apple river fort

enjoyed learning about the history of the fort, the living museum was a quick walk from the main bldg (or you can drive). Glad we stopped

We were lucky to attend the fort's first candle lit tour held on October 25th! It was such a great experience ! The reenactors were fantastic and so knowledgable about life in the fort. The candle light added an authentic touch that helped bring the fort's history life. I hope the fort continues with evenings like that as I think it would be great for families and history buffs!

This small historical site includes a visitor center with information about the site, and a short walk to a reproduction of the fort itself - a reproduction of a "civilian fort" of the 1830s. The visitor center has a clear, even-handed presentation of information on Apple River Fort's role during the Black Hawk wars, but the highlight is the reproduction fort itself, which is staffed by a dedicated group of staff and volunteers who give visitors insight into life for European Americans in the region in the 1830s. The small scale allows for friendly, casual interaction; and depending on the day's schedule and the weather you can staff dipping candles, making lead shot, dyeing yarn, or (as was happening the day we were there) cooking the midday meal on an open hearth. Allow 30 minutes for the visitor center, 10 minutes to walk from the visitor center to the fort (you can also drive) and 30 minutes to 2 hours at the fort itself depending on what's going on that day. Gift shop in the visitor's center has some quirky choices (a book on how to become a river tugboat captain?) but also some good material on the Black Hawk wars.

Apple River Fort is a nicely rebuilt fort on a magnificent site overlooking hilly northwest Illinois. If you're in the area, maybe headed to Galena, it's worth a side trip.It's much smaller than I expected. Three modest buildings and a palisades fence. Life in a fort in 19th Century Illinois must have been brutal: hostile locals and hostile weather. We visited on a frigid winter day, wearing our parkas and driving our heated car right up to the Fort's gate....how did the pioneers survive?The nearby Visitors' Center is terrific, and the staff and volunteers we met there were knowledgeable and friendly. Good parking, edifying displays, fun gift/book shop. I bought Black Hawk's autobiography and some old fashioned root beer hard candy.There are outdoor exhibits along the road between the Center and the Fort which highlight certain aspects of the Fort and the Black Hawk War, but we were too cold to stop and read them.The signage from the road to the Center and from the Center to the Fort could be a little more prominent. There's a nice diner in downtown Elizabeth. Also a roadhouse on Rt. 20 guarded by a shark statue.

Very nice historic site which chronicles the time period and reasons leading up to the battle at the Apple River Fort with the local settlers against followers of the Sauk warrior, Black Hawk. Interpreter did a very nice and thorough job of explaining the history of the time and event. A 15 minute film was very well done with both paid actors and residents of Elizabeth. Knowing that Abraham Lincoln was an army captain on special detail in the area surrounding the battle was very interesting. The story of how Elizabeth got it's name was also quite interesting. The weather was very cold and snowy and the fort was frozen shut so was unable to go inside the fort. It is possible to drive up to the fort with your vehicle. Visit takes a hour or so if you take in interpretative talk, movie, and fort visit. Cost is a suggested donation of $4.00.Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy the history of an important event depicting the struggles of our native Americans and settlers looking for better lands to raise their families.

It was informative and comprehensive with lots of input from the staff present. The information in the main room was supplemented by looking at the fort interior.

Stopped here on the way to Galena. Took a tour of the visitors museum in a old house on the way to the fort. Was a bit of a walk to the recreated fort: but it was a nice day and we needed the exercise anyway. Amazing how so many people lived in 3 small buildings and fought off an indian attack.

We stumbled across this sight while looking for a restaurant. What a find! Knowledgeable staff, learned a lot about historic events that we were completely unaware of! Staff in museum/office were excellent, reenacters a tad long winded, but passionate and well informed.

My image of a "fort" was borne out of my lincoln log days and TV westerns. I have seen other military forts however this was my first fort (of course the replica) built by civilians for their safety in the early 1800s. It's 50' by 70'! One of the first buildings I walked into had a door on both sides of the building which was strange in my book if you're trying to protect/defend folks. Evidently, the fort had been built around an active cabin at that time. Very interesting. We started at the interpretive center and were provided a wealth of information along with a 15 minute movie explaining about the Sauk, Blackhawk, and the settlers in the fort. The center has large placards with more information and is also a small gift shop. It's about a quarter of a mile walk/drive to the fort, part of it is an incline which is doable for children, families, and seasoned folks, like myself. The folks at the fort were in time period dress and very pleasant to talk with answering our questions as well as showing us around both in/out of the fort area.It's an easy stop just off US 20 in the town of Elizabeth (watch the movie to find out how the town got its name). Good parking in a lot and on the street. A couple of good places to eat within a short walk from the center. No fee however there is a small contribution box in the center. The fort was reconstructed and is maintained by volunteers.Very clean restrooms. Stairs going down to watch video and a back entrance that we used to get to the fort.

This is a reconstructed fort where a few people held off an attack from Indians. The original site of the fort is here, but the reconstructed one is built beside it. Be sure and visit the visitors' center/museum to learn the history of this place. Very good, educational stop on our road trip!

It's definitely worth a see, especially if you have kids. It's such a small, well-structured fort that the kids really feel like they are able to role play. However, the docent there was insensitive, aggressive and verbose, so be careful that you didn't spend a half a day there listening her drone on and on about gore and violence. She wouldn't stop talking, even when we repeatedly told her we needed to go. We finally had to resort to cutting her off, to no avail. I have never seen a less considerate volunteer at any facility at any time. I doubt if they can do anything about her training, based on what I saw.

There is a nice small visitors center with a few artifacts and a nice video. It's a block or two walk to the fort, a good reproduction aside the original foundation. You can enter the buildings and climb the ladders, good for kids, even us older ones. The guides are small town friendly and knowledgeable. No fee, but a donation jar. I recommend watching the 15 minute video first. Not a destination, but great to include in a tour of the area.

I have visited the Apple River Fort many times and would definitely go back if I had a chance. The fort is a precise remodel of the original from the are. The visit is complete with a small museum of artifacts and a short video depicting the history of the town and the fort. From the museum/welcome building you can arrive at the fort by car or on foot.On an average day, kids can have fun exploring the different rooms and climbing the watchtower in the enclosed space of the fort, however numerous times a year the town will host special events during which the fort will bustle with volunteers dressed in perious-garb and re-enact a typical historic day. In the past, the fort has also hosted day camps and traditional christmas decorating days that are fun for children of all ages.The fort accepts donations, but the visit itself is free, which is always nice for families on a budget!

Went there for a re-inactment weekend and was amazed by the quality of the portrayal by local talent accurate information and interesting as well. Don't miss their events, fantastic!

Christmas in the village and Christmas at the fort were both worth the stop. We plan to come again for the other reenactment events and visit the shops of Elizabeth.