The 27 best things to do with kids in Galena

The log cabin steakhouse is a unique and wonderful restaurant in Galena. I had the pork chops and my friends steak, and everything turned out delicious. One of the best restaurants in town. Great food, great service, and great atmosphere. A must visit in Galena.

My Wife and I had a drink at the bar and the bartenders were excellent. Atmosphere was amazing. Our Server was not very attentive. We had to wave her over to get our bill. She didn’t ask if we needed another drink while our wine glasses were empty. We left her a smaller tip for poor service. My wives chicken breast was a bit over done but the thigh was fine. My steak was very good. Most likely won’t return

Cool authentic supper club in Galena. Steaks are very good and priced accordingly. The service was very professional and attentive . My NY strip was cooked perfectly. Includes salad or soup and nice bread service. Very old school ambience with Rat Pack on the sound system. Reservations are a .must. if you like a good steak,this is the place.

Amazing dinner experience. This is our third time here, and it's always been excellent. Our waiter Adam made sure we were taken care of after we had to move tables and was very attentive. Cheeseburger was cooked just the way I asked, and was delicious. Thank you Log Cabin!

Excellent meal! We had six people and showed up 20 minutes early for our reservation. Staff was very accommodating in finding us a table early. I had the Tomahawk Pork Durok with the Greek fries. The pork was terrific, some of the best I've ever had but the Greek fries were uninspiring. Table bread, appetizers, and desserts were all very good to excellent. The atmosphere is that of a supper club which was enjoyable. Will definitely return!

My family and I have been visiting The steakhouse for the last 20+ years. Not only is it excellent service but the vibes are something out of the 20th century. The staff that work there carefully curate your experience with an excellent meal and incredibly intimate ambience. You can sit at the bar and chat with the bartenders while you eat or grab a table. This place is a must visit if you're coming to Galena for the first time.

I typically do not give poor reviews, but I have to for this one. Took my husband and friends out for my husband’s birthday and have heard excellent things about this place. We made a reservation days in advance, arrived on time and were seated immediately. We were “waited on” by two servers who were extremely inattentive and rarely stopped by our table. We even had to go up to the bar and order drinks throughout the experience. Several food orders were wrong, cold, some cooked to the wrong temp but we weren’t given the opportunity to say something because as soon as our food was delivered to us, the servers disappeared. After about 20 minutes with our food and no service, not even to ask how it was tasting, I had to go up to the front to politely ask if our table could get some service to which they said “yeah” and just brought us some boxes. In addition, throughout our experience of waiting for any interaction with our missing servers, we observed the table next to us receiving excellent and attentive service. Their server provided them with crackers for the same cheese order that we ordered (we didn’t get crackers). He whipped out the large pepper grinder for their salads (we used the ones provided on the table). He stopped by their probably 5-6 times within the same amount of time we had to wait to be seen just once (again, per my request at the hostess station). We were really hoping to have a pleasant experience at a nice restaurant for my husband’s birthday and when we told them it was his birthday, they didn’t even acknowledge it. They didn’t comp his drink that they made incorrectly. We had to go up to the bar to BUY another drink for him. They all but ignored us throughout the experience. I am willing to pay hefty prices for a great meal in a nice atmosphere, but I expect excellent service. Unfortunately, we will not be returning and would not recommend.

Great spot to watch old tools and methods at work. The volunteers make some nice little gifts, and they are happy to discuss their craft. Bill explained what he was doing and gave us a quick introduction to smithing.

Absolutely fascinating! The blacksmiths are knowledgeable and will answer your questions. We were there quite a while. Very telented. I have even bought a couple of things here. Like a one of a kind fireplace set. Its beautiful. We liked it so much on a return visit we purchased a dinner bell triangle.

A must stop for anyone visiting Galena. The volunteers and blacksmiths are great and willing to share the rich history and skills. The pieces they make are worth every penny and are beautiful. Rich was very informative and willing to teach me. I am definitely coming back to learn more.

A must stop and see. Lots of stuff to see and can see the blacksmiths working on making something. They do have a small gift shop with items for sale that the blacksmiths made.

Great experience on a Friday morning. The blacksmith working was friendly and patient with our 2 young kids. I would recommend they setup Venmo for donations at the entrance, would have donated more but I was only carrying a few dollars with me. Got a cool coat hook made for us during our visit.

Nice to find a shop still practicing the old methods .

Rich and the other staff members were very welcoming and helpful. They were happy to answer our questions and show us around. My husband had a wonderful experience learning some tricks of the trade from Rich. We will definitely come back if ever in Galena again :)

We had a great time at Blaum Bros. Distilling Co. here in Galeno today. The business model is impressive, focusing on quality and craftsmanship, and it’s clear they take great pride in what they do. The bar area is stylish and well-designed, creating a modern yet welcoming atmosphere. The distillery tour was a highlight, and our guide was exceptional - knowledgeable, engaging, and really made the experience memorable. The only slight downside for me was that some of the products seemed a bit overpriced compared to similar offerings on the market. However, considering the overall quality and the experience, I’d say it’s still worth a visit. Highly recommend for anyone interested in craft spirits and a great tour experience!

Fun store and tasting is $12 of a tasting of 3 whiskey plus a tour of the distillery for $40 per person. Free parking and nice ambiance and the most comfy sink yourself in the leather and enjoy the store. There’s a store with T-shirts and all kinds of bourbon or whiskey items, including cups and whiskey glass cups plus the cutest mini baby whiskey flask glen cairn glass.

Highly recommend stopping by Blaum Brothers Distilling if you are looking for something different to do while in Galena. My husband and I did the tour which was only $12 per person and included three samples at the end. Emma was our tour guide, and she was very engaging and had a lot of knowledge on the company and the processes. The Hellfyre vodka was my favorite! You can definitely taste the freshness of the peppers that are used. It was great in a Bloody Mary (their Bloody Mary mix was delicious also) and in the chocolate martini (don’t knock it till you try it). The tasting room/bar was absolutely beautiful and you can tell that a lot of thought went into every item that was in that room. Even if you are not a whiskey or bourbon drinker, like myself, I am confident you will still have fun and will find a drink you will enjoy!

Had a great time stoping by to check out on our way to Chestnut mountain. Great fun atmosphere with games and a loungy area. Drinks were yummy as well

WOW I had such a great experience at Blaum Bros Distilling Co Tour with Pam in Galena, Illinois. I highly recommend to purchase and set a date for the distillery tour because you can learn so much history and cool details in how they make their great high quality products. There was so many fun facts, 80’s puns, Ghostbuster references I felt like I need to come for a 2nd tour to catch them all. 😹 And to think just months prior we met one of the Blaum Bros at our local Batavia store Smoke N Liquor 🥃. Overall it made our vacation with good friends very memorable. Thank you so much to the staff of Blaum Bros. Distillery! 🙏 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A great store to visit. Offers a great tour of the distillery. It is a kid friendly place. Provides good entertainment in the bar while you wait/drink

My family and I took the tour. Our guide, Adam, was knowledgeable and friendly. The drinks we had were excellent and we met one of the owners, Mark. Very cool place to stop if you're in Galena.

