reddick mansion and gardens

Truly amazing home with an amazing story. Must see! The owner was a friend of Douglas and sat on the platform during the Lincoln Douglas debate. Great tale of an American success story.

I visited historic downtown Ottawa, Illinois for the first time yesterday and must say that I am extremely impressed. I was specifically wanting to visit the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debates (being a Lincoln afficianado and having visited two of the seven sites, this being my third one). When I visited, there was a big festival going on (River Days, I believe it is called).I was struck immediately by the historic district as a whole with its many old churches, mansions and the historic Lincoln-Douglas debate site and monument in Washington Park. The Reddick Mansion and Gardens is one such intact historic mansion. There are tours of the mansion, and in the guest house there is a free museum and interpretive center with a very knowledgeable staff on hand ready to answer any questions and give advice for a more in depth experience.It is educational, historic, culturally significant and has a very interesting personal story about Reddick.The tours are free but donations are suggested.

Across the street from the Lincoln/Douglas Debate and part of it! So worth seeing and the tour was wonderful! They are still working on the inside and it is a work of art!

This is a historical house tour. The problem is that the house is small and the owner was a relatively uninteresting person. Yes, there are some renovated and occasionally restored rooms and furniture. Yes, the docents try hard to make it interesting but they don't have much to work with.The house is also partially rented to a few small businesses so one doesn't get quite the sense of history that one typically does on a tour of this type. Additionally, rooms are also rented for music and other cultural events so be sure to check if it is open or being utilized for something else.

We didn't even know the mansion was in Ottawa until we saw it while on the square. We decided to venture in for a tour and found a fascinating mansion with knowledgeable tour guides. A wonderful visit. Anyone in town should make time to tour the home.

Was totally not aware of this historic mansion but came across it on the visit Ottawa site and gave it a go. Great find! Not all of the house has been restored, but that is also part of the fun because you see much of the 'before and after'.The house itself is very impressive (built 1875 (and the rooms that have been restored are beautiful. House has a fascinating history and only two owners: the original owner, and then a library for 75 years. We had the head docent for our tour and she was wonderful. Her enthusiasm and knowledge kept our interest through the tour. Only $5 entrance. We tipped more simply because she spent so much time and we wanted to support the renovation efforts ... all the more interesting because the non-profit that runs the mansion recently had in a group that spent weeks trying to understand all the original aspects of the house that have seen been hidden so you also get a chance to see historical archaeology in action. Would add that Ottawa also impressed me and there were all sorts of places to eat or have a coffee or drink. Should have planned more time here. And so close to Chicago!