Welcome to the Sullivan Chamber & Economic Development Website

Bo Wood will open April 4th for the season.
Reservations are being taken at www.recreation.gov and 27
new sites have been added for the 2008 season

Fishing

Lake Shelbyville is one of the top Midwestern destinations for fisherman. With 11,000 acres and 200 miles of shoreline, it hosts over 300 fishing tournaments each year. Top catches include muskie, largemouth bass, and crappie.

For current fishing opportunities, see current local fishing report and fishing tournaments and Army Corps. For information on fishing licenses, see the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

A specially designed fishing pier is provided at Lake Shelbyville's Opossum Pond for persons with disabilities and children 12 years of age and younger.

For members of the public without a boat, you can fish at one of sixteen managed farm ponds around Lake Shelbyville or at Wyman Park in Sullivan.

Bait and Fishing Services

Marv & Kathy's Bait Shop
R.R.#4, Sullivan
217-728-4044

Okaw Boat Storage
Contact: Brian Vahling
217-254-8221 (cell)

Sullivan Sport Center
RR 2, Box 5, Sullivan
728-7797
Contact: Woody Moran

Back to top

Boating

On a hot summer day, Lake Shelbyville is dotted with boats full of people enjoying the cool lake air. Houseboats, pontoon boats, motorboats, and even sailboats provide a variety of recreational opportunities.

A map of Lake Shelbville shows the location of its marinas and boat ramps. Lake Shelbyville has three marinas:

* Sullivan Marina on the north end of the lake, 3 miles south of Sullivan
* Findlay Marina in the middle of the lake, 4 miles east of Findlay
* Lithia Springs Marina on the south end of the lake, 3 miles east of Shelbyville

All three marinas offer slips, boat rentals, gasoline, and other boating and fishing services. Boat rentals are also available to guests at Eagle Creek Resort.

In addition to the marinas, boat ramps can be found at all State Parks and Access/Recreation Areas.

Back to top

Nature

Off the beaten path, the Sullivan area has many places to enjoy a quiet walk through the woods, the moon reflecting off the lake, and deer feeding in the meadow at dusk.

Surrounding Lake Shelbyville are a variety of hiking trails, from .7 to 11 miles long. Trails are found in lake access areas managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, Eagle Creek State Park, and Wolf Creek State Park.

Lake Shelbyville Mgmt Office
R.R.#4, Box 128B, Shelbyville
774-3867
Contact: Ricky Raymond

Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Eagle Creek & Wolf Creek State Parks
P.O. Box 16, Findlay, IL 62534
217-756-8260

Tabor Park Trails
Sullivan
http://www.sullivanil.us/cityparks.html

Back to top

Hunting

The Sullivan area is teeming with excellent opportunities for hunting deer and doves. Hunters can also find quail, pheasant, turkey, waterfowl, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, fox, and coyote. The forests and open lands around Lake Shelbyville provide plentiful public access for hunting.

Major areas for public hunting access include:

* Army Corps
* Eagle Creek State Park (520 acres)
* Eagle Creek State Wildlife Area (785 acres)
* Wolf Creek State Park (500 acres)
* Shelbyville State Fish and Wildlife Area: Kaskaskia Unit (3,000 acres near Allenville) and West Okaw Unit (3,000 acres near Bethany)

For information and applications for hunting licenses and permits for both Illinois residents and non-residents, see the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

The Lake Shelbyville Army Corps of Engineers Project Office organizes special hunting events in the fall. Call (217) 774-3951 for more information and exact dates of these events.

* An annual deer hunt is held for persons with disabilities.
* Controlled dove hunting is conducted during the first two days of the dove hunting season in managed sunflower fields. A permit is required for opening day.
* Youth dove hunts and squirrel hunts are occasionally held where an adult and a youth share a day in the field.
* Controlled waterfowl hunting is available at Okaw Wetlands each year. A permit is required.

Back to top

Agri-Tourism

Sullivan is surrounded by some of the richest farmland in the world. Visit our local vegetable and fruit farms and taste our delicious produce.