Great place to learn some history. The tours are free (donations accepted) and they really have some amazing things inside with lots of stories and gifts given to President Grant and his family. Our tour guide was a wealth of knowledge and knew answers to every question we had. When you're done taking the inside tour check out the other buildings on the ground and the statues/monuments on the lawn. All are worth checking out.

In historic Galena, Illinois resided one of America's most important Presidents, Ulysses S. Grant. This simple home was a gift from the grateful people of the town. It's a lovely tour by dedicated docents. It's beyond reasonable - a $5 "donation" is recommended. The home is well preserved and decorated with many of Grant's original furnishings. This is definitely worth the trip!

The home and tour itself is five star- worthy. I've been here twice in 11 months. The guides will ask where you are from. That's where I take a star off. Once they hear "Chicago" or "near Chicago" the smiles and warmth vanish. 2 different guides in under a year can't be an accident. Chicagoans/Chicagoland-ers; come for the carefully preserved history and the former president, endure the living 😉

The tour was phenomenal... It was very educational and interesting to see how the house, Ulyses, and his wife raised their kids in. We didn't pay for tickets, but they go based on donations. For adults, it's a suggested donation of $5, and for kids, it's a different price.

July 5th, 2025 2:30 PM Very well organized tour. Our tour guide was incredible. She did an amazing job. ¥

Arrived after was closed, but beautiful grounds and plenty to see. Gardens, busts, statues, and historical stories about their lives. Multiple different buildings to visit on the grounds, home general store, and other homes.

Refreshingly authentic for a historical home, the rooms are designed as they would have been for the Grant family, circa 1860. While the tour was okay, one could get a feeling for the period depicted just by walking through the home. Grant's favorite chair and the cigar stand were hits for me.

I had no idea what to expect when I came here on a girls trip. I had read reviews and they were all great that I thought at $35 a ticket it was well worth a try. This man is a real showman. He engages with the crowd, he has a quick wit, he had us laughing the whole show. You could tell he really enjoys what he does. He had some tricks that were really impressive a few less so, but the overall evening was wonderful. We will talk about this for years to come.

This is a fabulous show! It's funny, entertaining, and an all around good time. P.T. ( Patrick ) reads the crowd and keeps it perfectly age appropriate! He's a very good magician too....Im still pondering on how he did some of his tricks! This is the perfect way to end a shopping day in Galena. =)

This was my very first magic show and was the BEST most entertaining show. Yes he does talk a decent amount HOWEVER, he really knows how to make everyone feel comfortable and give everyone a really good laugh and personally I think it makes the show ten times better with all the talking😄 I really like how many people get a chance to participate in it as well! Definitely recommend and is WORTH EVERY PENNY, will be going again! Thank you Murphy for the laughs! 😄

I was in Galena for my husband’s birthday weekend and decided to take him to see the show as he’s enjoyed other magician acts. Highly recommend checking out PT Murphy. He’s as much magician as comedian. We laughed a lot and were amazed at the tricks. As someone that grew up in the era of watching big magician specials on tv and the unmasked magician specials I was paying a lot of attention to see if I could figure out how the trick was done. We were in the front row literally a foot away and I have no idea how he made any of it happen. We had a great time and I highly recommend checking out a show. Book Spirits and Spirts tour the same night for a fun day!

P.T. Murphy is a fantastic magician. He’s incredibly talented and is very funny too. The 24 seat theater is intimate, and he remembers everyone’s name! Magic, comedy, and audience participation! Highly recommended.

We had a very enjoyable experience at the magic show this past weekend. The room is small and intimate, holding a max of about 25 people. P. T. does a great job bantering with the audience and involving them in the show, even remembering everyone's names. The tricks were entertaining and unique. The runtime is 65 minutes and there are multiple shows per day so it is easy to fit into your schedule. Definitely a worthwhile way to spend an hour or so when in Galena.

What a fun and unique activity for all ages! During our visit, guests ranged from 9 years old through 45. P.T. Murphy’s show kept us all engaged from start to finish. Our crew still finds ourselves talking about how much we enjoyed the show and asking “How do you think he did that?!” Highly recommend if you’re in town visiting or if you’re a local and haven’t checked it out yet.

After a couple visits here over the years, u don’t think I’ll be coming back. We had to wait 10+ minutes to be given a table even though the half-empty restaurant had several employees milling about randomly the whole time. The chips we got? Stale. The service? Slow. The beer? Unimpressive.

Tried to grab lunch here yesterday. Apparently the owner thought it would be a good idea to schedule 1 bartender and 1 server for a Sunday lunch on a holiday weekend. Instead of the staff asking people to wait to sit, they continued to let the restaurant volume grow. The bartender complained (to us) about having to serve us after the server was too busy. He came to take our order, tried to run from the table without even asking if we wanted drinks. Appetizer came out with half of our meals. Tried to track him down to ask where missing items were as he ran away again. Never a refill offer or check on our table to ask how things were. Food was overcooked and dry. Had to get up to refill our own sodas. I asked him to take a breath and served us by giving us a second to get the missing items. He then walked behind the bar and continued to talk crap about our table to the server and customers at the bar. He came back to let us know that he transferred our table to someone but no one ever came back to the table. This is not the way Galena should be reflected. Every restaurant and shop works hard to succeed in a seasonal environment. This place has continued to decline over the years due to staffing and employee attitude. We will never return and will take every opportunity to turn others away.

My family and I stopped here on vacation. The service was great and we loved the atmosphere. Husband loves to go to different breweries when on vacation and he was very impressed with this one. We'll definitely stop here again. Galena is such a cute town with great shopping and dining.

The Galena Brewing Company is a fantastic brewery and restaurant. A large group (12) of my friends and I stopped in for some dinner and drinks, we were greeted and sat quickly at a table close to where a stage was being set up for live music that night. The menu is packed full of food that pairs well with the variety of beers they brew. Although I only snapped a couple pics of some appetizers, our table was covered in a large portion of the items that are offered in a minimum amount of time by our server, Carter. The atmosphere coupled with the food and great service definitely put it on the list of places I want to return to eat.

We love going to Galena and usually enjoy the Galena Brewing Company. BUT after today we will NEVER be back.. Bartender, older woman with glasses. Attentive at first then never came bsck to check on us, I had to go get her to order! Specifically said bone in wings. Place was not busy yet over 30 min for wings and club sandwich. Finally came out and boneless. Club was decent but no condiments for his fries. I told her to take the wings away. Never tried to make it better. SAID oh I took the wings off your bill. Duh!!!! I didn't eat them!!!! No compensation. Was starving and left! Service now sucks and why not list eings as boneless or bone in on menu! What a disaster! Thanks for wrecking our long drive and day trip! Beer was awful too! And place smelled! Also haven't has a BEER ME shirt in 10 visits. Order more!!!!!!

