Visit Litchfield Illinois

06/21/2024

A new look for this popular Route 66 attraction.

We are so excited for our new sign! We are so appreciative of so many to make this happen!

Rivers & Routes for granting us a grant.

Stephanie for working with sign companies, painters, and for always being our biggest fan!

H.N. Painting for cleaning and re-painting the screen. Front and back! Our movies look fabulous with the fresh coat of bright white paint!

ACE sign for designing and hanging the sign.

Tony for designing our amazing new logo!

We are so greatful!

04/24/2024

Spring is in full bloom at Rt.66 Prairie, Lake Lou Yaeger in Litchfield Illinois and Henry Eilers Shoal Creek Conservation Area! Thanks to the efforts of volunteer groups such as Lambo:, the Litchfield High School environmental studies class, the Natural Area Guardians and Friends of Lake Lou Yaeger, these areas are beautiful and healthy, and the hiking trails are in great shape. We welcome you to come visit and enjoy them!

04/14/2024

03/14/2024

Have memories of the Mother Road during its heyday? You might want to get in on this fun project. Email [email protected].

02/20/2024

An awesome place to visit!

02/14/2024

If you want to experience the nostalgia of an authentic Route 66 road trip, then an evening at the Litchfield Skyview Drive In is a must! It's the oldest continuously operating drive-in (since 1950) along the historic route, and they are already planning their 2024 summer lineup of movies.

01/25/2024

We're happy to be a part of Great Rivers & Routes and we're looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us in their videos! Looks like they visited the Litchfield Skyview Drive In this past summer. Be sure to subscribe to GRR's YouTube channel and catch videos of the tours beginning on February 7.

Experience the magic of Route 66 at the legendary Skyview Drive-in, a historic gem on America's iconic Mother Road! Kevin and Emily soak in the sights and sounds of this classic destination. Subscribe now and join the adventure to catch every moment behind the wheel February 7! 🎥🚗
https://www.youtube.com/

12/24/2023

To our friends from around the world, both near and far, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

12/21/2023

HOLIDAY HOURS:

December 21-23 OPEN 10 to 4
December 24 CLOSED
December 25 CLOSED
December 26-30 OPEN 10 to 4
December 31 CLOSED
January 1 CLOSED

12/18/2023

Lake Lou Yaeger in Litchfield Illinois has 6.6 miles of well-maintained hiking and mountain biking trails that are open year round. Go to visitlitchfield.com to read more about the trails and download a copy of the map.

12/06/2023

While making plans for your winter travels, be sure to plan a stay in Litchfield, Illinois, where you'll find beautiful turn-of-the-century architecture, eagle watching, hiking and biking, great dining and hotel options, shopping and lots of Route 66 attractions and photo ops! Visit these pages to get all the info, or call the tourism office at 217-324-8147. Lake Lou Yaeger in Litchfield Illinois Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center Rt.66 Prairie Litchfield Ariston Henry Eilers Shoal Creek Conservation Area Litchfield Skyview Drive In Jubelt's Restaurant & Bakery

11/25/2023

More details on tomorrow’s Small Business Saturday at the Carnegie Building!
Get a bag sponsored by the City of Litchfield, IL’s Economic Development office and the Litchfield Chamber of Commerce complete with the Passport to Christmas, a goodie bag from Visit Litchfield and The Journal-News Ho-Ho-Holiday Gift Guide. Ten lucky people will get a surprise in their bag, too. Don’t miss out and please shop local this holiday season! Our businesses have some great things happening tomorrow and into December. Be sure to check them out!

Thank you to our Passport participants:
Kismet Coffee Co.
Creative Expressions + thanks for bringing this bag design to life!
Hearts United
House of Glow LLC
Visit Litchfield
Short Furniture - Litchfield
Pizza Man & Ice Cream Man
Westside Cinema
You must spend $20 at a participating business to receive a stamp/initials on the passport. Passport to Christmas begins 11/25 and ends 12/16.

