Family travel guide to Nauvoo, Illinois with toddlers!

(NAUVOO, ILLINOIS) — Fall presents an opportunity for us to reset.

The leaves change color, the temperatures cool down and activities outside now might require a light jacket.

It also presents the opportunity for fun, outdoor adventures and what us Midwesterns love: a good ole road trip.

Two hours directly west from Peoria, Illinois sits Nauvoo. A calm, peaceful town alongside the Mississippi River filled with history, cute downtown shops and free family-friendly activities. We recently spent a weekend there and had a magical time. I think we were gifted the most beautiful 48 hours of weather we’ve felt in a long time.

If you’re looking for a Midwest weekend trip or quick getaway, you’re in the right place. Read along and as always, send me a message if you’ve stayed any of these places before.

WHERE TO STAY: The Inn at Old Nauvoo

As you head into town and Illinois 96 becomes Mulholland Street, you’ll be greeted by The Inn at Old Nauvoo. It’s a 3-story hotel with many rooms, complimentary breakfast, a gift shop in the lobby, and our favorite part — the indoor heated pool. Our room was comfortable and spacious, with a king-sized bed plus bunk beds (and a pullout couch!). The pool was fantastic. It was large enough to swim around and it feel big, but shallow enough to feel 100% safe swimming with our young kids. We swam both nights we were there, and my kids never wanted to leave.

WHERE TO EAT:

If you’re taking a trip to somewhere unknown, one of the top questions is always, “Where should we eat?” First, let me place a caveat; starting in the fall, some summer shops close down, limiting your options just a smidge. But have no fear, there are plenty of options we’ve found for you to make your stay enjoyable. Let’s go in chronological order of what we did.

Fireside BBQ | 1240 Mulholland Street.

Before I continue on, let me point out that every food/drink stop we visited is on Mulholland Street! Right now (October 2026) is their Scarecrow Festival, where people put out themed scarecrows all throughout Mulholland. It’s a lot of fun.

Anyways, back to the BBQ.

We had a fantastic dinner meal here at Fireside. The co-owner and head meat smoker is also a talented photographer! You’ll see images of the Grand Tetons in the restaurant that are wonderful. You can’t go wrong with the meat. Ribs, pulled pork, brisket and turkey are all great. So are the sides! Mac n cheese, “graveyard” potatoes, baked beans and more.

Nauvoo Fudge Factory | 1215 Mulholland Street

For Halloween the Nauvoo Fudge Factory has these chocolate spiders! My 4-year-old loved it so much, he wanted to go back the next night to get another. I swayed him to get ice cream instead, which we’ll get to later. This is your classic fudge shop and if you like fudge, definitely give it a try!

Lock 19 | 1395 Mulholland Street

I know we were really hungry when we walked in, but these were some of the best burgers and milkshakes we’ve had in a long time. If you’re a burger fan, the smash burger is a MUST! The Dam Burger is their most popular, and the fries that go along with it are great. My kids loved the hot dog and fish. The milkshakes were another fan-favorite. Caramel cookie crunch and thin mint are just two of the options.

The Red Front | 1305 Mulholland Street

We stopped by Saturday night after a soup sampling event at the City Center for some evening snacks. I got the Old Nauvoo root beer (yum!), and we split an ice cream “brick.” Yes, imagine a big square of ice cream with toppings blended in – kind of like a mini ice cream cake. They also have soft-serve. They do have food options throughout the day, so if you need lunch or dinner this is another good option.

WHAT TO DO:

What I loved about Nauvoo is the fact it has so many fun, educational and FREE things to do. Plus, there are certain activities that are really fun for kids my age (toddlers), and other things we saw and said “Yeah, that will be so fun when they’re older.” A lot of these activities are in an area of town referred to as Old Nauvoo. It’s a picturesque place with many houses and historical markers from the 1800s. It’s down the hill from the downtown corridor and towards the Mississippi River.

The Oxen Experience | 495 Main St.

To see these animals up close in personal is a magnificent thing. First, you’ll learn about the history of oxen and why they were chosen for cross-country journeys over horses. You can pet them, too; ours were named Tim & Tom. Then, hop up on the wagon and take a ride around the grounds, while one of your guides will tell you more fun facts about the animals. My kids are OBSESSED with farm animals, so this was such a great activity.

Wagon Depot | Hotchkiss St.

This is very similar to the Oxen Experience, except that the ride around the farmland is much longer and your carriage will be driven by horses, not oxen. Also a fun experience learning more Nauvoo history and seeing the horses up close and personal.

Scovil Bakery | 325 Main St.

While not a “typical” bakery, the founder of Scovil Bakery turned it into something more entrepreneurial. Lucius Nelson Scovil opened up the bakery in 1843, and operated it as a consignment bakery. Locals would bring their baked goods and items to him, and he’d sell them! Luckily for those who decide to stop there, you get to enjoy a sweet molasses cookie during or after your stop.

The Carriage Depot | 350 Main St.

Just keeping walking a little further after Scovil Bakery, and you can take a horse-drawn carriage! This is a much shorter option to ride around the grounds, and is located by Pioneer Life – which is an activity area that offers a lot of other things to do for you and the kids. This ride shows you downtown Old Nauvoo and rides by historic homes and landmarks. Bennett REALLY wanted me to take a picture of the depot building, so I hope you all enjoy.

There are other historic stops you can visit like the Blacksmith, Gunsmith, the Women’s Garden and many homes that are managed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There’s also the Nauvoo Temple Visitor’s Center as well as the Historic Nauvoo North Visitor’s Center which are free.

Stone Arch Bridge & Veteran’s Memorial

This is a quick, fun and picture-perfect walk for you and the family. Park in the lot and head down the stairs behind and to the left of the Veteran’s Memorial, and you’ll find the Stone Arch Bridge. Depending on recent rain, there should be a little stream flowing through that you can step over.

Speak of recent rain, David’s Chamber is another thing that depends on it. This is right up the road from Stone Arch Bridge and the small waterfall was slightly running when we stopped by, however there hadn’t been rain in a couple of days.

Nauvoo Riverwalk is another scenic place to visit. Get up close and personal with the Mississippi River, and see some of the best views of the sunset around. We stopped here twice to just park the car, let the kids throw small rocks in the river and enjoy nature. Also the perfect place to birdwatch.