Summer Fun in Peoria, Illinois
Looking for fun things to do with the grandkids this summer? My grandson and I have been heading to Peoria, Illinois for summer fun! We took two trips and enjoyed the amenities this fun city has to offer both times!
Museum stops, and more!
Our first trip this summer was a request from my grandson. He remembered a previous trip to the Riverfront Museum a couple of summers ago. So, we headed to this fun museum located along the Illinois River.
We had stopped for a quick bite, then walked to the museum enjoying the statues near the entry way. Once inside, we marveled at the huge clock, and the hand carved horse mannequin “Woodie” that was used to display harnesses and bridles made by the Kauffman Company.
The art was fun to share with my grandson Cade who is quite the artist himself. He had fun posing just like a few people in paintings making me laugh. I enjoyed the exhibit from Bronzeville to Harlem profiling the history Peoria. Cade wasn’t really impressed when I pointed out the band Headeast “Flat As A Pancake album, that resonated during my high school years.
Caterpillar Visitor’s Center
The displays were fun, but Cade was more impressed with the amazing Caterpillar Visitor’s Center. This cool museum opened on October 20, 2012. The museum is filled with huge machinery. Cade and I enjoyed sitting in the two-story CAT 797 Global mining truck. He enjoyed the chance to “operate” several machines, and the interactive aspect of the Caterpillar Visitor’s Center and Museum.
Checking out more!
For other trip ideas, I turned to Molly Crusen Bishop’s ideas. She wrote the book about things to do in Peoria put out by Reedy Press, 100 Things to Do in Peoria Before You Die. Our first stop on trip two was Kartville. We arrived just as they opened. First, we hit the gokarts! Next were the bumper boats, then we bumped over a trail on the dune buggy rides. Fun, fun, fun! This grandma joined right in. Our last game of the morning was a round of miniature golf. One place that offers a great array for the pre-teen like Cade!
Fun in Peoria Heights
Peoria Heights had the highlight of our day in Tower Park. Located near the Village Hall, the park sports a large water fountain and a 44’ pavilion for community events to compliment it’s 200’ water tower. It was this tower that you can ride up in in a glass elevator that captivated us! The water tower holds 500,000-gallons of water. When you reach the top, you can enjoy three observation decks. What a view riding up the glass elevator, then seeing the beautiful view of the Illinois River Valley. They say on a clear day you can see a distance of 20 miles!
We found a fun place to eat, then scooted on home. These are four things to do with older kids during the busy summer months. With time fleeing fast, it is great to have a list of “big kid” friendly things to do!
Find more information about fun things to do with kids on WellParents.com
