The Ottawa Visitors Center Meetings and Events office, offers both self-guided and guided tours of our area.
Below are samples of our itineraries.
Self-guided Tours
- Outdoor Murals
- History Tour
- Old town shopping district
Guided Tours
The tours listed below take you behind the scenes for a very special experience. These
tours are for groups only and are available with transportation and step-on guide or
step-on guide only. To inquire about any of these tours, call Katherine Corcoran at
815-434-2737 or fill out our Request for Proposal form.
A Sesquicentennial Shindig
Experience Ottawa at her finest when she welcomes special guests Abraham Lincoln and Sen. Stephen A. Douglas to town as Lincoln-Douglas fever sweeps through Illinois during the 150th anniversary of the Great Debates! Those two political giants meet at the stump again, for the first time since 1858, in the '08 Reunion Tour.
You can spend two days steeped in history. Be special guests of Abe and Steve as they meet their adoring public in Ottawa. Enjoy period lore from the finest storytellers in Illinois during the Fables and Yarns Festival FRIDAY.
On Saturday, hop aboard the Spirit of Peoria riverboat for a leisurely cruise along the mighty Illinois! Get passionate about a parade of trend-setting gowns of yesteryear at the Period Fashion Show. Thrill to watch a daredevil biker atop a "penny-farthing" highwheel bike or get hooked on a marionette show whose puppeteer will pull your heartstrings.
