Symerton Will Illinois - Top Sights 

• Symerton Sights – A Trip through Florence Township, Will County
• Symerton Sights & Attractions
• - Symerton Bridge
• - Symerton Historical Society Museum
• - Symerton Schoolhouse
• - St. John Lutheran Church
• - Symerton Cemetery
• - Symerton Village Hall
• - Symerton Attractions
• - Symerton Community Park
• Other special sights in the vicinity of Symerton, Illinois
• - Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
• - Illinois Railway Museum
• - Cantigny Park
• - Morton Arboretum
• - Great Western Trail
• - Lockport Lock and Dam
• - Joliet Iron Works Historic Site
• Conclusion
• - Symerton Attractions

Symerton Sights – A Trip through Florence Township, Will County

What makes Symerton's sights so special is the quiet way to snore with the story here on every street corner while you're wondering if you're just going through a museum or a field. I remember driving over the old railway bridge for the first time – a crunching relic from the 1880s, which was once the backbone of agricultural exports. Today the piece is more a photo motif for Instagram-Aficionados who believe they have discovered the “authentic” land life, although the only thing that is truly authentic here is the smell of freshly mowed hay after a summer rain.

Florence Township, embedded in the wide Will County, looks like a forgotten chapter of a history book that is just waiting to be beaten up by curious travelers. When you arrive by car from Chicago, take the I‐55 south and leave it at exit 317 – the sign “Symerton” is hardly more than a whisper in the wind, but it leads you directly to the silent fields where cows graze and the time seems slower. I discovered the small diner on the main road, which reveals more about the local culture than any city museum: a few pancakes, a smile of the owner and the quiet sum of the old radio equipment in the background. And yes, if you ask yourself if there is something to see here, just look out the window – the landscape itself is a living work of art that teaches you that not every sight must be noisy.

Symerton Sights & Attractions

This guide invites you to explore with me a small but surprisingly self-contained spot of earth, which I have been secretly labeling as “my favorite hiding place” since my childhood – Symerton, a tiny village in the heart of Florence Township, Will County, Illinois.

I prefer to start with the Symerton Bridge because he is the only building I would ever call an “eptical photo motif” without exaggerating. The old steel carrier arch spans over the Kankakee River and cracks quietly in the wind, as if he wanted to remind us of the glorious days of the railway. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the local fishing group will occupy the shore. I once tried to make a selfie there, and was corrected by an older gentleman with a fisherman's hat, who said I should rather respect the river – no joke, he had more experience than me.

A short walk further Symerton Historical Society Museum, which is housed in a converted old freight train station. The exhibition is not just a huge museum, but the collection of photos, maps and some rusted tools makes you almost smell the history of the place. I don’t understand the hype about “mini mouses” completely, but here you feel like you’re going to browse through the pages of a yellowed family album. Parking is right in front of the building, and the sign “No entrance” is a welcome comfort for the empty wallet.

If you have enough of history, my way to Symerton Schoolhouse, a charming one-room school from the 1900s, which today serves as a community centre. There yoga classes and local crafts markets take place regularly – a perfect place to meet the neighbors who otherwise only appear at the annual village festival. I took part in a “art and coffee” afternoon and painted a picture of an old tractor that now hangs on the wall. Practical: There are always a few free chairs, and parking is a small, unconsolidated parking behind the building – ideal if you don't want to get too much attention.

Another highlight that I do not want to conceal is the St. John Lutheran Church. The red brick church with its pointed tower is the only religious landmark that is still actively used. The organ sometimes sounds as if it were coming from another time, and the community is amazingly open to visitors – they even invite to their monthly “coffee and conversation” meeting. I met an old community member there who told me how the church served as an emergency shelter during the Great Depression. It's not just history, it's a living memory.

For those who like to think a little about the dead, there is Symerton Cemetery. At first glance, he acts like any other cemetery, but the tombstones tell stories of pioneers that the country in the 19th century The century made it pristine. I found a particularly artistically crafted gravestone that shows a small, engraved boat – a hint that many of the early inhabitants lived from the river. Access is free, and parking is a small, tree-lined path that leads directly to the entrance.

A short detour leads to Symerton Village Hall, an inconspicuous brick building, which however beats the heart of the village. The weekly council meetings take place here, but also the annual summer festival where I experienced the best corn-piston grills in the region. Parking is a small courtyard behind the building, and the best thing: you can just look in at any time, because the door is never really closed – a bit like my own apartment, only without the annoying roommate.

