Nauvoo is one of my favorite places to visit! I loved history so much as a teenager that for my 14th birthday (which happened to co-inside with my Spring Break) my family and I went to Historic Nauvoo and I thought it was the greatest thing ever! I have since been back a handful of times and it is always a wonderful, special place to visit. Nauvoo is a city that was founded by early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before they were forced to leave and moved to Utah. While the city was left behind during the exodus, parts of it have since been purchased by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they have recreated what the city looked like in the 1800’s. This post will tell you some of my favorite things to see in Nauvoo.
1. Visitor Center and Sculpture Garden
If you’re going to Nauvoo for the first time, the Visitor Center is the perfect place to start. There are exhibits and artifacts from the early settlers and it gives you a good overview of the area. There are missionaries there who can help you plan your trip and give you good insights on what to see and when to be at various performances. Just outside of the visitor center is probably my favorite place in Nauvoo: the sculpture garden. There are many sculptures dedicated to women and they are all so beautiful and very touching.
2. Wagon Rides
There are various wagon and carriage rides that will take you around Historic Nauvoo. This is a great way to see a lot of the town in a fun way. You can get tickets (they’re free!) at the Visitor Center.
3. Scovil Bakery
The Scovil Bakery shows you what it was like to bake during the mid 1800’s. You will get a small tour of the bakery and can see some of the tools that were used during that time. At the end of the tour there is usually some kind of yummy treat that was made the traditional way!
4. Historic Homes
There are many historic homes around Nauvoo that belonged to important leaders in the Nauvoo community. You don’t have to go see them all, but definitely take a look at the ones where people who are important to you lived. My favorite is the Lucy Mack Smith home. It was so fun to take Lucy there because Lucy Mack Smith is one of her namesakes.
5. Family Living Center
This is a really fun place that has interactive exhibits that show you how families lived during the 1840s. There you can see candle making, rope making as well as other skills that were needed to keep a home running.
6. Browning Gun Shop
If you’re interested in the history of guns, the Browning Gun Shop is a really cool place that shows you where Jonathan Browning lived with his family as well as his shop. You get to see historic guns and learn how they were made.
7. Pageants and Shows
Most times of the year there are various shows that happen each evening that the missionaries who are seeing in the area put on. They are always fun and uplifting and a great way to spend your evening.
8. Carthage Jail
If you’re going to be in Nauvoo, it is definitely worth the drive to see Carthage Jail where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother were killed by an angry mob. It is a very somber yet peaceful place. You will watch a video sharing the significance of the jail and then go on a guided tour of the jail. After the tour you can walk around the beautiful grounds.
