When explorer Louis Jolliet glided down the Illinois River to its junction with the Fox, he likely did not imagine the bustling city that would spring up along the banks of the rivers. The winding commercial waterway that was to create Ottawa – The Illinois and Michigan Canal – was but a glimmer in his eye then, a vision to ease the treacherous water passage. Like Jolliet, the construction workers and canallers who made the canal possible have drifted into the mists of time, but their legacy has been adapted and has flourished. The Canal State Trail remains one of the premier recreational opportunities in Northern Illinois.

Nor could Jolliet envision the hardworking visionaries who would inhabit this City on the Rivers. From here, a big-game hunter/newspaper publisher by the name of W.D. Boyce would launch an outstanding youth movement known as Boy Scouts. An immigrant farmer named William Reddick -- who as a youth stole hours alongside the blast-furnace to study -- would build an elegant mansion where he would host a U.S. senator, Stephen Douglas. Sen. Douglas would engage in a fiery war of words, a career-breaking debate, against a tall, gaunt political newcomer named Abraham Lincoln in Washington Square. You can stroll along the star-shaped pathways of that square where now flowers bloom, a fountain flows and the two famous debaters are immortalized in bronze.

Two self-guided tours help you to map out your journey through Ottawa’s heritage and provide you with fascinating glimpses into how Ottawa grew and who made Ottawa great.

Your cell phone becomes your time-travel machine on the Brush with History Cell Phone Tour of seven murals. As you study the vivid outdoor murals, you can listen to the strike of pickax on stone as men struggle to build the canal. Hear the thundering hooves of a buffalo stampede or the throb of percussion as the band strikes up a parade through downtown Ottawa.

The Ottawa Heritage Tour is a must-have companion for your journey through Ottawa, whether you choose to take it by foot or by car. In the pages of the Heritage Tour, you’ll meet the people who put Ottawa’s name on the map and be able to explore the imposing architecture that defines our skyline and residential neighborhoods.

But you’re not finished yet! Ottawa’s secrets are never buried, just stored in the research library operated by the La Salle County Genealogy Guild. This spacious library houses birth and death records, family and village histories, and more! Volunteers are on hand with answers to questions and directions for sorting through all the material available.

Ottawa has many stories to tell. Come enjoy them all!

There are currently 16 Attraction listing(s) available.

Fox River Aqueduct This early engineering marvel carried waters of the Illinois & Michigan Canal over the Fox River. The Fox River Aqueduct is the largest aqueduct along the I&M Canal Corridor. Built in the 1840s by David Sanger & Sons Construction Co. of Ottawa, the aqueduct spans a length of 464 feet. Supported by seven towering piers constructed of Joliet limestone, the aqueduct was once considered the eighth wonder of the world.

Heritage Tour - An Illustrated Guide Pick up a copy of this illustrated guide to "the places, faces and ornamentation of Ottawa" and get ready for a magical history tour! Learn about the people who made Ottawa great and who built Ottawa's breathtaking and imposing skyline.

Historic Auto Tour 100 W. Lafayette St | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 1-888-OTTAWA-4 | Tourism@ExperienceOttawa.com Discover the historic treasures that Ottawa has at your own leisure and in the comfort of you own automobile. This tour includes Ottawa's original town square, the many stunning homes, interesting architecture and breath-talking nature scenery. Click on the link provided to download you copy of the tour or you can go to our down loads page....Visit Website

I & M Canal Tollhouse Columbus Street at the I & M Canal | Ottawa, , | | This small, one-room structure served as a tollhouse for the many barges filled with grain, coal, stone, and lumber, and is the only original tollhouse that still exists on the canal. It was part of a complex that once included a "turning bridge" over the canal, a maintenance shed, privy and well.

Illinois & Michigan Canal This multi-purpose trail offers visitors scenic hiking and bicycling, combined with the opportunity to experience Ottawa's natural beauty. Walk or bike the tow path, where horses pulled passenger boats from 1848 until 1852 and mules pulled the heaby freight required to build Chicago and northern Illinois.

