Visit Saint Anne Kankakee Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights 2025. Discover the beautiful town of Saint Anne in Illinois! Experience the historic centre with old wooden houses and the traditional "Taste of Saint Anne". Walk in the park "St. Anne's Park" or on the golf course. Eat in one of the many good restaurants that can be found here. A must is the cake of St. Anne Bakery!
Saint Anne's sights are for me less a marketing term than an honest hint that this small community in the heart of Kankakee County has more to offer than one would suspect at first glance. I remember driving for the first time in the Saint Anne Township, founded in 1850, a crunching diesel that hit the old railway line that once formed the backbone of the region. The story here is a patchwork of Irish immigrants looking for their homeland in the vast precincts, and the hard spirit of the pioneers who built the country while the nearby Kankakee River reflected their dreams.
Honestly, the cityscape is not an Instagram filter, but that's exactly what makes the charm: a few well-preserved half-timbered houses, an old cemetery where the names of my ancestors are standing, and the weekly peasant market meeting that works more after a family meeting than after a commercial event. When you arrive by car, take the I‐57 until exit 306 – the sign “Saint Anne” is hardly overlooked, and a short trip to the County Road 12 takes you directly to the heart of the city. If you prefer to take the train, you can take the Amtrak stop in Kankakee and then take the bus 12 to Saint Anne. And yes, I don't understand the hype about the big metropolises, but here, between corn fields and old barns, I find a rest I rarely experience in the crowded tourist centres. The local cafes do not serve a buckling snack, but simply strong coffee and a smile that says more than any brochure. So, if you're going to Illinois the next time, don't forget to enjoy a few hours for the quiet corners of Saint Anne – that's the true "seen" in this place.
I have to confess to you: When I think of Saint Anne, I immediately jump the creeping wood of the St. Anne Catholic Church into the brain – this is my personal favorite place, and not just because the benches are better padded there than in most supermarket waiting rooms. The church from the early 20th The century has this almost forgotten Gothic aesthetic, which can be found only in dusty guides. I don't quite understand the hype about modern glass flutes, but here you have real stucco works that almost look like a painting at sunset. Parking is usually easy, except on Sunday after the fair, as the old Ford carts pile up like mushrooms.
A short walk down the main road leads you to St. Anne Public Library. This is not some library, but a small but fine refugium for those who like to sniff between dusty shelves after forgotten novels. I once found a book about the history of Illinois' cornfields, which I could never put out of my hand – no joke, that was a real find. The library has free Wi-Fi, and the staff is so friendly that they almost give you the feeling that you would be a regular guest at the local café.
If you are interested in local history, you must St. Anne Historical Museum visit located in the former school building. There are old black-and-white photographs of city founders hanging there, and a cracking desk from the 1920s tells more about life here than any Instagram story. I discovered a handwritten shopping list from 1915 – the only one I've ever seen at the top of the "Kohl". The museum is small, but the stories are big, and parking is right outside the door, which is almost a luxury for a museum.
A little fresh air? Let's go St. Anne Park. The place is not just a national park, but for a village of 2 500 inhabitants it is a real jewel: a baseball field, a playground, and a small pond where ducks turn their rounds. I once made a picnic with friends, and we made fun of the “big” cities in the state – until a squirrel stole the sandwiches. This is the true Saint Anne experience: unpretentious, a bit chaotic and totally authentic.
Another landmark you should not overlook is the St. Anne Water Tower. This rusty colossus from the 1950s projects over the village like a silent guard. I've seen him for the first time at sunrise, and the orange light shimmering through the metal plates has almost made me write a poem – which I then quickly rejected because I rather drank a beer in the local diner. The tower is freely accessible from the outside, and parking is possible directly on the road as long as you do not come past the weekend when the school buses park there.
For a little culture and a good food I recommend a trip to Main street of Saint Anne. There is the small but fine café “Maggie’s Bakery” that offers the best cinnamon chicks wide and wide – honestly, they are better than any big city chain. I once asked the owner why he doesn't have an Instagram page, and he just said: “We don’t need any likes, we have the best customers.” The café has a few tables out there, where you can watch the city's drive while you're stealing your cinnamon chick. Parking is a children's game because the village simply doesn't have so many cars.
Last but not least a hint for those who want the full Saint Anne experience: The Saint Anne Attractions can best be explored on foot. The paths are short, the people are friendly, and you get the feeling that you are not only a tourist, but a part of the small, slightly cynical village life. I have the feeling that everyone who comes here has the need to steal a piece from the old wooden chair in the community centre – just to say that he did. And that's the most beautiful thing about Saint Anne: It's not perfect, it's just real.
The first stop I always recommend is that Kankakee River State Park – a piece of untouched nature that extends only half an hour south of Saint Anne. I once tried to arrange a picnic, just to be overrun by a horde duck, which apparently had the same concept. The lake is not huge, but the water is clear enough that you can see almost your own mirror image when paddling. Parking is usually a Klack, except on sunny Saturday afternoons, then a small mess of caravans and family cars is formed.
A few miles further north is the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a huge piece of prairie that moves like a green carpet over the flat landscape. I don’t understand the hype about “Prairie experience”, but the feeling of standing there alone with the wind is almost meditative – until a curious beaver suddenly shot out of the water and almost brought me out of balance. The visitor centre has a few interactive maps that show you where you can best find the Bison sculptures; this is practical because the terrain otherwise becomes a labyrinth easy.
If you prefer to find something historical, that is Kankakee County Historical Museum a must in the city of the same name. I met my grand aunt, who randomly held an old photo of himself with a 1900-century tractor – a real family factor that suddenly made the museum more personal. The exhibition is small but well curated, and parking right in front of the building is almost always free as long as you do not come to the weekend fair.
For those who prefer to travel on two wheels, there are Kankakee River Trail, a well-developed cycle path that stretches along the river and extends to Momence. I once made a morning wheel race there, while an older man with a folding tandem drove next to me and swung loudly over the “good old times” – a real charm boost. The trail is mostly asphalted, so no problem for city bikes, and you can stop at almost every bridge to enjoy the panorama.
A little further east lies the Kankakee River Golf Club, a place that has more character than some 5 star resorts. I lost a game with a few colleagues there because a sudden thunderstorm turned the green into a muddy field – that was annoying, but the bar at the clubhouse served the best Bourbon I ever drank. Parking is right at the clubhouse, and check-in is quick as long as you don't get to a golf bag full of balls that irritates the door handlers.
A short trip after Momence leads you to Momence Riverfront Parkwhere a small bridge leads into the water and an old lighthouse (yes, a lighthouse in the interior) serves as a photo motif. I once made a spontaneous photoshoot with my friend, because the light was right – the result was an image that now hangs in my living room. The park is free, and parking is usually easy on the outskirts of the park as long as you don't arrive at the weekend with a group of school classes.
Whether you're looking for nature, history or a little sporty change, the surroundings of Saint Anne offer more than enough reasons to leave the small place and the Saint Anne Attractions to discover all its diversity. Pack your curiosity, run the car and enjoy the mix of rustic charm and surprising moments that make this region a real secret tip.
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