Must See's

If you can't spend a full day in Nauvoo and you just want to hit the highlights, we reccomend the following as "must see's".

1. Stop by the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Visitor Center  for a quick overview of the history of the village. You can pick up a free map of the historic sites and get tickets for the free wagon rides.  They have two wagon rides. The first is a "Carriage Ride to Inspiration Point."  This wagon ride takes you north of the visitor center on a 45 minute wagon ride through the woods  A narrator provides historic information  along the way.  The second wagon ride, "Wagon Tour of Old Nauvoo" is a narrated, 1-hour ride through the historic sites south of the visitors center.  Both tours are fun and did we mention, they're FREE.  Even though the rides are free you still need tickets and on busy days tickets can run out early.

2. Scovil Bakery.  This quaint little bakery is one of our favorite places to stop.  Not only do they explain how they made bread and cakes in the 1840's, but every visitor get's a small gingerbread cookie, and they are DELICIOUS.  Here's the recipe if you want to make them at home.

3.  Webb Brothers' Blacksmith Shop.  This shop is arguably the best demonstration in town.  The first half of the shop is the "Wainwright".  There you will watch a demonstration on how wagon wheels were made and you will learn about what it took a pioneer to go west in the 1840's.  The second half of the shop is the blacksmith shop.  There you will watch as the blacksmith forges a miniature horse-shoe.  Everyone one who visits the Blacksmith shop gets a free "Prairie-Diamond Ring" and one lucky winner will get the horse-shoe.

4. Heber C. Kimball Home.  This was the first home ever restored in Nauvoo.  It was restored by Heber's great-grandson, J. Leroy Kimball.  Originally restored as a vacation home by Dr. Kimball, his work renewed interest in Nauvoo history and eventually led to the formation of Nauvoo Restoration Inc., the company responsible for restoring many of the homes in Nauvoo.  The Kimball home is one of the largest and most beautiful of the restored homes open for tours.

5. Joseph Smith's Red Brick Store.  This is a working general store that sells souvenirs as well as other items that would have been for sale in Nauvoo in the 1840's.  Stop by and browse the store and before you leave, purchase an ice-cold bottle of Red Brick Store Root Beer!  And if all of this traveling is wearing you down, purchase a bag of their old-fashioned Horehound Candy.  Horehound candy is an acquired taste, but the Horehound herb was used by Native Americans and Pioneers to treat colds and sore throats.

Though you really can't go wrong with any of the restored shops and homes in Nauvoo, these are our family's recommendations for anyone short on time.  All of the tours are free of charge. Tours typically last about 30 minutes, except for the blacksmith shop, you'll want to allow 45 minutes there.