Came here on October 2nd 2023. Had the 1 lbs pretzel and the onion rings. Both fantastic!!! D and John are great and fantastic. Fun to talk to. I highly recommend the 1 lbs pretzel. My suggestion is to do a food eating contest with the pretzel. If you can eat it in under 10 minutes, you get a special prize. Took me under 13 minutes. It would be fun to see. Travel photographer from Galena. 11/29/23 Came back and had wings for the first time. Very tasty. Tau was our server was excellent. This place is always really good. I would still recommend this place to anyone in Galena. Travel photographer from Galena.

We stopped in on Easter basically because most other places weren't open. We were seated relatively quickly and both my wife and I ordered different drinks from the server. I had the Kaleidescape and she had some type of Margarita. Neither were bad considering their specialty is beer. We looked over the menu and ordered appetizers only to be informed after the fact they had run out of cheese. That unfortunately reduced the appetizer menu drastically because a large number of items (nachos, 1 pound pretzel...etc) needed the cheese to be made. We ended up settling on the wings and split the 8 by doing 4 barbecue and the other 4 Chipotle barbecue. They were kinda on the small side buy still tasty. My wife ordered the gyro for dinner (spelled Gryo on the menu 😋) and I the much amped House Chicken strips which came with a side ( I chose fries) and either a side salad or soup. My dinner was expensive ($24) but it was quite delicious. My wife also enjoyed her gyro and we both left quite full and happy.

Do this first! Excellent tour of the Galena town with lots of narrative about it’s history and many of the prominent people in the 1800’s. About an hour long and conveniently located on Main Street where all the shopping is located.

Don’t miss out on this activity if you’re in the Galena area! I recommend you make reservations ahead of time. My family and I took the tour and learned a lot about this charming town that used to mine lead. A one hour tour, the driver was excellent, very informational and engaging sharing lots of knowledge on the town. Trolley shop and train was clean. Staff is friendly and helpful! Would totally recommend.

Great touring company in Galena. Friendly staff, fun tour. Informative and scenic, this tour company also has very fair and reasonable pricing for their service they offer. Family friendly also! Definitely an excellent choice if you want to explore Galena and understand a little history about the homes and town itself. Comfortable seating and very vintage/retro. Very beautifully done! I definitely recommend this touring company.

The driver knew his subject matter and kept the tour flowing. The history of Galena is surprisingly deep and the information provided during the tour made us want to learn more. Well worth the cost of the tickets.

We loved the tour! We are so glad we did it. We learned so much about Galena and saw some really pretty houses. Highly recommend if you like history and enjoy sight seeing!

A fun way to learn some history about Galena! Our tour guide Nate was extremely enthusiastic about Galena history and was very knowledgeable about the homes and architectural facts of the town. The tour was about an hour long, and kept our interest the whole way through! We enjoyed the loop through the town and felt like we saw all of the most important aspects of this quaint little town! It made us appreciate the town and its history even more! Would definitely recommend for any first time visitors to Galena!

Highly recommend! Reserve in advance to get your preferred time, show up early to be near front of line for boarding, and choose a seat on the right side of the trolley. Very informative tour and great way to map out the rest of your Galena trip.

After being involved with the restoration of another historical house in the area my partner and I thought it might be fun to take a tour this past week. Cherish was a wonderful tour guide and it was really exciting to chat with someone who had so much passion for the historical knowledge on the area, the home, its construction and collections. We even got to share what we had been working with as well, including the restorations, and found so many similarities and differences! Make sure you get there a little bit before tours start. The walk around the gardens is lovely for a wait. The season's heat is tough, but there is plenty of shade. On busy days, you may have to wait, but they can only have so many people in one tour at a time, it makes sense. Get your tickets in advance or bring some water. The price isn't bad, well worth it for a tour of some lovely art and architectural history. Every dollar helps support historical sites like this! Everyone was a pleasure to meet and had something to offer. Easily the most money in one place I've ever seen and it was worth it.

The mansion is beautiful, no doubt, but we had a few complaints. Top among them is that you're denied access to the Belvadere itself, which is the topmost room with breath-taking 360 degree views. They claimed that it's a fire safety issue, which may be true, but maybe they could allow one person in at a time? That would honestly be the coolest part of the tour and worth the visit by itself. Also, the mansion is filled with antiques and oddities that the owners purchased throughout the years. This is probably because the majority of the original items burned in a fire. Still, I feel it should be filled exclusively with period-appropriate pieces. That's how my entire group felt, too. The tour was a bit long but I personally liked our guides. I'd recommend not doing the first one of the day as when it's crowded, it's quite difficult to move about the rooms, as a lot of them are roped off.

We did the tour today and to be honest I thought I’d be bored. But I was wrong. The two guides were full of knowledge and had so many interesting stories to share concerning the history of the mansion as well as items in the mansion. I wish we could’ve gone beyond the second floor but I totally understand why we couldn’t. We learned a lot of history. Spoiler alert: a famous set of the curtains that were used in Gone with the Wind adorns the windows of one room.

Grand old lady. Loved all the history. Had 3 different guides they provided a lot of information about the home and all tge different owners. It was a long tour definitely worth the money.

Today, my husband and I had such a fun and interesting time on a tour that really brought history to life! I especially enjoyed seeing the servants' quarters—it gave a unique perspective on how life must have been back then. The staff was incredibly friendly and knew so much about the mansion and its history. It's a great way to spend a weekend in Galena, and the history we learned was fascinating. The mansion is filled with beautiful antiques, and even though not everything is original to the house, many pieces have cool stories about who they belonged to and how they were used. Some of the original pieces are still there, too, which makes it even more special. Built in 1857 by Ambassador J. Russell Jones, the mansion has 22 stunning rooms, all decorated to perfection. The guides really made the experience come to life with all the details about the town's history, the families who lived there, and the significance of many of the items inside. It's a must-see if you're ever in the area!

Overall a very bad experience. The sign said tours started every 30 minutes and we were there at 1:23. After ringing the bell and waiting patiently they came out around 2:35 and told us it would be 20 minutes til we started. We waited of course, and the tour guide didn’t come back out until 2:05 when we rang the bell again. Off to a pretty rocky start with the wait but that’s life. Then we paid right away and she sat down and started talking about her personal life. She did eventually ask us where we were from and we said Waterloo, just here on a girls trip for the day (on a time crunch). She told us a long story about how she bought her house and is now looking to sell it and she saw prices were pretty decent in Waterloo. She asked if it was a nice area and we said it’s great you just want to be careful on the east side of town and she’s said, “well of course you don’t want to be by the blacks.” There were plenty of other disappointing and annoying points of the tour. She basically talked about unrelated history and you could only peer into the rooms while you stood in one place for 25 minutes. She talked about her personal connections to everyone in the stories as if she was the one who built the house. Either way, that was an unacceptable thing for Bonnie (or anyone) to say and I just immediately wanted my money back. Do not recommend. Several thumbs down.

