10 Best Things To Do In East Peoria, Illinois

1. Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino

Par-A-Dice, doesn’t that sound paradise-y? That elegant hotel and casino offer everything you can find on a trip to Vegas - a casino with all famous plays, like slot machines and live poker tables; restaurants, where you can eat some good food, whatever you’d like; steak, casual dinner or maybe some quick bites; and of course the hotel that will give you easy access to all of above.

Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino

Address: 21 Blackjack Blvd, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino

2. Roc Ice Cream and Golf

Like the title says, Ice Cream and Golf, that sounds D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. You can have amazing fun playing mini-golf on all those cute looking stages, separated by bridges and water, and have a bite of tasty ice cream after. People say the best hole is No. 7, that starts with a ramp to catapult a ball over a bridge and water. That’s outstanding.

Roc Ice Cream and Golf

Address: 220 Farmdale Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: Roc Ice Cream and Golf

3. Fon du Lac Farm Park

Have you or your kids ever wondered how a farm in the 1920s looked? How people worked, how they lived, how they cared for their animals? Fon du Lac Farm is there to answer your questions and give you a little glimpse of how the farm life looked back in those times. They’ll offer you interesting activities to experience a day on the farm, like feeding animals and playing in a red barn. They also have a country kitchen museum, concession with a kid-friendly menu and a gift shop. Sometimes they organize special events, for example Witch Walk on Halloween. The admission is 3 USD for an adult and 2.50 USD for a child.

Fon du Lac Farm Park

Address: 305 Neumann Dr, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: Fon du Lac Farm Park

4. Splashdown Water Park

Who doesn’t like a little cool splashing on a hot day? East Peoria’s Water Park offers a day full of fun in the colorful swimming pool. This water complex is full of the best splashing activities, including a tube slide, lazy water ride and three story treehouse. There’s also a kiddie pool for the youngest. General admission is 7.25 USD and children 3 years and younger swim free.

Splashdown Water Park

Address: 1 Eastside Dr, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: Splashdown Water Park

5. Murray Baker Bridge

If you’ll drive to East Peoria you may cross this bridge on your way to the town, because it carries Interstate 74. But if you won’t cross it, you should go check it out anyway. That interesting, metal construction was built in 1958 to cross Illinois River. It’s 3,216 feet (980 m) long, and because of lack of shoulders, the bridge is not up to modern Interstate requirements.

Murray Baker Bridge

Address: Interstate 74, Peoria, IL

Website: Murray Baker Bridge

6. River Trail

This trail, also called Carl Bud Schmitt Trail, runs along former Illinois Terminal Railroad Co. path and it’s a perfect place to go and spend a nice, active day among nature and other outdoorsy people, either walking or biking. It was built in 1991 and provides very nice scenic views the whole year round. It features a couple of picnic tables and restrooms along the route. You can access the northern part of the trail from Main Street.

River Trail

Website: River Trail

7. J.K. Williams Destilling

Do you like whiskey? Either if you do or don’t, you have to visit J.K. Williams Distilling, if not to try their special kind of whiskey, then to see and experience how real whiskey is made and prepared. They prepare their bootleg whiskey based on a special old time recipe, that was passed from generation to generation, starting with J.K. Williams at the beginning of the 20th-century. If you want you can organize an event for you and your friends, the group needs to have at least 10 people and you’ll receive a private tour and a special gift for everyone. The price is 10 USD per person.

J.K. Williams Distilling

Address: 526 High Point Ln, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: J.K. Williams Distilling

8. Pleasant Hill Antique Mall

To all vintage style lovers, East Peoria also has something for you! Pleasant Hill Antique Mall is a store of collectables and antiques, including pottery, books, records, clocks, dolls (if you’re not scared of them) and even Indian artifacts. You can look at a little sample of their collection on their web page below.

Pleasant Hill Antique Mall

Address: 315 S Pleasant Hill Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: Pleasant Hill Antique Mall

9. Peoria Zoo

Everyone likes to go to a zoo from time to time to watch some nice animals. Peoria, that’s located just ten minutes away from East Peoria, has their zoo too. They’re home to some interesting and rare species of animals, like Siberian tigers, armadillos, takins, rhinos and wallabies. They also have a lot of special exhibits, for example the African and Australian exhibit, and the so called Asian Trail. It’s a perfect way to spend a nice family day around animals.

Peoria Zoo

Address: 2320 N Prospect Rd, Peoria, IL 61603

Website: Peoria Zoo

10. Jonah's Seafood House

Looking for a nice place for an evening meal? Jonah’s Seafood House is a nice seafood restaurant, with a very interesting wooden interior that brings to mind old-fashioned taverns. They’ve been serving fresh seafood in East Peoria for 30 years. Their dining room’s open 11.00 am - 9.00 pm and prices vary from 9 USD for appetizers to 30 USD for an entry. They also offer a wide variety of wine.

Jonah's Seafood House

Address: 2601 N Main St, East Peoria, IL 61611

Website: Jonah’s Seafood House

East Peoria's for everyone

Like you see, East Peoria has a wide variety of attractions for adults and children.