10/18/2023

Henry Eilers, steward for both the Henry Eilers Shoal Creek Conservation Area and the Rt.66 Prairie Litchfield, was featured in the latest issue of The Garden, a publication of the RHS - Royal Horticultural Society. The article focuses on his discovery of a local flower since named Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers.' He came upon the flower off Route 16 near Witt, Illinois, in the late 1960s. It is now a prized plant in our growing zone and in many gardens in England and other areas abroad.

10/10/2023

This weekend is a great time to visit Litchfield. The historic Litchfield Skyview Drive In is hosting a fall carnival with rides, games, crafts, vendors and food vendors. Stay late for a bit of drive-in nostalgia with a free showing of "Friday the 13th" on Friday and "Hotel Transylvania" on Saturday. Also on Saturday the weather is looking great for the The Dirty Hootenanny 1M, 5K, Biathlon 2023 at Picnic area 4, Lake Lou Yaeger.

09/20/2023

We always enjoy meeting visitors when they stop by the tourism office. This past week we met the Gjelstups from Denmark, Derek and Lori Goodell from Morton, Illinois and Cathy Ferguson and Joel Freeman from Ontario. Today, Scott and Jennifer Little from Ohio stopped in on their way to Wyoming (via the Ariston, of course!).

09/18/2023

Bird watchers can find many species of interest at Lake Lou Yaeger, from waterfowl to American bald eagles, and owls to wild turkey.
Today, a visitor to Lake Lou Yaeger captured this video of American white pelicans. Pelicans migrate through most of Illinois, on their way at this time of year to their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the pelicans will be here until early November. They will stop here again in late February or early March while returning to the Dakotas and Canada.

09/07/2023

Busy weekend coming up in Litchfield. Catch the annual Litchfield Triathlou Triathlon by Racemaker Productions on Sunday morning at Lake Lou Yaeger in Litchfield Illinois. Afterwards you'll have plenty of time to stop by the popular Litchfield Pickers Market in downtown Litchfield where you'll find great picks, live music and lots of good food. VFW POST #3912 Amvets Post 16 Litchfield IL Journey For Jeremy The Hometeam Grill Taste Of Mayberry Kettle Corn of Columbus VFD

08/09/2023

Litchfield native Robby Robinson is in town visiting family this week. Robby was born in Texas and came here with his family when he was about 3 years old. After his teenage band, The Far Cryes, became one of the most popular bands in southern Illinois, he headed to California to pursue a career in music. That led him to playing with stars such as Tom Jones, Liza Minelli and The Commodores. He has been the music director and keyboardist for Frankie Valli since 1978. Today, he played the Hammond organ in the chapel at HSHS St. Francis Hospital during morning Mass. Robby will be back in the area on October 19 when he shares the stage with Sara Niemietz for their "Get Your Kicks Tour '23" show at the The Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Robby, center, is pictured with HSHS St. Francis Director of Philanthropy Paula Endress and CEO Jim Timpe.

http://www.wildeytheatre.com/?nav=eventsDetails&num=2193&fbclid=IwAR0zEeu3fYm9ilw7kER87BX_fp1K0dvJYcqHNAB-v_-xeGVYmGDTSS8OvwY

07/28/2023

Visiting Litchfield this weekend, but want to find a way to stay cool? Rent a pontoon boat to take out on Lake Lou Yaeger in Litchfield Illinois or meander through the Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center (while you're there, buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Route 66 basket🙂). You can also enjoy a leisurely slow-food meal at The Ariston, Litchfield Gianni's Pizza and Italian Ristorante, Pizza Man & Ice Cream Man or EJ’S Bistro and Gaming. Then, wrap up your day by catching a double feature at the Litchfield Skyview Drive In with your car's air on (and the windows rolled down, of course).