A gorgeous mansion with tons of unique antiques with interesting histories. Scott is a great enthusiastic tour guide. I hope the third floor will be open to the public soon.

Me and my parents went to the haunted tour and had a wonderful guide named Ted he was very funny and had a great humor especially the way he would tell the stories made us laugh it was an wonderful family experience and would recommend going there for a wonderful experience at night walking and hearing the stories! I give this place a 5 star especially with the wonderful people who greeted us!

A great tour! The guide goes above and beyond. So friendly and knowledgeable. A very interesting tour, made even better by the narration and explanations of out guide. Thank you so much for going out of your way to return my service dogs' stuffie!

Me and my 3 children walked up to look at the house today. My 5 year old son knocked on the door and was greeted by the rudest woman I’ve over been in contact with. She very loudly said to my 5 year old can I help you!!. This is private property u can’t be here. They need to have no trespassing signs up if they are going to treat people this way.

Super cool place. Feels like a museum and lived in. Would love to go back soon

We wanted to come and do a tour but it was closed!! Even though there website and the hours on Google said that they were open today!! We will give them another try in the future. We came on 09/29/25

It was very interesting! Cheerful guide! Informative excursion! 1826 years house - impressive!

Very creepy!! Went on the walking tour and our group was small enough the leader let us tour the house quick!! Absolutely beautifully kept house with lots of history and creepy stories to tell! Definitely a tour I'd go on a 2nd time!

Scenic trail offers beautiful views of Galena's Main Street. We walked with our dogs and did 2 miles of the trail. The trail offers two bridges where you can cross over to Grant Park. We were able to find parking readily, however, we wish there was public restrooms more available on the trail. We only saw private port-potties. Would recommend this trail for a good walk and view of the town.

Start at the Visitor’s Center. There is sufficient parking and across the street you can get a great breakfast at Otto’s Place. Go to the south end of the lot and the trail begins in the woods. Where the path comes to an end, take a right, and you can ride through the wooded area along the river. We were there in June 2024. The Trail needed work and it might have been due to rain and flooding, I’m not sure. There were some potholes and loose gravel that were somewhat dangerous. It would certainly be nice to have the trail paved, but I know that’s expensive. It really just needs some maintenance and hopefully that is on their agenda. I’ve attached pictures of the welcome center and Otto‘s place the east side of the river. It wouldn’t hurt to use bug spray depending on the day.

Poorly designed trail, inaccurate/incomplete and misleading signage, and no readily available/easily accessible restrooms nearby. The maps show city hall as the public restroom. Good luck finding it- the map is wrong. Not a bike friendly town at all!!!

BEAUUUUTIFULA PLACE. Clean, enjoyable and friendly atmosphere. Definitely put on your monthly trips to get the benefit of each season

Decent trail, winds around the river. Wide area to accommodate bicycles and walking. Dog friendly.

Such a great place to just sit & relax with a nice warm coffee. Always something to do in Galena. I'm from Chicago but .... Galena is "my kinda town".

Beautiful area with a short walking trail through some pretty flower gardens.

Very wide range selection of honey, hot sauce and salsa! We picked a few of bottles to take home for our families.

When I went into galena canning this weekend, I felt overwhelmed with choices! The selection is truly impressive! I felt lost, almost hopeless, when suddenly I was approached by a smiling angel. The sales associate, I believe her name was lili, she was amazing! She was so helpful, so kind, so beautiful. With her guidance I was able to make an almost professional level decision of products that would tickle fancy. I had an amazing experience at galena canning company and It was all thanks to Lili! 10/10 would recommend.

Lots of great salsas, seasonings and flavors! Pretty much got everything you could think of including jellies! Definitely worth the stop they even have a bunch of like pretzels and crackers and stuff so that you can sample a lot of the products that they have!

The Galena seedless blackberry preserves is totally awesome. I wish I had bought more than 1 jar.

Calvin at the counter was great! He was welcoming, offered honest input on my usual tourist questions, and helped steer me to some nice gifts to bring back to the Chicago burbs. Check this place out!

The selection is so large that they need two store fronts. Lots of rubs, canned goods, salsa, and marinades. They also have an entire store devoted to hot sauce!! I find new hot sauce to try every time I visit.

One of the better stores to shop in the Old Galena area. They have an incredibly wise selection of jams and jellies and we even tried the really tasty fruit barbecue sauces and they were good and healthier for you than traditional barbecue sauces. The shop is conveniently located in the middle of the main shopping area and worth a stop.

The museum was interesting. I would skip the blatantly politically biased speech by the cashier. The rest of the museum presented unbiased facts. Except that the gift shop was also biased.

This museum covers both the history of Galena - with a focus on it's heyday in the 1830s-1850s - and the tie-in to Ulysses S. Grant. Galena went from nothing in 1810 to 20,000 people at it's peak - and it is now around 3,000 people. This museum is a restored large house built in 1858. There's even a real lead mine shaft at the back of the house that predates the house that was attached. We spent just under 2 hours here. Some reviews mention a movie at the start; we didn't have that - we had a very knowledgeable shop worker give a personalized talk.

Great history about Galena. We enjoyed Linda's telling us about the history of the town.

This was a very authentic experience and tour. They have some absolutely wonderful exhibits. It was amazing how many articles from that era were donated by the people. The manager and the lady working with her were very knowledgeable and you can tell took great pride when speaking about the new museum that is being planned. The paintings were stunning! It was well worth the money and felt that it supported a worthy cause.

Lot of interesting displays. Learn alot about Galena history. The lead mine shaft was interesting as well.

This museum is a great blessing for history lovers ! It's also housed in a historic 19th century house. The exhibits are dating from the time first settlers came to Galena. Museum takes one through history, and its chronological display sails one through the timeline. Displays range from the city architecture, industry, transport, local business, mining, war, etc. All are unique and, first of its kind in the region or in the country. By being Galena is the birthplace of General US Grant, one learns the biography of the Great General !

Fabulous museum with a large number of captivating artifacts. A super special experience for those who enjoy American history. My teenage children and I greatly enjoyed our visit.

NutsOutdoors helped make our 3 day stay the perfect getaway! Time on the river is always fun, and trying out my first E-Bike experience was awesome! I loved it!! The trail along the river was absolutely beautiful for our ride, and all the Nut staff were friendly and accommodating 🛶🚲 I’ll be back!

