Explore Christian County: History, Prairie and Trails

Christian County can be explored through several distinct interests: regional history, architecture, preserved prairie, trails, and recreational offerings at parks and lakes. When planning a hotel stay, it helps to decide in advance what you want to focus on. Historic sites and museums offer a different way to experience the region than landscapes, cycling or activities on the water.

History, Museums and Architecture

The Christian County Historical Society Museum includes the original Christian County Courthouse. Abraham Lincoln practiced law in this courthouse twice a year for twelve years. The museum also displays a log cabin from the 1820s. Together, the historic courthouse and log cabin offer two distinct architectural points of reference.

The Christian County Coal Mine Museum explores a century of coal mining, through to the closure of Peabody Mine No. 10 in 1995. Exhibits include mining artifacts and maps marking the locations of coal deposits and mines. A recreated coal mine tunnel with miner figures offers further insight. Coal Creek Pioneer Village offers tours about how pioneers lived and worked.

Pana has two architectural walking tours with printable maps. Pana's Old Railroad Switch Tower is a preserved structure at the site where four railroad lines met. The Pana History Museum is open to the public by appointment; admission is free. Arrange an appointment before your visit. The Pana Tri-County Fair was first held in 1885.

The Roseland Theatre is a single-screen Art Moderne-style cinema that opened in 1941 and continues to show first-run films. Check the current schedule before visiting. Kitchell Park has a round Chautauqua pavilion dating from 1911, as well as a walking path and a disc golf course. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Manners Park includes a seven-acre pond, a swimming pool, a disc golf course and a historic auditorium.

Prairie and Nature

Anderson Prairie Land and Water Reserve contains high-quality prairie remnants, ranging from wet-mesic to dry-mesic. Anderson Prairie is a 25-acre wildlife park with remnants of Illinois' original tallgrass prairie. At its butterfly house, visitors can observe about 25 species throughout their life cycles. The reserve and the wildlife park thus offer two distinct ways to engage with the region's prairie landscapes.

At Pana Lake, there is a public boat launch at the lower lake. American channel catfish and muskellunge from IDNR hatcheries are also stocked there annually.

Traveling Between Pana and Taylorville

The 15-mile Lincoln Prairie Trail runs through Christian County between Pana and Taylorville, following a former railroad line. An Illinois Department of Transportation update dated July 25, 2025, described it as a continuous connection between Pana and Taylorville for pedestrians, cyclists and people using wheeled mobility devices. The trail thus connects two named places and provides a shared reference point for travelers planning to include walking or cycling in their trip.

When planning your trip, you can first decide which themes you want to shape your stay: museum and architectural history, prairie and nature observation, the trail, or activities on the water.

Discover more destinations: Taylorville, Wabash County, Henry County, Mercer County, Dupage, Fayette County, Will County, Cumberland County.

For the broader travel overview: Illinois.