A Day Trip from Chicago: Starved Rock Country and Weber House & Garden
Streator is about two hours southwest of Chicago and 25 minutes from Starved Rock, which makes it an easy one-day loop or a full weekend. Here is a plan that works.
The one-day version
Morning: leave Chicago by 8 and you will make the 10 am tour of Weber House & Garden. Tours run about 90 minutes to two hours, so you are done by noon with time to wander the garden and take photos.
Lunch: downtown Streator is a few minutes away, or pack a picnic for the parks.
Afternoon: drive 25 minutes north to Matthiessen State Park for the canyon trail, or to Starved Rock for the waterfalls and river overlooks. If you would rather stay indoors, Reddick Mansion in Ottawa is on the way home.
Evening: dinner at Starved Rock Lodge, then back to Chicago in under two hours.
Make it a weekend
Stay overnight in the Weber Guest House, inside the garden itself, and take the 2 pm tour instead so the morning is unhurried. Day two: ride the mule-drawn canal boat at Lock 16 in LaSalle, tour the Hegeler Carus Mansion a few blocks away, and drive home along the Illinois River.
LaSalle County's Heritage Corridor offers a variety of activities that makes it the perfect destination for a weekend adventure. Explore some of the attractions located near Weber House & Garden and plan your next Chicago getaway or family road trip.
Hegeler Carus Mansion
A Gilded Age mansion that zinc built, Hegeler Carus mansion has gone virtually unchanged since 1876. Touring the mansion lets you glimpse 19th century living, architecture and design achievements of the day, and accomplishments in industry and publishing.
LASALLE CANAL BOAT
Step back in time to 1848, when the Illinois & Michigan Canal first opened, with a ride on a fully-functioning canal boat. You'll ride in a meticulously recreated mule-drawn canal boat and travel on the same waterways 19th century passengers rode on, complete with functioning lock.
Matthiessen State Park
Established on land originally donated by Fredrick W. Matthiessen in 1918, Matthiessen State Park covers over 1,900 acres of canyons, streams, prairie, and forest. The park is best known for its unusual rock formations found in the canyon, mineral springs, and winding hiking trails.
Reddick Mansion
Built in 1855, Reddick Mansion was the site of the first Abraham Lincoln-Stephen Douglas debate. The 22-room Italianate mansion was designed by William B. Olmsted and Peter A. Nicholson for the William Reddick Family. The mansion grounds include herb and flower gardens, and brick walkways.
Starved Rock State Park
Covering over 2,600 acres along the Illinois River, Starved Rock State Park is known country-wide for its canyons, waterfalls, abundant wildlife, and miles upon miles of hiking trails. Offering lodging and dining for visitors, Starved Rock Lodge is conveniently located on park grounds.