Convenient location, excellent service, great equipment, friendly and knowledgeable staff! I had never used an e-bike and Silas helped me choose a bike (fat tire e-bike for a 2 hr rental), gave directions to the Galena River Trail (very close to Nuts Outdoors) and tips for taking the trail to Chestnut Mountain. The trail is beautiful with a huge variety of birds. I saw Baltimore Orioles, Indigo Buntings and many other beautiful species. The ride to Chestnut Mountain takes you past rocky outcrops, trains, the river and horse farms. The path is wide and well maintained and there are bathrooms at the end of the trail and at Chestnut Mountain. It is peaceful and shady with tall trees. I rode on a Friday afternoon and only saw a few other riders. The street portion, after the trail ends and if you wish to continue to Chestnut Mountain is rural with few cars. If you are in town and love nature, do it! Nuts Outdoors offers kayaking and group outings too. I can’t wait to return.

We had so much fun!!!! We are two couples that rented E-Bikes this past weekend at Nuts, this was one of the best decisions we made the whole trip. We got there at 8:30 and after a little bit of training and bike adjustments we were on our way. The guy who helped us was super friendly and answered all our questions. He was really the nicest person (wish I would have remembered his name) even with my girlfriend being super annoying. The trail we took was quite, peaceful and scenic. The E-Bikes are easy to ride even for us 60 year old's. Next time we will even go longer than the 2 hours and see more of the trails.

Staff was friendly and answered all of our questions. We did the eight hour kayaking tour/adventure which turned out to be 10 hours. We saw a lot of wildlife including eagle, hawks, vultures, cows, deer and more. We were informed about the electric fences and the cows waiting into the rivers, but we would’ve appreciated perhaps a map or a warning about where the emergency pick up would have been if we had decided to bail early. The eight hour kayaking trip is not for the faint of heart and you do need to be prepared with plenty of water, waterproof bags, food, and are well covered for sunny hot days. We previously had taken electric bikes and they provided us with great maps and timing and ways to judge our progress, but we didn’t get any of that with kayaks. But I guess that is part of the Adventure. Overall, a good experience and lots of great stories to tell.

Nuts Outdoors provided us with great service and made our kayaking trip really amazing! We got a 2hr kayak rental on our own. The price is super reasonable for the time you spend kayaking. The staff was super helpful and we got our gear quickly and got in the water fast. The galena river was a beautiful and peaceful place to kayak, and is great for kayakers of any level.

I rented two kayaks- a single for me, and tandem for my adult son and 10 year old son and we did the 2.5 hour trip. Great time and excellent service! If you have a younger child who's not used to navigating rivers, I would recommend having them ride with an adult in a tandem.

Nuts outdoors is a fantastic business. The staff were all professional and fun loving. We rented a single and a double kayak for the three of us. Silas took us up River so that we had a two hour trip back down River. It made for a very easy paddle. We are all fairly inexperienced at kayaking but it was absolutely delightful. The scenery is peaceful and stunning. We saw beautiful birds including bald eagles. We are new residents of galena and look forward to many more trips w Nuts Outdoors.

Great food and great Irish whiskey selection. I've never seen a white gravy with a texture like this. I would stay at this hotel every business trip if they were open every day and had their kitchen open later. Unfortunately it seems they've cut out their Taylor fladgate port wine selection but they still have a cheaper option that is acceptable. Breakfast is probably better here than any other hotel in town if you can wait until the later serving time.

Best Irish food I’ve ever had. I loved the feel of the place, with all of the authentic Irish/Gaelic decor, and the food/beer were awesome. I got the modern Irish corned beef and the entire plate was amazing! The gentleman performing authentic Irish music was such a cool cultural treat as well. We will definitely be swinging by every time we’re in town.

Irish pub feel with decor to match. Menu and drinks are consistent with the Irish vibe. Entrees are expensive, not the food quality is superb. We shared a shepherd pie with 2 Irish soda biscuits. And added a wonderful O'Dowd's pub salad consisting of artisan greens, carrots, tomato, red onion, fried cheese curds, lightly pickled eggs, mixed in with curry vinaigrette.

A fun time. We came in early as a walk in and they sat our group. Food was delicious and drinks were enjoyed. Food ordered: pub steak pub fish & chips irish cottage shepherd’s pie poutine with stout gravy whiskey glazed salmon (not pictured but very delicious)

Wow! Amazing food probably the best fish and chips I’ve EVER had and the Rueben was piled with meat. They also had live entertainment which was wonderful. True authentic Irish ☘️ vibes and food! Highly recommend and will be back

We stopped here for dinner on a Sunday evening. Having been to Ireland we loved the atmosphere, it really looks like a pub you would find anywhere in Ireland. The food was pretty good, we had the poutine which had a very unique and delicious gravy on it and a couple of burgers which were seasoned very nicely. The Irish Chips (fries) were our favorite part, they were so good. As far as service... I don't know if our server was having a bad day or what because from the start he wasn't pleasant at all. I thought he had just misjudged the distance when he slammed our waters down on the table but then he did it again with our drinks. The rest of the dinner went about the same. We definitely were not his favorite table, fortunately for the other tables he did seem nicer to them.

Ordered the Shepard's Pie. Wrong choice. 2/3 potatoes, barely 1/3 meat. Small portion and while I don't eat a lot, was still hungry. Soda bread was more like tasteless dry muffins. Should have stuck with fish/chips that the wife ordered or would everybody else around me was ordering.....Ruben sandwich. So I ordered it to go. Good menu selection to choose from. Highway 20 Brown Ale to wash it down.

Let me start by saying, that this place rocks! My husband and I had a mini getaway and wanted to check out some local places. We both agreed The Embe checked off the vibe we were looking for. It had a retro neon-color vibe that's great for all ages. ( Yes you heard that right family with kiddo came in as we were exiting.) There was so many drinks that sounds scrumptious. We went with the Embe Collins Cocktail and Strawberry Field Martini, both were not only pleasing to the eye but refreshingly delicious. We also got hot sandwiches...The Dave and The Embe. We loved them so much as asked for takeout. They were super kind and make our to-gos the best as we got sick of cafe food. DO NOT SKIP ON THE BREAD PUDDING!!! I would highly recommend the local spot to anyone looks for a good time.

Embe Eatery and Lounge in Galena serves up a fantastic sandwich with the Screaming MB. The pastrami and corned beef are perfectly stacked, complemented by melted Swiss cheese, tangy horseradish mustard, and a crisp dill pickle. The homemade coleslaw adds a nice crunch, and the seafood chowder on the side is a creamy, comforting bonus. A hearty meal that’s not only delicious but also great value for money!

such a cool place with great food and even better service. our waitress was very nice and always joking, making us feel welcome instantly. also, embe just has a great vibe. we are certainly coming back here on our next visit to galena!

