Nauvoo, Illinois is still a gathering place for Mormons today. It has forty restored businesses and homes to visit while you are there. Nauvoo is located next to the Mississippi and was home to the saints between 1839 and 1846. There is a lot to do and see in Nauvoo, and you should plan a visit for several days. There is no charge for any rides, programs, tours or pageants in Historic Nauvoo.
You may want to begin your visit by going to the Historic Nauvoo Visitor’s Center. You can find out more about Nauvoo and also see the new church movie “Joseph Smith, The Prophet of the Restoration.” The movie is free to view, but reservations are needed. You can also see the play “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” at 7:00 p.m., again the play is free, but reservations are required. Carriage and wagon rides are available which give riding tours of Nauvoo.
As you walk through Historic Nauvoo, you can see many homes of church leaders that have been restored. As you step inside each home, your will be taken on a short tour of the home, and a story about the home or the person who it belonged to will be toured. There are several demonstrations available. These include boot making, a print shop, brickyard, a blacksmith shop, weaving and bread making.
A trip to Nauvoo would not be complete without visiting the recently completed Nauvoo temple. Reservations are recommended for temple sessions. You can visit the Nauvoo temple visitor’s center, and learn more about the building and restoration of the Nauvoo temple. Nauvoo also has a family history center available.
If you are in Nauvoo, it is worth the short drive to the Carthage Jail. Carthage is just twenty-four miles southeast of Nauvoo. The Carthage Jail is where the prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. There is a small visitor’s center and a tour of the jail available.
If you are visiting Nauvoo between July 7 and August 4, you will want to watch The Nauvoo Pageant: A Tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Preshow activities begin at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 8:45 p.m. There are no reservations required for the pageant.
You should be able to find accommodations available in or around Nauvoo, but if you are visiting during July, you should make reservations ahead of time. Tomorrow I will be writing about Liberty Jail and Independence, Missouri, as well as Far West.