|
Logan County Tourism Bureau hosts
listening session in Mt. Pulaski
[May 30, 2026]
On Thursday evening, President
Molly Pickering and trustee Karen Conn welcomed community members to
The Old Brickyard in Mt. Pulaski for a discussion on tourism. About
a dozen community members, business owners, and county and city
officials shared their ideas and offered suggestions on tourism
throughout Mt. Pulaski and Logan County.
Pickering and Conn introduced themselves and provided a background
on the Logan County Tourism Bureau. It is one of the oldest of its
kind in Illinois, founded in the 1970s, while most other Illinois
tourism bureaus were founded in the 1980s. However, Logan County is
one of the smaller bureaus in the state. With that in mind,
Pickering explained the bureau's purpose and what they have been
doing to attract tourists to the area.
The bureau is currently in its planning stage. They have surveyed
the county’s citizens and crafted a draft plan to improve their
programming, bring communities together, and attract visitors to
learn about the rich history of Logan County. They are already
moving forward with their plan, having made videos for each
community and shared them on Facebook.
The Mt. Pulaski community noted that it has a strong tourism asset
in the courthouse and its museum. They also noted that they host
several major events each year, including Christmas on Vinegar Hill
and their fall festival. However, some of their events are not well
promoted and could use an extra boost from the bureau. Mayor Matt
Bobell asked that they specifically focus on the 2nd Friday events
throughout the summer. He said that the other events have been
established for several decades and would like to see the 2nd Friday
events get more attention.
Another community member and
business owner suggested better historical markers and signage, as
there are several historic buildings, but minimal signage. The
community would also like to draw attention to some of their photo
opportunities, such as the Abraham Lincoln Mural downtown. This
discussion led to a suggestion for a trail or map listing Abraham
Lincoln statues, murals, and other photo opportunities to help the
tourism bureau connect the communities.
[to top of second column] |
There was discussion of wedding
venues, as the courthouse has hosted some weddings, and the
American Legion Hall and The Old Brickyard have dining rooms to
accommodate wedding receptions.
One citizen said that Mt. Pulaski
and Logan County have several notable cemeteries with historical
markers and suggested a Cemetery tour or map of sorts.
Sports tourism is another large
draw to the Mt. Pulaski community. Their school’s athletics bring
many people from out of town who might not be familiar with the town
or the county. Some suggested installing signs and providing tourism
information at the school and around the parks, especially Frazier
Park, since their athletic fields host many sporting events. This
would help promote local restaurants, shops, and tourist
destinations.
For the Chestnut community, one citizen suggested building and
advertising a marker there, as Chestnut is the geographical center
of Illinois. She suggested something like the giant statues in
Casey, IL, to draw attention and provide a photo opportunity.
Conn and Pickering then advised the group on the process moving
forward and that a final draft of their strategic plan will be
released after it is voted on by the tourism board in June. They
will continue working with community representatives and host
additional meetings with communities in early June.
[Joli Boerma Crane]
|