This was our second stop at Embe. The service was fantastic. Our server offered a taste test for the seafood gumbo for our son before he decided what he wanted. He ended up getting the pulled pork hot sandwich, my wife got the "Dave" with turkey, and i had the chef salad with house dressing. Everything was delicious. Our drinks were kept full. My wife ordered bread pudding for dessert. When people walked by and looked in the window I told my wife they don't know what they're missing!

We’ve been going to Galena over 30 years, and somehow missed this place. Wow! Started with the seafood chowder, husband had the mushroom soup. Both fantastic! Then we had Embe salad and “Almost Famous” pulled pork sandwich. Again, fantastic!! Cute little spot and everyone was very inviting. Will become a regular on our rotation.

Cute little bar and eatery with great service and atmosphere. The menu is small, but food is fresh and delicious. They serve a variety of homemade soups that are fantastic, highly recommended! A bowl makes for a great meal, or a cup is a perfect starter. We look forward to returning!

The food was exceptionally good. We particularly enjoyed the corned beef brisket sandwich and the chicken cilantro salad; they were both delicious! The staff were friendly and attentive, and the gentleman who served our food was notably hardworking. The restroom was also very clean.

We have been ordering here for years every time we come up to Galena. I want to like this order because of loyalty, but honestly this wasn't good and it was expensive for not being good. We ordered the Chicken Alfredo pizza. It was just cheese with bits of chicken on it. No sauce in between. If there was sauce, it was super thin and got soaked into the crust. Please do better.

Seriously one of the best thin crusts I've ever had. The salad was tasty but needs a bigger plate....difficult to eat without spilling. Have a soda, some wine or a brew...the drinking water is funky.

My wife and I came here often back around 2002 when we were first getting together. Today we ended up here on our 22nd anniversary, which seemed fitting. Pizza still hits like it always did.

Wow! My wife & I have been coming to Galena for 15+ years, and this was the first dinner here. My Tuscan Chicken pizza, based on the recommendation of our server, Claire (she was awesome by the way) was a home run, as I am gluten free, so we did the yummiest gluten free cauliflower crust I have ever had! My wife had the supreme pizza, and another home run! The place is small & quaint. Couple/three glasses of wine, plus pizza's came out to about $75 plus tip. Very reasonable. We took home a meal plus in our to go containers, as we were staying in an air B&B about 80 feet away. Would absolutely recommend! And, will be back!

Food was awesome, service was great! Must try..real authentic Italian taste! Loved it!!

Great pizza and pasta! Excellent bread also! Best service!!

Fantastic pizza 🍕 so good I wish I could give 6 stars. Kim is amazing and though busy is very friendly. Brent is awesome also and both work there butts off. For all you folks that talk about Chicago pizza this place rivals it. When you come to Galena come here. You wont regret it. Travel photographer from Galena.

Visited the park in October! Everything was very clean and well kept. Enjoyed looking at the historical weapons! Nice park to go for a run. Would recommend for anyone who loves nature and history.

It's a nice humble park in honor of Pres. Grant, who was a resident of Galena, IL.

Amazing views and great place to visit with family. Also very close to other major tourist spots.

Photos taken on the walkway along the Galena River. The walkway is a great way to see and take photos of the town of Galena and also its beautiful Grant Park.

Beautiful park very well kept.

Beautiful, quiet park with gorgeous views of Galena! My wife and I enjoy getting a coffee from Galena Bakehouse and sitting in the park to relax and talk

This is a park right across the river from downtown Galena. You can get there via bridge over the river - or there's parking on the eastern side. There's a hill from the main entrance on the east side of the river to get to the top - with great views of downtown Galena. This is such a nice park. There are paved walkways that take you through the park There are a number of benches various views. There's a gazebo, a statue of Grant, historic cannons/howitzers, a water fountain, a playground for small kids, and a basketball court. Can be a good place to just relax.

They don't upcharge you for a credit card so that alone is 5 stars. But for real, our lattes were delicious and the food was very good. Small menu, but there's enough on there that there'll be something you like.

So good! The food was delicious. I feel like we waited a little while to get served despite the restaurant not appearing all that busy when we were there. But once our order was taken, our food arrived quickly and our server was responsive. The omelette hit the spot! And the hash browns were nice and crispy.

My kids and I enjoyed a lunch here. Decided to visit based on an online suggestion and it was our favorite place we ate while in Galena! Employees were friendly, casual atmosphere and best of all, our sandwiches were so delicious! My kids and I finished every bite of our meals! I also felt like their pricing was great! Not overly priced like other places we visited. If you’re in Galena, I highly recommend!

If you want a great breakfast then make this your first stop. Only served before 11. The waitress was sooo sweet. She made me a breve coffee even though it wasn’t on their menu. So good we went back the next day. Food was spot on. They don’t have it on the menu but they offered biscuits and gravy and are we glad we tried it. They were the best we’ve ever had. The biscuits are homemade. I think I even tasted a little bit of rosemary. More gourmet than standard. My Bills Benedict was with perfectly poached eggs and served with hash browns. You wouldn’t go wrong with anything on the menu. We ordered 3 meals between the two of us because we wanted it all. Great portions and great service.

Delightful breakfast and excellent service. Our server Kendra was great. A large selection of choices on the menu. Interesting sandwich and wrap choices too. The coffee was delicious. Would definitely return. At the east end of historic N Main St. parking is a bit easier here too (at least today)

Food is always fresh! Homemade potato chips with every meal! Amazing food and amazing drinks at the coffee bar! Always look forward to try a new drink ever visit. Definitely recommend trying out lunch wraps!

Another top rated coffee house and restaurant.. My daughter and i had the coffee and found it to be exceptional. The 2 waitresses are very helpful, knowledgeable courteous friendly and patient. I had the soup of the day...excellent. I had a expresso martini...excellent. and they roast the coffee in house. I highly recommend this coffee house and eaterie.

My boyfriend and I decided to do a day trip in Galena & we are so happy we found this place. Everything was SO GOOD. I got the watermelon salad & my boyfriend got the soft shell crab burger. For dessert we got the carrot cake. Beyond our expectations. Our server was also so nice and attentive!!! GO HEREEEE

Had high hopes about this place. Their pastries look good. The guy at the front said that they get them from a French bakery. As for service, the guy at the front is great. But someone else took our order and I don’t think he knew what he was doing. I ordered an oat milk latte. The other server came and gave me a cappuccino. I told her my order and had brought back the coffee. Then the server who served us came back and gave me the exact same cup at room temperature already and I told him that I had ordered an oat latte. He replaced it. The food we ordered came 25 mins later and all of it was completely under seasoned. Very bland escargot, and the soft shell crab burger seemed so good only if they had seasoned it well. It was bland. Would probably only come here for pastries.

This restaurant has a great menu full of fresh choices that you won't find in Galena. I loved the bistro vibe and the service was fantastic. If you don't want anything heavy like pizza or bar food while in Galena, I highly recommend this place. We were so full we didn’t get dessert but it all looked amazing.

