Explore Savanna

09/02/2026

Did you know Savanna is 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 30 minutes from Galena Visit Galena?! 👀🍂

Make the most of your fall trip and take the scenic drive over to Savanna! Explore our charming downtown, grab a bite at one of our local restaurants and soak up the beautiful Mississippi River views.

👑 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: Havencrest Castle opens their gates for public tours again in October.

Galena has been named the third-coziest U.S. fall destination for 2026 in a new study of 20 commonly-recommended fall getaways. According to a release, research factored vibrant fall foliage, rainf…

09/01/2026

🧚‍♀️ A Historic Airbnb in the 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 of Savanna

How 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦 is this?! The Dragonfly isn’t just a beautiful place to stay in Savanna, it comes with more than 140 years of history.

Built around 1882, this 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 has ties to one of Savanna’s early prominent families, longtime local businesses, former Mayor Charles Jenks, and even the infamous 1905 Pulford Opera House murder 👀

Only steps from downtown, you’ll be close to everything Savanna has to offer, local shops, restaurants, bars and more, with beautiful 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 right from the front sidewalk and even the cutest little Little 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 out front.

We absolutely love when a vacation rental 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 the history of the home and gives guests a chance to learn a little about Savanna while they’re here. The current owners have worked hard to preserve its 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 while turning it into a cozy, comfortable place for visitors to experience our river town.

Come for the getaway, stay in a little piece of Savanna history.
📲 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/50292754?check_in=2026-10-03&check_out=2026-10-08&guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=b10fd10e-8ef4-4fd1-9f15-188d53e4c829
📲 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠: www.exploresavanna.com/stay

09/01/2026

Okay, 𝐖𝐎𝐖, i’m jealous I didn’t spend my summer on an ice cream tour! 🍦

We love that Savanna made the list, and we’re even more excited that Polar Express took home Best Food AND Best Ice Cream out of all 12 stops! 🏆🍔🍨

08/30/2026

🌿 Explore the Upper Mississippi River Refuge up close!

There are only 𝐓𝐖𝐎 final Golf Cart Tours left this year, Thursday, September 3 and Thursday, September 17. Enjoy a guided ride along Spring Lake and experience the wildlife, scenery and natural beauty of the refuge.

⏰ Tours leave promptly at 8:00am
📍 Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center
7071 Riverview Road, Thomson, IL

Seats are very limited and registration is required! Email [email protected] with your name, phone number and total number of guests.

𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞, with free-will donations accepted to support the refuge. 🦅🌾

08/28/2026

✨ Oh, the 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰!
📌 Save this guide for your next Illinois road trip.

A huge thank you to O the Places We Go for visiting Savanna and sharing this 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 list of stops in our area:

📚 The Novel Bloom: Books, coffee, flowers & cozy vibes
🌳 Mississippi Palisades State Park: Hiking, overlooks & incredible views
🚲 Great River Bike Trail: Bike or walk along the Mississippi
🌊 Marquette Park: Relax along Savanna’s riverfront
☕ Tailored Brews: Coffee, sweet treats & small-town charm
🚂 Savanna Train Museum: Explore Savanna’s railroad history
⛪ Savanna Haven | Galena Haven: Stay in a beautifully restored historic church

And if you have more time, they recommend 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐲:

🌉 Sabula, Iowa: Iowa's only Island City
🧌 Clinton, Iowa: See the trolls!
🌬️ Fulton, Illinois: See a working Dutch Windmill
🏘️ Galena, Illinois: Another adorable historic town like Savanna
🛍️ Elizabeth's Grand Antique Co.: Three floors of antiques

We 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 seeing Savanna and the surrounding area through the eyes of visitors! 💙 Be sure to check out their 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 and start planning your own trip.

08/26/2026

🚢 Our favorite kind of Mississippi River traffic

The stunning “American Melody” by American Cruise Lines AND the “Viking Mississippi” are both making their way down the river, one right behind the other!

They locked through Lock 12 in Bellevue, Iowa, and will be making their way past Savanna later tonight!

How lucky are we to have sights like this pass right by us on the ol’ Mississippi? 💙

08/24/2026

😍 𝐈𝐍 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝟖 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐒, 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒.

It might still feel like summer outside, but fall is 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, and around here, it puts on one heck of a show.

The bluffs turn shades of red, orange, and gold, the Great River Road in Illinois, which has been named the #𝟏 "𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞" by USA TODAY two years in a row, becomes one of the prettiest drives around, and the Mississippi River makes the perfect backdrop for it all.

If you’re planning a fall trip to Savanna, mid-to-late October is typically when our colors are at 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭. Save the date, plan the drive, and come see why fall might just be our favorite season in Savanna. 🍂

Nestled along the scenic banks of the Mississippi River, Savanna is a charming small town rich in history and natural beauty. With history and adventure around every corner, Savanna is yours to explore.

08/24/2026

Do your friends 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 you make the best jerky around? It's time to 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘵 at Poopy's Je****ff: The Ultimate Jerky Showdown!

🏆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍!
🥩 Sullivan's ACE Hardware Stores donated B***y Rubs + a meat shredder claw tool
🏰 Havencrest Castle donated tickets to their October tours
🔥 Poopy's is putting together an AMAZING gift basket valued at $250!
🧡 Want to help out? We are accepting prize donations!

All you have to do is 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐈𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐓 to compete. Not only are you competing for bragging rights and prizes, but every entry helps 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 right here in Savanna!

🥩 Tasting: Noon – 3:00 PM
🏆 Awards & Judging: 3:00 PM
📅 Saturday, September 19th at Poopy's

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰:
🥩 Homemade jerky only — no store-bought entries
🦌 All meats are welcome
📦 Can't make it? Mail your jerky to us!
🏆 You 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 have to be present to win
📝 Register online or print and bring an entry form
👕 Event shirts are available now in Poopy's merch store

📬 Mail-In Address: Poopy's, 1030 Viaduct Rd, Savanna, IL 61074
📲 Sign up here: poopys.com/contact-us/

08/23/2026

What an amazing traveling act for small communities like ours! 👑⚔️🎪

We got to see the The Kingdom Of Wonders show last night, and it was so neat! They have TWO more shows TODAY at 3pm & 6pm, don’t miss your chance to check it out!

🎟️ Admission is FREE! Donations are encouraged to help support this traveling show and keep them bringing entertainment like this to small communities.

📍 Savanna Park District Field
500 Cragmoor Street • Savanna, IL

🎟️ Reserve your 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 tickets here:
https://purchase-tickets-forthe-kingdom-of-wonders.square.site/shop/822-823-savanna-il/GSEX5OV5RUXKMTXXORWKZQUV