Visit Allenville Moultrie Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the charm and history of Allenville, Illinois: The historic village offers an authentic 19th experience. Century. Visit the Blacksmith Museum or Old Jail & Courthouse. Eat in the restaurant The Barn or the farm house Cafe. Relax at Lake Allenville and enjoy the rural tranquility.
What makes Allenville sights so special is the silent story that lies between the field roads and the old railroad tracks. I remember the first time I came to the tiny village that jumped out of nothing in 1869, because the Chicago‐Danville‐Vincennes-Eisenbahn set up a stop here – a classic example of how a piece of rail can do more than an entire advertising budget. Named after John Allen, one of the venerable railway managers, the town has barely gained its size but its character.
Most visitors come across US-Route 136, which connects the village to Decatur in the north and Danville in the south; a short trip from Interstate 74 is also possible if you use the small but reliable bus service from Moultrie County. I have to admit that I don’t understand the hype about the “big” metropolises, but here, between the endless corn fields of East Nelson Township, you suddenly feel much less like a tourist and more like a neighbor who has a bit more to tell by chance.
Next time you drive through the flat heart of Illinois, stop, breathe in the fresh field air and let yourself be enchanted by the silent stories of the Allenville sights.
This guide invites you to explore with me a small but surprisingly charming spot of earth, which I have been labeling “Allenville” since my childhood – yes, the tiny village in the East Nelson Township, Illinois, which is hard to find on the map, but which has more stories to offer than some big cities.
For me, the Allenville Park. Who comes here immediately notices that the grass has not just won the Nobel Prize for Green Spaces, but the old wooden bench at the lake is a perfect place to enjoy the sun and at the same time to hear the quiet tassel of the frogs – a soundtrack that I call every time “natural background music” when I spend my lunch there. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the annual barbecue is taking place and everyone tries to get a place next to the grill.
A short walk leads to Allenville Public Library. I don't quite understand the hype about hip cafes, but this library has a small reading room with a window that looks directly at the field where the high school football team trains. This is for me the nonplusultra of “local flair” – you can read a book and at the same time hear the loud cheering of the fans. The librarian, Mrs. Hargrove, knows everyone who has ever borrowed a book, and gives me time and again the tip to read the old diary of 1912 that is exhibited there.
If you have enough of books, the path leads to Allenville United Methodist Church, a stone building from 1889, which tells more stories about the village community than any city chronicle. I took part in a Sunday fair, just to find out that the organ game was rather a “creative experiment” – the organ whistles sounded like they had to get too much rain for a few years. Nevertheless, the architecture is impressive, and the small cemetery area behind it is a quiet place to think about the transience.
Another highlight I don't want to conceal is the old Allenville Grain Elevator. It is no longer in operation, but the rusty silhouette on the edge of the main road is a landmark that I see every time I drive from the city towards Kaskaskia River. I took a photo there that now hangs in my living room – a symbol of the past agricultural history that still shapes the village. Access is free, but be warned: The fence is not particularly high, so make sure you don't stumble into the courtyard for a mistake.
For nature lovers there are small but fine Kaskaskia River Access Point right behind the Grain Elevator. I spent a few hours there in the summer to fish – the trouts are not huge, but the high of the river is a perfect companion for a cool beer. Parking is a bit tricky here, because the terrain gets a bit muddy when it rains, but a short walk of about five minutes leads you to the shore.
There is also a bit of change Allenville Fall Festival, which takes place every year in October. I took part in 2015 for the first time and was surprised how many local artists and craftsmen build their stands. The scent of caramel apples and freshly burned corn flasks is in the air, and people dance to a mix of country and bluegrass – a picture I always like to have in my head when I think of the village.
If you are looking for a compact overview to plan your itinerary, just think about the Allenville AttractionsI've listed here. Each place has its own character, and the best thing is that you don't have to rush from one place to the next – everything is practically next to each other so that you can soak up the atmosphere in peace.
At the end of the day, when the sun sinks behind the fields and the village dips into a warm, slightly orange light, I often sit down on the old wooden bench in the park and wonder why I didn't come here earlier. Maybe because I always thought the real adventure was going somewhere further away – but sometimes the real adventure is just a small place that enchants you a smile on your face while you eat a piece of cake from the library.
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