Visit farms and agri-tourism attractions in the Sullivan area:

Buxton's Garden Farm
West Route 121, Sullivan
728-7993
Contact: Steve & Paula Buxton
Open: Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Open June 21
www.buxtonsgardenfarm.com

Graber Produce Patch
R.R.#2, Box 203A, Sullivan
Contact: Ben & Betty Graber
Open: 8 a.m. to dark
April - October
asparagus, radishes, eggplant, sweetcorn

Lake Shelbyville Mgmt Office
R.R.#4, Box 128B, Shelbyville
774-3867
Contact: Andrea Lewis

Prairie Hill Farm
R.R.#2, Box 128A, Bethany
665-3935
Contact: Wayne & Nancy Bardouche
Open: Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. to dusk
June - August

The Great Pumpkin Patch
R.R.#1, Box 100, Sullivan
217-543-2394
Great place to take children for fall harvest and Halloween activities. Pick your own pumpkin, see farm animals, find your way through the straw bale maze, and visit the haunted corn crib. Pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, and other seasonal items.
www.thegreatpumpkinpatch.biz

Back to top

Theater

The nonprofit Little Theatre on the Square offers musicals, plays, and extremely popular children’s theater productions (reserve your tickets in advance, as the children’s shows do sell out!) from June through August, with occasional performances in other seasons.

The Little Theatre on the Square has been a Central Illinois tradition since 1957. The live theater brings professional actors and musicians who provide great entertainment for the whole family.

For information on current productions and tickets (season or single performance), see the Theatre's web site.

Back to top

Amish

Sullivan is located at the edge of central Illinois Amish country. Hitching posts downtown and at the grocery store provide parking for the Amish who shop here. You can also buy Amish furniture, candy, and crafts at the Old School market and eat an Amish-style buffet at the Old School Essenhaus.

Sullivan is only a 15-minute drive from the Amish centers of Arthur and Arcola. Leave Sullivan on Route 121 East and turn left on the road to Cadwell. Drive north and east on the highway, or turn off to explore country roads on a pleasant drive through Amish country. Look for the many small signs directing you to Amish businesses, including furniture, fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, and other home-based crafts.

Another Amish attraction is Rockome Gardens, a former Amish farm with unique floral and rock gardens Rockome Gardens also hosts numerous festivals and events, from quilts and old-time fiddling to horse farming, model railroads, and farm toys and tractors.

• The Illinois Amish Interpretive Center

Back to top

History and Genealogy

The Sullivan area is a great place to experience the history of rural Illinois--from Abraham Lincoln to the one-room schoolhouse to the two-story outhouse.

Abraham Lincoln came to Sullivan regularly when he was an attorney riding the circuit with the courts (hence the name, Circuit Court). He later visited Sullivan when running for the U.S Senate against Stephen Douglas. Though not part of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, they came to Sullivan on the same day, and townspeople almost came to blows. For a wealth of information on the history of Sullivan and Moultrie County, see the site created by former resident Eden Martin.

A 40-minute drive away in Lerna is the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, home of Lincoln's father and step-mother, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln. The site includes a reproduction of the Lincolns' two-room cabin and a working living history farm that demonstrates 1840s rural life in Illinois.

Daily life typical of the rural Midwest can be seen at the Heritage Center of the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society. Hours are 1-5 p.m. on Mondays and Saturdays or by appointment (call 217-728-4085). The Heritage Center also has an extensive library for genealogical research. MCHGS is also restoring the one-room Center School, which is located at the Great Pumpkin Patch.

And, no visit to the Sullivan area would be complete without a trip to the two-story outhouse in rural Gays, southeast of Sullivan. Yes, it really worked!

Back to top

Recreation

Get away from it all and have fun doing some of the many recreational activities that await you in the Sullivan area. We have something for everyone--swimming, golf, miniature golf, horseback riding, picnicking.

Swimming

Jump into the cool water or simply soak in the sun at one of the four public beaches around Lake Shelbyville: Dam West, Sullivan Beach, Wilborn Creek, and Wolf Creek State Park. If you are camping at Lithia Springs or Cook Creek, you can also use the beaches there. All Lake Shelbyville beaches are accessible.

On rainy or winter days, you can come into town and swim in the Sullivan's Olympic-size indoor swimming pool. See Sullivan Civic Center for fees and public hours.