06/07/2023

Stop by the Rt.66 Prairie on June 15 at 10 a.m. to watch the monarch butterfly sculpture be mounted on its pedestal. The prairie is part of the Route 66 Monarch Flyway, a 66-mile-wide corridor that stretches from Chicago to St. Louis. It's north of Litchfield on the east frontage road between Route 55 exits 52 and 60. Henry Eilers is the site steward and is a valuable source of information about prairie restoration and local flora and fauna. It's a beautiful area and, as an added bonus, the sidewalk through it is on the alignment of the old Route 66. The site is well worth a visit, especially for this occasion. Hope to see you there! Great Rivers & Routes Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Enjoy Illinois

05/31/2023

Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center is hitting a milestone this weekend and will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Stop by for deals on museum merch, door prizes and lots of food by Creekstone Kettle Works, A & G's Kookin Kitchen, and Jubelt's Restaurant & Bakery, which will have Route 66 cookies. Kids will have plenty to do with arts and crafts, and you may find a few first-responder vehicles to check out. Great Rivers & Routes Litchfield Skyview Drive In Ariston Niehaus Cycle Sales ROUTE Magazine Lake Lou Yaeger in Litchfield Illinois City of Litchfield, IL Enjoy Illinois Discover Downstate Illinois

05/23/2023

Logan Bricker with NPR's Community Voices spoke with Mindy Patrovich, former owner of the Litchfield Skyview Drive In, about running a landmark theater along the Mother Road, turning the business over to the new owners and her plans for the future. https://www.nprillinois.org/community-voices/2023-05-23/litchfield-skyview-drive-in-changes-hands-but-keeps-the-spirit-alive-community-voices?fbclid=IwAR0tu8h4B_W41wFsqdijVsWSeJy7lWk6pej0WFk1NBzlD6hNzGryxzHd8os

The Skyview Drive-In theater has been a staple for the Litchfield community since 1950. Since then, the owners of the business have changed hands from one family to another over the years. Mindy Pastrovich sat down with Logan Bricker and Community Voices to discuss how she and her family cared for t...

05/22/2023

Koozies, T-shirts, Route 66 cups and a Litchfield postcard book are just a few of the surprises in Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center's gift basket that they're raffling off through October 1. Just $1 buys you a chance to win it. Stop by the museum during your summer travels to get your tickets. You don't have to be present to win. Heck, you don't even have to be from the United States to win -- they'll ship the prize to you!

05/18/2023

Start making plans to spend a day at the beach! Milnot Beach at Lake Lou Yaeger will open on Saturday, May 27. Find all the water fun right here -- sandy beach, lake inflatables, Corcls, stand-up paddleboards, pontoon boats and kayaks.

05/08/2023

Back in April, Paige Hunsley with KMOV News 4 stopped by the Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center to talk with the museum's president, Carol Sneed, and to also talk with Mayor Steve Dougherty about the Litchfield Pickers Market. It aired this morning as a segment of their regular show, Great Day.

Paige Hulsey pays a visit out to beloved Route 66 Welcome Center, in celebration of Great Day's upcoming On The Road show.

05/04/2023

Need another reason to get to the Litchfield Pickers Market? Come by on May 14, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and come hungry!

04/25/2023

A warm welcome to the Hebenstreit and Semplowski families, and thank you for keeping the tradition of the Litchfield Skyview Drive In moving forward and continuing to entertain local residents and Route 66 travelers. A huge thank you, also, to the Pastrovich family for all your efforts to keep this landmark open for everyone to enjoy. Your work is appreciated.

What a great turn out today for our ribbon cutting to welcome the new owners of the Litchfield Skyview Drive In! Thank you to all of our local business owners and representatives who joined us. Congratulations to the Hebenstreit and Semplowski families on their new endeavor and a huge thank you to the Pastrovich family for keeping the Drive-in up and running during their ownership. The Litchfield Chamber of Commerce wishes everyone the best of luck and we look forward to what is in store.

04/24/2023

Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center held its grand opening on June 1, 2013. We are excited to help them celebrate their 10th anniversary on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Looks like they have a fun day planned. Hope to see you there!

June 3rd! 10AM TO 4 PM! Help us celebrate our 10th anniversary…
Giveaways
Raffle
Special sales
Door prizes
Free Jubelt cookies
Creekstone Kettle Works Popcorn
Sales
Appearance by Electus Bachus
Litchfield
Weather permitting there will be an ambulance, police car, fire truck, and helicopter on sight !!! As well as A & G’s Kookin Kitchen food truck and McDonald’s arts and crafts table!

Join us!!!