Land of OZ Corn Maze 2662 E. 1951 St | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 815-488-5000 OR 815-434-4409 | Get lost in some Corn! Camp Fire USA sponsores the Land of Oz Corn Maze. Open weekends in the fall. Children 5 and under are free. The corn maze will accommodate groups during the week. Night hikes are available by reservation only, with a minimum of six participants required. Rates are $7 per person. Pumpkin Patch opens later in the season. $5.00 per person and 7.00 per person for NIGHT hikes! Weather permiting Corn Maze will run from August 28th - October 23th

LaSalle County Genealogy Guild 115 West Glover Street | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 815-433-5261 | The guild has a membership of 1,000 worldwide. People come from all parts of the globe to study their genealogy in the guild's library.

Mural Cellular Phone Tour Ottawa's Old Town District | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 866-MURALS-1 | Let your cell phone be your guide through town as you explore part of Ottawa's rich heritage with these beautiful murals by calling 1-866-MURALS-1 or stop in the Ottawa Visitors Center and pick up your copy of A Brush With History mural tour booklet and truly browse these wonderful murals at your own leisure. Mural booklets available for download on the Downloads section of you website...Visit Website

Ottawa Scouting Museum 1100 Canal Street | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 815-431-9353 | Promoting and preserving the traditions of scouting, this museum features many scouting items as well as three year-round outdoor hikingtrails....Visit Website

Ottawa's Old Town Farmers Market South Side of Washington Square Park, Jackson Street (between Lasalle and Combus Streets | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 815-433-0084 | we BAKE it, we GROW it, we SELL it FRESH, your sure to find something FANTASTIC!!! Pruchase freshly grown goods at Ottawa's Old Town Farmers Market.Open Saturdays: May 9th - October 24th from 8:00 am - 12:30 pm ...Visit Website

Reddick Mansion 100 W Lafayette St | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | (815) 433-6100 | contact@reddickmansion.com Built before the Civil War, this ornate 22 room 50 foot tall Italianate mansion was constructed by leading philanthropist and state senator William Reddick. The mansion is open for tours Wednesday - Sunday 11:30a.m. thru 2:30 p.m. and Saturdays 12p.m. thru 2:30 p.m....Visit Website

Riverwalk 100 W. Lafayette St | Ottawa, IL, | 1-888-OTTAWA-4 | Take a leisurely stroll or bike ride along the Fox and Illinois Rivers on Ottawa's beautiful Riverwalk. You'll enjoy beautiful river and scenic views as the Riverwalk winds along the rivers and through some of Ottawa's public parks and boat launches. Don't forget to bring your disc golf or fishing gear, the Riverwalk passes by Ottawa's Disc Golf course and many different fishing spots.

Shopping and Dinning in Ottawa With over 50 different Shopping and Dinning options, you are sure to find that unique one-of-a-kind gift to take home and the perfect café for lunch that you'll be talking about for years to come. Checkout our shopping and dinning pages for more information

The Ottawa Lincoln Knew tour 100 W. Lafayette St | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 1-888-OTTAWA-4 | Tourism@ExperienceOttawa.com Most people associate Lincoln to Ottawa only with his historic debate with Douglas in 1858, however Lincoln had many friends and supporters in Ottawa that made him a frequent visitor. Travel back in time and see Ottawa as he did with this self guided tour! ...Visit Website

W.D. Boyce and Boy Scout Memorial Ottawa Ave Cemetery | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 1-888-OTTAWA-4 (Ottawa Visitors Center) OR 815-431-9353 (Ottawa Scouting Museum) | Boy Scouts across America owe their existence to Ottawa resident William D. Boyce and a fateful encounter one foggy evening in 1909 London that inspired him to found the Scout organization. The Boyce family gravesite is watched over by a life-sized bronze statue of a uniformed Boy Scout which was unveiled in 1941. It was paid for through contributions made by the Scouts themselves. Thousands of Boy Scouts make annual pilgrimages to the Boyce gravesite to pay their respects to the founder each year. A museum dedicated to W.D. Boyce and the Scouting movement (including Girl Scouts and Camp Fire) is located at 1100 Canal Street, Ottawa.

Washington Square Park Between Lafayette and Jackson Street and LaSalle | Ottawa, IL, 61350 | 1-888-OTTAWA-4 | Tourism@ExperienceOttawa.com In the center of the park a memorial commemorates the location of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate on August 21, 1858, with heoric sized bronze statues complete with a reflecting pool. Discover all the treasures hidden in this beautifully maintained park. Click on the link to download your copy of the Washington Square Park tour. ...Visit Website