Golf Golfers can choose from many area golf courses: * Eagle Creek Resort, "Central Illinois' Golf Oaisis" * Timberlake Golf Course * Sullivan Country Club * Angus Links Golf Course * Crazy Horse Driving Range - near Timberlake Golf Course Fun for the whole family, miniature golf is available on the south end of Sullivan at Sullivan Prairie Miniature Golf.

Fitness

If you miss your gym while you're on the road, the Sullivan area has some great substitutes.

* The Sullivan Civic Center has raquetball courts, weight machines, free weights, treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, gymnasium, saunas and larger than Olympic swimming pool available for public use.
* Sullivan's Tabor Park has an exercise trail winding through prairie grass fields.
* Sullivan's Wyman Park has outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, and a sand volleyball court open to the public.

Recreation Directory

Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library
2 W. Water St., Sullivan
728-7221
Contact: Colleen Mitchell
Public library with free public Internet access.

G3
217-620-1676
Located on the southside of the square

Happy Camper, Buoys by the Lake
Camper Rentals, Camper sales, storage, and repair.
Small retail camping supplies store.
1 miles off interestate 57 exit 192
Owner Jill McIntosh
Open 9am- 5pm
buoysbythelake@frontiernet.net
www.buoysbythelake.com

Historical & Genealogical Scty.
117 E. Harrison, Sullivan
728-4149
Contact: Mary Storm, Lt. Col.., Ret.
Museum of Moultrie County History and library for geneological research.

Jazzercise
Masonic Temple, Sullivan
728-8994
www.jazzercise.com

Little Theatre on the Square
16 E. Harrison St., Sullivan
728-2065
Contact: Leonard Anderson
www.thelittletheatre.org

Sullivan Civic Center
600 N. Washington St., Sullivan
728-4541
Contact: Sue Weaver
www.sullivanil.us/civiccenter.html

Sullivan Prairie Miniature Golf
Rt. 32 S, Sullivan
728-9339
Contact: Jerry Liston
Weekends April & May. Daily Memorial Day/Labor Day. Weekends September & October.
www.spminigolf.com

Tabor Park
www.sullivanil.us/cityparks.html

Wyman Park
www.sullivanil.us/cityparks.html

Back to top

For Children

Sullivan and the surrounding area prides itself on the wholesome children's activities that it has to offer. Children and families can enjoy good, clean fun through children's theater, miniature golf, swimming, outdoor recreation, and agricultural activities.

The Sullivan area offers the following activities for children:

* Summer children's theater at The Little Theatre on the Square (reserve your tickets in advance, as these popular shows sell out!)
* Miniature golf at Sullivan Prairie Miniature Golf
* Swimming at one of the four public beaches around Lake Shelbyville: Dam West, Sullivan Beach, Wilborn Creek, and Wolf Creek State Park, or at the campgrounds at Lithia Springs or Cook Creek. On rainy or winter days, you can come into town and swim in the Sullivan's Olympic-size indoor swimming pool. See Sullivan Civic Center for fees and public hours.
* Fishing with easy access for children at Sullivan's Sullivan's Wyman Park or at Opossum Pond on Lake Shelbyville.
* Playgrounds for children of all ages at Sullivan's Sullivan's Wyman Park and at most campgrounds on Lake Shelbyville.
* Fall harvest fun at The Great Pumpkin Patch and Buxton's Garden Farm.

Within a short drive from Sullivan, you can find these children's attractions:

* Rockome Gardens, which includes an Amish house, petting zoo, tree house, haunted cave, G-gauge model train, horse and buggy rides, and train rides. (between Sullivan and Arcola)
* Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum in Arcola
* Lincoln Log Cabin, the last home of Abraham Lincoln's father and step-mother. (45 minutes east of Sullivan, near Charleston)

Back to top


Okaw Valley Orchards RR 2, Box 124, Sullivan • 728-8269 Contact: James Bailey Open: Mon. - Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mid July to November U-Pick and retail: gift items, pasteurized fresh cider, cider slush, peaches, apples, plums, apple doughnuts, apple dumplings, jams and jellies. Playground, picnic area and group tours available. www.okawvalleyorchard.com