Park trails, water activities, and specific sites of the city’s history give Pekin a range of visitor highlights. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether you want to focus on getting active in a park, seasonal recreational activities, or architectural and commemorative history. The trails vary considerably in length, while the cultural and recreational offerings each have their own appeal.
Parks and trails in Pekin
The Pekin Park District has nine community parks, seven neighborhood parks, and more than 2,277 acres of land. These figures may change over time.
The Pekin Park Bike Trail is 4.3 miles long, starting at Allentown Road and ending at Riverfront Park and Miller Park. By contrast, the loop around the lagoon in Pekin Park is approximately half a mile long, has limited barriers, and is wheelchair-accessible. Your choice also depends on how far you want to walk: there is a longer trail and a much shorter lagoon loop.
Water and recreational activities
At Mineral Springs Park, Boating on the Lagoon offers pedal-boat rides on the lagoon, while Magic Dragon Mini Golf is an 18-hole course in the same park. A boat ride and mini golf are two different activities available in the park. DragonLand is part of the Pekin park system and features a ground-level play and entry area, two water slides, a dragon slide, and a sand and water play area. Check the seasonal operating hours for these attractions before your visit.
Architectural history and places of remembrance
The St. Louis, Peoria, and Northern Railroad Depot in Pekin was built in 1898 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The Pekin Federal Building, also known as the Old Post Office, was built in 1906 and added to the register in 1980. There are 106 years between the depot’s construction and its listing, and 74 years between the Federal Building’s construction and its listing. This provides a timeline for the architectural history of both buildings and their later register entries.
A site in downtown Pekin is also associated with a historic meeting: the first meeting of the Union League of America was organized there in June 1862. In Legins-Costley Park on Court Street in downtown Pekin, a memorial stone honors Nance Legins-Costley as the first enslaved person to be emancipated with the help of Abraham Lincoln. These two sites highlight different things: an early organizational event and the commemoration of a specific person.
Another architectural connection is Carl Herget, a businessman and member of one of Pekin’s most prominent families. A house built for him in 1912 was designed by the architectural firm Hewitt & Emerson in the Classic Revival style and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The named architectural style provides another way to explore architecture alongside construction dates and historical events.
The Marigold Festival in September
Pekin continues its Marigold Festival tradition every September with Art in the Park, the Marigold Parade, and other activities. If you want to plan your visit around the festival, check the specific dates each season. The festival is a time-specific highlight alongside the park and history attractions.
Discover more destinations: Morton, East Peoria, Tremont
For the broader travel overview: Tazewell County.
