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Shedd Aquarium

Lincoln-Douglas Square

Broadway & Market St., Alton, IL 62002

Historic Sites

Stand the same ground once stood as Abraham Lincoln and Stephan A. Douglas near the Alton riverfront.

The final debate of Stephan A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln took place in front of Alton's city hall at the corner of Broadway and Market Streets. The senatorial debate drew national attention along with more that 6,000 visitors. Life-like statues of the two statesmen keep the famous series of debates in 1858 frozen forever in time.

What's happening nearby...

Alton Midwest Nationals F1 Powerboat Race

Alton Riverfront Park •  Jul 18 – Jul 20 @ 2PM

Alton, get ready! The F1 Powerboat Championship is making waves once again as the 2nd Annual Alton Midwest Nationals returns to Riverfront Park July 18 -…

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Alton Rock the Hops

Downtown Alton •  Aug 09 @ 2PM

Get ready to rock out in Downtown Alton for Rock the Hops 2025, where music, art, and craft beer collide for an electrifying celebration of creative…

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Walk in the footsteps of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Civil War soldiers from both North and South.

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Confederate Prison Site

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Visit first Illinois State Penitentiary and learn about the ghastly history of the overcrowded, often disease-infested prison. Today, it is a monument dedicated to those who…

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Western Military Academy Monument

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Originally founded as Wyman Institute by Edward Wyman in 1878, it was reorganized as Western Military Academy in 1896.

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