And yes, I didn't forget the Symerton Attractions to mention that do not appear in any guide. These include the small but fine details like the old water mill on the river, which does not work anymore, but still delivers the sound of flowing water when you listen carefully. I once made a picnic there, while a squirrel boldly inspected my sandwiches – a moment I will never forget.

At the end of my little tour I want to Symerton Community Park mention a tiny green strip with a bench that is perfect for watching the passing tractors. It is not just a national park, but for a place that has hardly more than a few hundred inhabitants, this is a real luxury. Parking is a little field road here, so better drive a bit cautious if you don't want to land in the mud.

Other special sights in the vicinity of Symerton, Illinois

The first stop of my little Odyssey leads me to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a piece of untamed prairie that lays like a green carpet over the flat plains west of Symerton. I once tried to shoot a photo of a bison, only to find that the animal prefers to drown in the shadow of an old oak – a classic case of “nature cannot be extorted”. Parking is a small adventure on the weekend, because the visitor numbers suddenly shoot up, but on a quiet Tuesday morning you can almost always find a free place near the visitor center. Those who like to hike can try the 5-mile loop; the paths are well marked, and the noise of the wind over the high grass is almost meditative if one is not distracted by the occasional mules that weeping here.

A short trip to Union brings me to Illinois Railway Museum, which is probably the largest railway museum in the USA – a paradise for those who love the smell of lubricating oil and rusty steel. I remember the moment I took place in an old steam train and heard the pipe of the boiler; that was a sound you don't find in any museum. The exhibition is huge, so you should not be surprised when you plan a little time; Parking is generous, but on Saturday afternoons it can become full because the families with children want to try out the interactive trains. A small tip: the café serves amazingly good coffee, which is almost as strong as the locomotives standing there.

Continue to Naperville, where the Cantigny Park on a former military site. I made a picnic with friends there, while we discussed the exaggerated sculptures – some seem to have a bad day and wonder why they are here at all. The park is huge, so you easily lose orientation, but this is part of the charm; the paths lead to a museum, a garden and even a small castle built by Robert Cantigny himself. Parking is available at the main entrance, and this is usually sufficient as long as you do not come to the main event, then the whole becomes a small parking jungle.

A short jump to Lisle leads to Morton Arboretum, a botanical wonderland that houses more than 1,700 tree species. I once tried to find the oldest tree there, just to find out that I lost myself in a labyrinth of ways – a perfect example of how even an experienced hiker easily loses the orientation here. Parking is easy at the main parking lot, but at autumn weekends, if the leaves are particularly spectacular, it can become narrow. The children love the “Treehouse Trail”, while adults appreciate the tranquility of the extensive lawns that invite you to stay.

The Great Western Trail winds through the heart of Will County and offers cyclists and hikers a welcome escape from everyday life. I explored the trail on a lukewarm summer evening when the sun just slept behind the fields and the light produced an almost cinematic flair. The path is well developed, but you should have a few snacks because the few rest places are not always blessed with a shop nearby. Parking is free at most entry points, but it can come to small traffic jams at the popular sections, such as near the Lockport Lock and Dam.

Lockport itself lures with the Lockport Lock and Dam, an imposing sluice that regulates the water of Des Plaines River. I stood there early in the morning when the water was still sluggish and watched how the sluice was slowly opened – a spectacle that you don't see every day. The place is a popular photo pot, so you should come early to avoid crowds. Parking is available directly at the dam, and they are usually free as long as you don't get to lunchtime when the school classes flow here for excursions.

A little further south lies Joliet Iron Works Historic Site, a relic from the industrial flowering period, which today serves as an open-air museum. I experienced a guided tour with a somewhat too enthusiastic guide that described every piece of metal with the passion of an old blacksmith – no joke, that was almost contagious. The terrain is wide, so you should wear comfortable shoes; Parking is generous at the main entrance, but it can be done on weekends because the museum often attracts school classes and hobby historians.

Conclusion

Those who want to explore the surrounding area of Symerton will find here a colourful mix of nature, history and scrupulous attractions that satisfy every traveller – whether adventure-loving or cozy observers. The Symerton Attractions in the surroundings offer enough variety to convince even the most skeptical visitors that a small trip from everyday life has to offer more than one would suspect at first glance.