will. Little stinkers. Another tip: Once they get let out of the pen, they have a tendancy to "dump and run" so watch your step, or you'll get some fresh goat crap on your shoes or feet or LEG.

Fun activity for people of all ages. Loved that it is a family run business. Informative hike and…read morethe goats were friendly companions.

Hello! Let me tell you the story of how our mother-daughter haunted tour date almost got ruined…read more My grandma bought my mom, my aunt, and me tickets for Amelia's Galena Ghost Tours at 6 p.m. There was nothing anywhere saying we needed to arrive early. We got there right at 6, parking directly behind the DeSoto house where the website said we would be meeting -- but there was no bus in sight. We started running around trying to find it, even went to their store, only to find the door locked and no one around. About 20 minutes later, my mom called to explain that we had arrived on time but no one was there. The lady on the phone said they had waited 20 minutes for us, looked for us, and then left. But if she had really been waiting, we would have seen her -- and definitely would have seen the bus! When my mom asked if we could move to the 7 p.m. tour instead, the lady said no because she "can't just give up the empty seats," and she wasn't very kind about it either. Eventually, she texted us later saying we could join the 7:30 p.m. tour for free. We decided to wait at a nearby restaurant and have a drink before the tour. We left around 7:12 to find the bus, got on, and they departed at 7:20. (10 minutes early) Our tour guide, Emily, was great -- she was super sweet and friendly. The driver (maybe the boss?) didn't seem as welcoming; she never spoke to us once and only talked during the investigation at the haunted house they own.

My family recently experienced the Amelia Ghost Tour (on the van) through Galena Illinois…read more Unfortunately, I did not read any reviews before the tour. If I had been more proactive, I would have avoided spending time and money on this tour. My family of 6 was over $200... definitely not worth the money. After the tour, I sat down to write/read the reviews. Each negative review repeatedly said the same thing, so I decided not to repeat what has already been said. Apparently, these negative reviews have not made any difference because nothing has changed. I guess I just don't understand how a company can be satisfied knowing so many customers are dissatisfied.

I went to Linmar Gardens with my friend to see flowers, & to my surprise there were added features…read moresuch as waterfalls (which had a great history), & fantastic objects of art; this place was unbelievably beautiful! To add to this pleasurable experience was our guide BoB! He was really great & very knowledgeable. Thank you for a great experience! Highly recommended!!!!

This is a large private garden that the owner built up over time in a really rough and neglected…read morearea. Went in June and it is completely in the shade. Garden is beautiful and paths wander through the property and around some houses. Not difficult to walk unless stairs and uneven terrain are a challenge for you. Guide is nice and doesn't automatically tell you what the plants are unless you are interested. Not a professional botanical garden or scientific lecture but a relaxing way to enjoy flowers shade and waterfalls for an hour with a small town local feel.

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.

During my stay in Iowa, I was lucky enough to be able to ride along on the Galena Carriage. I have…read morenever been on a carriage ride before coming from the bay area, but being in Galena it just felt right. If you haven't visited Galena, it feels like you walked into the past with brick buildings, wide side walks, and not a single franchise in site. We signed up for the basic package, a tour through old-town Galena. The ride starts at the historic post office. Fun fact, it's the oldest running post office in the Country. Anyway... I had a great time, the driver was very friendly and told us things about the horse and the town. And to add to the historic feeling, they have Clydesdale's! Clyde was the driver that night. It was something fun and new to try, and I'm really glad that I did! :) Please note, the carriage services runs through May through November and cash is only accepted. I highly recommend making an appointment in advance.

Poor customer service. Was told to return at a specific time and they put another party in our spot…read morewho missed their earlier appointment. We stood there for over 10 minutes waiting for our ride and no one ever told us about the issue. They tried to brush it off and not even address the issue. We would never go back as they clearly did not care about their customers.

We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon and learned quite a bit about bees and honey! We tried 20…read moretypes of honey that ranged from what you would expect from honey - sticky, sweet, amber, and delicious, to the unexpected - very grainy, thick, and many flavor profiles, including a hot honey. This is a great place to visit that is dedicated to bees and their continued survival despite all the chemical and environmental curveballs we continue to throw at them. Come visit when in the area!

B'Ann was very knowledgeable about the bees and honey making process. We got to try several kinds…read moreof honey and some honey wine (mead). Definitely a fun and interesting thing to do, and would like to visit the outdoor location when they are open!