My husband and I eat here almost every time we go to Galena. Food is always good. Made with high quality ingredients. Service is always great! Best lunch place in town and a quiet option for dinner.

Bread and Vine in Galena was a great find. I was thrilled to see an Aperol spritz slushie on the menu after our trip to Italy. The bacon potato pizza was ridiculously good. They also have amazing sweets and treats. Friendly service made it even better.

Delicious sandwiches!! We got the Croque Monsieur and the Parma. Their carrot cake was also excellent! Not to mention great vibes and great service. A must try if you’re in Galena!

Had the mini burgers and the pink panther cocktail. Living on a beef farm, it’s difficult to find something that tastes as good as what we raise. And this was excellent. The only regret that I had was that I didn’t order dessert!

Best empanadas we ever had in our lives! Very cute little bakery with homemade pastry and empanadas! Strongly recommend! Buttery fluffy texture with flavorful stuffing! Their buffalo chicken empanadas are to doe for

This bakehouse is the best. It's so difficult to explain how good this is. The service was so good, and the lady at the counter took her time to explain each drink. The pastries are as delicious as the coffee, and i highly recommend the empanadas. Delicious!

Absolute must stop, get there early before all the best seller sell out! We tried the egg/sausage/cheese empanada, raspberry/cheese danish, ice Carmel macchiato, and grabbed some macaroons to go! Everything was delicious and the service was great!

I was visiting Galena and love a good coffee shop & bakery. I’m SO glad I stopped into Galena Bakehouse! I ended up going there twice! The empanadas were perfectly flaky and delicious. I tried an apple pie danish fresh - AMAZING. I also got a raspberry cream cheese croissant danish to have the next day and it was still delicious the next day out of the fridge! Cold brew was good and not bitter at all. The cinnamon toast crunch latte was not overly sweet and tasted great with oat milk. On my first visit, one of the owners was doing the coffee bar so I got to chat with him for a few minutes while I waited for my coffee and he was so sweet. I can’t wait to come back to Galena and stop here every day ☺️

The best empanadas that you will ever eat! Their coffee (Cappuccino and Espresso) is excellent, their coffee cakes are delicious, and their cookies are sublime. The best coffeehouse / bakery in all of Galena! A must stop when in town!

This place is a MUST if you’re visiting Galena for the weekend! I had a cold brew & it was the perfect blend, not too bitter. I really can’t explain how gorgeous the bakery spread was, I ended up getting a few things just to try! The empanada was legitimately the best I’ve ever had. I’m eating the cosmic brownie as I write this and it is absolutely fabulous. The staff was super friendly and helpful! They even had a whole shelf of locally made items that were really cute! I’ll be back as soon as I get the chance!

When I say I had an out of world experience at Galena Bakehouse, I MEAN it was out of this world. The service was fast and so helpful. The friendly faces that greet you, including the owner Alex, made you feel so comfortable the moment you walk in the door. And the coffee!!!! It has to be some of the THE BEST coffee I've ever had. Their pastries exceeded my expectations, especially the chocolate croissants! So flaky and full of flavor. An excellent staple in Galena and also a happy 4 year anniversary to them!

We went to the genealogy department to get some inflammation on family history in Galena. The staff went above and beyond helping us for an hour and printing out articles and pulling up pictures on line and in databases. We were so thankful that they took the time to help us.

Stopped in on a spur of the moment to see what they had for Genealogical Research and was AMAZED at the sheer volume of their holdings that date back to earliest times. The volunteer gentlemen working today were so helpful.

What a lovely library. It has been around a long time and that adds all the charm. The childrens area is a great place for Littles to while away some time

We are so lucky to have such a delightful Public Library in Galena. The people that work there are so helpful and will always go the extra mile to find the material that you need. I have always been a huge fan of libraries, so many wonderful options, books, movie, magazines, computer use....it goes on and on and it is all free.....Thank You Galena!

Wonderful place with beautiful architecture. Whether you are local or not it is a lovely place to be to spend some quiet time. The parking lot is only available after 9pm.

I will always enjoy visiting public libraries in other places. This one was something special

Amazing experience! A real working Quarterscope!!

Loved this toy store! Friendly staff and awesome jellycat toys and children’s book’s selection! Picked some good stuff for my little niece

Super cute! We walked in expecting it to be a basic toy store directed only towards kids, but we were so pleasantly surprised to find that this store is for literally any age! They have every fun item you could ever want. We were in there for at least a half hour having such a great time :) Definitely recommend stopping by!

I found this shop online while looking for unique gifts. The order was promptly confirmed and shipped. I love the variety of gifts and their story. I live in Seattle but would love to visit the store in person.

we love the story! we love the name! we love the story behind the name! what a great group of staff and they asked us if we needed help right out the gate! we recommend this place highly for toy fun and adventures and these are toys above the norm! Poopsie's is a wonderful haven of exploration and we can't wait to revisit and re-explore together as a family!!!

Love this fun, inviting space. I love the selection of games, toys, and books for all ages. They're special and not things you're going to find in the toy aisle at Walmart. There has been a lot of thought put into what goes into this store. Its fun to look around even as an adult. Great place to find not just a cute trinket, but amazing place to find a thoughtful gift that will soon become any child's favorite thing. If you can't visit, check out they're website. They ship!

What a cute kids store! They have so many unique items it’s a fun place to buy gifts as well for a child’s birthday or a baby shower! The store workers were so friendly & knowledgeable!! Another reason for the 5 stars is they are open normal business hours. Unlike the rest of the stores on Main Street.

Absolutely great shop to find everything you never thought you needed but it turns out you really did. The staff were so helpful and friendly. We appreciate that they have lots of educational games and sensory motor items for children with special needs. We love the jewelry as well as fun items!

Used this location to bike the Galena Trail. lots of parking

Beautiful view of the city especially during sunrise and sunset with the sun hitting the red colored buildings. It would be nice if two of the bridges were wheelchair accessible although the white bridge and main bridge on HWY 20 is accessible

Whenever I'm in Galena up early I go and pick up my dark roast coffee (to go) and drive over to Depot Park where I can relax & take in the quiet mornings in Galena. I did go this morning and noted the Fever River which runs along the town was a bit swollen due to current ☔ rains. The park was beautiful...so green & lush.

We went for Grant's Pilgrimage with the Boy Scouts. There was a reenactment and lots of walking. The actors around town were very knowledgeable. The park was a great place to play and plenty of places to rest. It runs with paths and access to both sides of town.

Nice park with a good view of the town. Good parking options and lots to do and see.

Love Galena and this park is awesome. It is so nice to live in Galena.

So much history here. This is an all weekend trip which still doesn't provide enough time to really take in all the area has to offer. One of the places we really enjoyed here is the old Blacksmiths Shop where you literally step back in time. The shop has been there since before electricity came to the area. The shop was the first in Galena to have electricity. The used it to put overhead lights in to help the blacksmiths. Make this one of your destinations when in town. Its located in a bright red building along the waterway.

