Bond County: Where History Meets Nature

Bond County can be explored through its museums and monuments as well as its lakes, trails, and recreational opportunities. You can focus your trip on history and culture or plan individual outdoor activities. Visiting conditions vary: for example, the One-Room School Museum is open by appointment only.

Museums and History

The Bond County Museum’s collection ranges from Victorian furnishings to Civil War materials. It also features a piano from the 1840s that belonged to the founders of Almira College. Rotating exhibits explore the people, architecture, and industry of Bond County.

The DeMoulin Museum showcases examples of many DeMoulin products, including devices used in lodge initiations, such as the Bucking Goat, Invisible Paddle Machine, and Lifting and Spraying Machine. Founded in 2010, the museum honors the factory’s founders, workers, and products. It is housed in a former Episcopal church dating from the late 1880s—bringing the building’s history and the area’s industrial history together in one place.

The Richard W. Bock Museum houses more than 300 plaster and bronze sculptures by Richard Bock. The American Farm Heritage Museum focuses on preserving the agricultural heritage that shaped this land. On its grounds, the Lil' Red Barn Museum depicts rural life from a bygone era.

Monuments also offer insight into the area’s history. The Bond County Soldier's Monument stands on the courthouse’s south lawn. It was dedicated in 1903, on the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga. The Veteran's Memorial consists of arches, each built with about 700 bricks, bearing the names and military branches of Bond County veterans. Admission to the One-Room School Museum is free, but it is open by appointment only.

Nature, the Lake, and Activities

A hiking trail in the Nature Preserve passes through the protected area and around the lake. Old wooden bridges and a cabin nestled in the woods are among the trail’s distinctive features. The preserve also offers one of the few public access points to Governor Bond Lake. There are extensive opportunities for hiking and horseback riding there.

Governor Bond Lake covers about 775 acres and has two boat ramps. It is suitable for recreational fishing. Boating requires the necessary permits from the City of Greenville. Patriots Park Lake is separate: visitors can launch boats or kayaks there with a permit from the Kingsbury Park District.

Greenville has more than 8 miles of designated bike routes within the city limits.

Other recreation spots each offer something different. William S. Wait Park is home to KPD Skate Park, a 5,000-square-foot concrete skatepark. Bicentennial Park has a fenced playground for toddlers, with classic swings and a special parent-and-child swing. Patriots Park also has a disc golf course; frisbees can be borrowed from the Kingsbury Park District office. The District’s pickleball courts are located at 1000 Vine Street, Greenville, Illinois 62246.

The annual Hills Fort Rendezvous at the American Farm Heritage Museum is a weekend of living history, bringing together reenactors, vendors, and enthusiasts. The 2026 event was scheduled for September 18–20. If you’re planning your trip around the event, check the dates for the relevant year.

Discover more destinations: Donnellson, Christian County, Wayne County, Fayette County, Piatt, Jackson, Franklin County, White County.

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