Visit Windsor Shelby Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the charming village of Windsor in Illinois! Enjoy the Alton Belle Steamboat cruise through the Mississippi convention. Check out the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and experience the history of the famous president. Enjoy the local specialty, the St. Louis-style pizza.
What makes Windsor sights so special is the unique mix of historical silence and the quiet noise of everyday life, which surprises me every time I slip along the old main road. Since the 1850s, when the railroad brought the small village to the edge of the then wild Illinois, a strange charm has developed here – a bit like a well-aged cheese: not everyone's thing, but for me a feast for the senses. I remember how I arrived from Chicago by train, the rats of the rails almost as a warning for the leisurely pace that prevails here. Windsor Township, embedded in the vast Shelby County, at first glance looks like a forgotten chapter of history, but people here tell stories that are louder than any tourist brochure. When I get into Shelbyville's bus, I'll grab a piece of cake from the bakery on the corner – no joke, that's better than any “Must Lake” list. And yes, I don't understand the hype about the big metropolises, but here, between the old barns and the silent fields, I find a rest you don't find in any guide. Who explores Windsor quickly discovers that the true Windsor sights are not on tables, but are in conversations with the locals and the scent of freshly mowed hay.
This guide invites you to discover the hidden corners of Windsor, and I start with my favorite place: the old school house, which is now a mini museum. I almost found my childhood there – only without the annoying homework. The building is located directly on Main Street, and parking is almost always a Klacks, as long as you don't come on Saturday night, then fight for a place between the garbage cans and the delivery car of the local baker.
The Windsor Schoolhouse Museum is not exactly a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the cracking wooden benches and the original school boards give you the feeling that you are in a time machine that only travels back until 1952. I don't understand the hype about old school classes, but the exhibition about local agriculture – including a tiny but working mill – is really great. If you're lucky, you're just getting the voluntary guidance of Mrs. Henderson, who explains every time with an eye-catcher why the cow has never been milked in history.
A short walk leads you to Windsor Community Park. There is a playground, a few baseball fields and a barbecue area that mutates from the locals to an improvised BBQ market in the summer. I once made a spontaneous picnic with a few teenagers from high school; the food was average, but the conversations about the upcoming football game were unpaid. The park is freely accessible, and parking is usually an open field behind the entrance – so simply push it in.
If you are looking for a little more “spiritual” atmosphere, watch St. Mary’s Catholic Church by. The church is not particularly large, but the stained glass windows from the 1920s are a real eye-catcher. I heard a concert from the local youth band there – a bit shrill, but the acoustics were surprisingly good. The entrance area has a small umbrella shop where you can buy some handmade candles if you have the need to romantically illuminate your living room.
Another must for those who like to sniff something “rustic” flair is the Windsor Grain Elevator on the US‐51. The silver silo shaft projects like a modern monolith from the flat landscape. I spent a few hours there to photograph the sunset – the light that dances over the cornfields is almost poetic if you don't think about the next harvest all the time. Access is free, but be careful: The parking lot is a gravel path that mutates into a small mud puddle during rain.
For the bookworms among you there are Windsor Public Library. It is small, but cozy, with an old reading table that has already seen better days. I found a rare specimen of the "Illinois Gazette" from 1883 – a real treasure for history freaks. The staff is friendly, but slightly annoyed when you phone too loud. And yes, the WLAN works, so you can post your Instagram story about the “cool” village.
A bit of local pride cannot be denied if you do Windsor Township Historical Society Museum is located in the old town hall. The exhibition is a mixture of photos, old maps and a few dusty tools. I discovered an old diary that comes from a farmer from the 1910s – a real reading pleasure if you are interested in the hard life of the pioneers. The museum has no fixed opening hours, but usually the staff is there on Thursday afternoon to welcome visitors.
And finally, if you happen to be in town in the summer, don't miss the Windsor Summer Fair. The fair is a bit like a mini-state fair, only without the excessive rides. There is a cart with freshly pressed apple juice, a few local craftsmen selling their homemade candles, and a small carousel that squeaks more than an old house. I once ate a piece of corn bread that was so dry that I almost wanted to take it home as a souvenir.
If you now think that all this is a bit too much, then just look at the Windsor Attractions on a map – you will notice that most points are close to each other. This makes exploring a relaxed walk where you can stop between the individual stations to eat an ice cream or just enjoy the silence of the endless fields.
So, pack your backpack, leave the phone at home (or at least on noisy) and come to Windsor – here there are more to discover than one would suspect at first glance. And if you ask me, the old school house is definitely the highlight because it reminds me every time that history is not just in dusty books, but in the small, crunchy rooms that we all underestimate a bit too much.
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