Galena River Wine & Cheese is a great place to visit. Their wine and pure olive oil is really good. They have a great variety of cheese, wine and olive oil with lots of free samples. It’s definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. They ship too!

Special olive oil --2! Cheese & soup mix!!! Their selection of olive oils was incredible! I bought a regular virgin olive oil and then a lavender virgin olive oil. The cheese was absolutely delicious! It was wild morel mushroom and leek jack cheese! The service was great everybody was so kind and helpful! As a group we bought several kinds of cheese and got the sample them before we bought them! Every one of them was delicious! I have not been able to use the soup mix yet.

This place has a great selection of cheese, and well-priced wine that won't break your budget on this pricy vacation town. The one thing that really caught the eye of my wife and I was the large selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars infused with unique and flavorful selections. My wife and I got a lemon olive oil to cook fish at home and a coconut mango balsamic vinegar for other creations. We are really excited to try them. This location also has some fun flavors of other alcoholic beverages if wine isn't yours choice. Come here for sure!

Cheese was good and staff was friendly but this place preys on tourists. The cheese was very expensive. For some if their cheese it was $25 or more per pound. Been to many small cheese shops but never seen prices this, high.

Nice little store with all of the things you need in life… Alcohol and cheese. Service was great! I definitely recommend stopping in.

Fantastic selection of wines and cheese. The grilled cheese sandwiches were yummy, picking the cheese was fun and hard since the selections all look amazing. Tastings available for wine, spirits, olive oil, and balsamic.

We stopped in whilst on a weekend getaway and I can’t tell you how awesome Scott was! He made us feel welcomed and offered a tasting of tequila when it wasn’t even part of the tasting…needless to say we walked out with 3 bottles: cabernet, whiskey and tequila! Wish I would have purchased cheese🙁 Highly recommend!

From the moment the tour started, Matthew had the group engaged with his blend of local history, spooky storytelling, and humor. He’s not just a guide—he’s a performer, and his passion for the city's haunted past came through in every story.

We loved this tour!!! I loved the way he mixed in the ghost stories with the history of the town and area as well as photos! I learned so much! He was a wonderful host and I would highly recommend doing this tour. When we visit I would honestly do it again!

I took my son to Galena to celebrate his 11th birthday. He wanted to do a tour and stay at the DeSoto house. I am SO glad we chose Matthews. His tour was fun, educational and had awesome ghost stories. Even with my son being the youngest in the group, Matthew made sure to make him feel included and didn't treat him like a baby/coddle him. He was treated just like everyone else in the group. He even offered my son an emf detector to use overnight in our hotel which made our stay even cooler. I would 100% recommend Matthews tour and we cant wait to come back and tour with him again!

This is just the most amazing event! Highly highly recommend!! I have gone twice and each time was different. I have gone with 5 other people and not one of them was disappointed in how this experience turned out! The rods really make the experience special and I would recommend buying those, especially because then you can bring them home and use them there! Matthew is so entertaining and you learn so much about the history of Galena! 5 star experience every single time!

Such an amazing experience! I went on this ghost tour while on a bachelorette trip and all of us were amazed. The bride had gone before and raved about the tour and insisted we do it in this trip as well. It did not disappoint! “Matthew” was an amazing host and stunned us with not only the ghost tour but the history of Galena as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to come back and experience it again!

We attended on 11/11/2023. We got to visit 2 places and found the tour to be fun and very informative. Matthew is very charismatic and funny. He tells stories of the ghosts and also you get a ton of history in his event. I wouldn't really call it a a "pub crawl." If you're hoping for a typical bar crawl with many stops and drinks at each stop, this isn't it. We did get the opportunity for a drink at each of our two stops, and those came out quickly, but it was more about the storytelling. Overall, excellent tour, great information, interesting history. He also picked a volunteer to use the dowsing rods which was really cool. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Galena, first timer or somebody who's been there many times before! 🖤👻🖤

My husband and I had such a fun time! Matthew is incredibly funny, charismatic, and great at story telling! You will learn so much about the city of Galena and all of the fascinating stories it holds. We took several photos on the tour, and did find some questionable figures in some photos! Matthew's shop is also full of some great items!

They serve Cedar crest ice cream! Which is some of the best (in my humble opinion)! You could honestly just spend time in this ice cream shop purely for the smells... due to the deliciousness of waffle cones wafting through the air! If you like coconut, get the coconut explosion. It is next level good!

Visited this old-fashioned American ice cream parlor, and everyone loved it! The place has a charming 1970s vibe, complete with nostalgic touches that take you back in time. It’s the perfect spot to indulge in classic ice cream flavors and enjoy a bit of sweet nostalgia.

A wonderfully, quaint old fashioned ice cream shop in the heart of historic Main St in Galena, IL. In an era gone by, this once was an apothecary and general store. Some of those furnishings can still be seen. The ice cream scoops were massive. A single would definitely be enough. A double is like a pint of decadence. They offer a very large selection, plus sundaes. I overheard 32 flavors. I especially loved the Dailey Grind which is a coffee flavored caramel ice cream with chocolate covered espresso pieces. While my wife's favorite was the Pirates Bounty (see showcase label).

As a Galena local, I’ve quietly hoped for years that America’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor would one day change hands… and what better hands than the wonderful folks who run Charlie’s Place just down the street! The ice cream is absolutely delicious, with fun new flavors to try. Their homemade waffle cones, some dipped in chocolate (swoon!)...are worth the trip all on their own. The team behind the counter couldn’t be friendlier, ready with a smile and a great suggestion. We were lucky to be helped by Aiden, who was just wonderful! I also love that they stay open later than before...perfect for those warm evenings when you want to have dinner in town but save room for dessert. You can enjoy your treat inside, or stroll home through Galena with a cone in hand. Either way, it’s such a happy little addition to our town.

This place is incredible. Had the pumpkin pie malt. So good. Charlie and his wife own this place along with the breakfast place called Charlies. I would highly recommend this place. You tube: majesticmilestravel tiktok: majesticmilestravel filmmaker from Galena.

The ice cream itself tastes like every other ice cream shop. The shop itself was so cute, and the girl at the counter was nice.

My whole trip to Galena I was so excited to try this ice cream that I was told to be very good. Though every time except for once it was closed even though online said it was open. The one time I actually got to go they didn’t put out the ONE flavor I wanted, Superman, and I even went to multiple ice cream shops to find it. Outside the store it has a sign with the flavor. I asked if they had any and they said they had it but it’s not out. In conclusion put it out and there wouldn’t be a problem. Superman ice cream is a delicacy that should be honored as such. ( I would leave less stars but I’m not mean like them and I support small businesses)