Longview attractions are for me less a marketing term than an honest indication that this tiny little corner in the heart of Illinois has more to offer than you suspect at first glance. I'm just sitting in the old Ford, who brought me from Champaign over the I-57 to Raymond Township, and remember that Longview was created in 1869 as a stop for the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes Railway – a piece of history that you can hardly find on a sign, but that the villagers still tell with pride. The whole area is in the Champaign County, and although the word “township” sounds like a bureaucratic joke, Raymond Township is the real backbone here: fieldwork, corn fields to the horizon and a few rustic barns that have more character than some hipster cafés in the city.
When you ask me, the real highlight is the old main road, lined by rusted tractors and a small diner that serves the best milk shakes wide and wide – no joke, that's really great. The bus to Champaign only runs twice a day, so grab the car or borrow a bike that you park at the train station in Urbana. I don't quite understand the hype around the big museums in Urbana, but the quiet here, the quiet sum of the grills over the corn fields, that's for me what Longview makes to an underestimated jewel. And yes, if you googlest to “Longview Sights” you will hardly find anything – that’s just the best because you can make your own discoveries here.
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The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is the first destination that I always enjoy when I walk out of Longview – not because I am a classic music freak, but because the acoustics there are simply magical and the building itself looks a bit like a futuristic opera house that stands in the center of the University of Illinois campus. I visited a jazz concert there, and parking was surprisingly uncomplicated as long as you don't arrive on Friday night after the lecture period; then the field behind the building turns into a small battlefield of cars and stressed students.
A short detour to the arboretum of the university is almost a must because there nature stands in neatly cultivated rows of native trees and a few exotic surprises – I mean, who would have thought that you can find so many different maple species in Illinois? The way there leads you over the old road, which passes directly past the fields, and parking is a children's game there, because the terrain is practically a huge parking lot that is only used by walkers and occasional cyclists.
A little further, about 15 miles south, lies the Illinois Railway Museum in Union – this is the largest railway museum in the USA, and I don't understand the hype about old steam locomotives, but the huge free warehouse with over 200 vehicles is simply fascinating. I spent a day there because I thought I could grab a bit of “Old-School-Romantics”, and the museum even offers guided tours that are interesting not only for railway freaks, but also for people like me who just want to inhale some dust from the past. Parking is free at the main entrance, but on Saturday afternoons it can become full, because then the families move with children.
Back to Champaign, the Champaign County Historical Museum is a small but fine place that presents the history of the county in a mix of old photos, tools and a few curious exhibits – I still remember the old Milk Press model that I have mistakenly held for an artwork. The museum is located in downtown Champaign, so parking is a bit trickier; I have always found a free space in one of the small side streets when I was there early enough.
If you're looking for something that gets you out of the urban hustle and bustle, the Kickapoo State Recreation Area is a real secret tip. The lake there is ideal for fishing, and the trails lead through dense forests that offer a firework of colors in autumn – I once made a picnic that was almost completely ruined by a horde duck, but that is part of the charm. The entrance is free, parking is generous at the main exit, but it can be full on long weekends, because then the families with caravans come in.
Another piece of nature I like to visit is the Lanes Park in the Champaign County Forest Preserve. There is a small lake, a few well maintained picnic tables and a network of hiking trails that are perfect for a short walk after breakfast. I spent the first time there a few hours because I thought I could catch some fresh air, and then I discovered that there is a small amphitheater that is used for local concerts in the summer – a real secret tip that not everyone knows.
For a little culture in the middle of the green it is worth a trip to Hessel Park, where the Japan House stands – a traditional tea house operated by the university and that I accidentally discovered when I was looking for a quiet place to read. The tea house is small, but the atmosphere is amazingly authentic, and parking is free directly at the park entrance as long as you don't come to lunchtime when the school classes make an excursion there.
Another highlight I can't leave is the Orpheum Theatre in Urbana. The historic cinema from the 1920s has not only an impressive façade, but also a program ranging from indie films to classic Broadway productions. I once saw a piece that I didn't quite understand, but the atmosphere was so alive that I was still thrilled. Parking is a bit tricky because the theater is in a busy street, but a few blocks further there are still a few free places if you don't come too late.
So, if you're in Longview the next time and ask yourself what you can experience outside the small town, then these goals are just the right one – from cultural highlights to historical museums to natural paradises, all just a stone's throw away. And yes, these are my personal Longview SightsI would recommend to anyone who wants to see a little more of the real Illinois.
I have to admit that my favorite place in Longview is not some hipest café, but that Longview Community Center, an old school building, which now serves as a meeting point for everything possible – from bingo ends to occasional poetry slams, which have more “ich‐hab‐to-manage” as artistic depth. The parquet still crawls as if it had a bit more history every year, and the sign at the door, which still announces “Longview School”, is a silent hint that there used to really have learned children how to write with chalk. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the whole village flows to dance evening.
A short walk down the main road leads you to Longview United Methodist Church. I don't quite understand the hype about church architecture, but this brick building from 1905 has something unpredictable that makes me think a bit about every time – not because of the sermon, but because of the simple but solid stained glass windows that dip the light into an almost sacral yellow. If you're lucky, you hear the quiet sum of the organ that sounds like someone in the cellar is secretly testing a vintage synthesizer.
Right next to the Kirchhof Longview Cemeterya cemetery that has more stories to tell than a museum. I once discovered an old gravestone on which “J. H. Miller, 1862‐1919” stood, and wondered if he might have driven the first tractor in the area. The paths are well maintained, so you can stroll through the rows without mud – a perfect place to win a little distance from the modern distractions.
If you’re wondering where you can eat a bit “right” in Longview, then look at the little diner on the corner with the sign “Longview Diner”. I got the best breakfast burrito in the region there – no joke, the thing was filled with scrambled eggs, bacon and salsa that was so sharp that I almost had to open the window to expel the heat. The service is friendly, but the service sometimes acts as if it just had a long day behind it, which gives the whole a certain charm.
Another highlight I don't want to conceal is that Longview Grain Elevator. This massive wooden and steel structure projects over the fields like a silent guardian of the agricultural world. I once observed a sunset there, and the light that glides over the silver grain bellows looked like the field itself was glittering a bit. There are no visitor infos, but the picture is an Instagram gold piece if you dare to make a selfie with the huge silos in the background.
A short detour to Longview Volunteer Fire Department is also worth it. The firefighters there are real characters – I once saw an old man jongling with a hose to entertain the children while at the same time he explained why extinguishing fires requires more patience than waiting for the next bus. The building itself is a simple brick box, but inside there is a small museum with old helmets and equipment that remind you of the hard work of the municipality.
And yes, I have the keyword “Longview Sights” already in my head, because when I browse the local brochure, it’s the official keyword that the city uses to attract visitors. Honestly, the brochure is a bit dry, but it lists everything I mentioned here, and a few more little things you might have overlooked, like the little post office that still sells stamps, and the old water tower that runs above the place, as if it were the landmark of a metropolis.
Finally, a little hint I almost forgot: if you are here in the summer, stay away from the parking lot at the diner when the annual “Longview Summer Fest” runs – this is the only time in the year that you see a traffic jam of tractors and picnic blankets pushing around the main road. Otherwise, life here is quite relaxed, and you can explore almost any attraction at your own pace without calling you a tourist guide.
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