Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, looking for a romantic getaway, or even a family vacation, take a look at what the city of Mount Vernon has to offer you. Affordability is the key word here. Many attractions are free of charge and others have minimal cost.

An authentic log cabin village, the historic Appellate Courthouse where Abraham Lincoln represented clients, the state’s third largest winery and the beautiful Rend Lake Recreation Area are just a few of the places you can enjoy in Mount Vernon.

Cultural offerings include the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts complex (a 90-acre estate) that features the art museum, Sculpture Park, programs and events, including the Cedarhurst Craft Fair held each fall on the weekend after Labor Day. Visitors can browse more than 400 works of art from renowned artists in the museum’s Permanent Collection and view continually changing exhibitions in three galleries.

Take a trip back in time: Jefferson County Pioneer Village depicts life from about the mid-nineteenth century. Among the buildings available to visit are several homes, a one-room school, a church, an operating blacksmith and print shop and a log- style jail. There you will also find a general store and a medical building.

If you are looking for recreational fun, you have come to the right place. Rend Lake Recreation Area offers many activities, including golfing, swimming and camping. Whether your calling is boating and fishing, hiking and biking or just relaxing, you will find it at Rend Lake: a fishing, boating and hunting paradise for the outdoor enthusiast. Large crappie and channel catfish will delight any angler. Hybrid striped bass are also a popular catch.

Eight miles of scenic trails wind through the park where the brilliant colors of redheaded wood peckers, blue jays and wild canaries can be seen. Discover a wildlife adventure at every turn. Take time to listen to the forest. Wildlife is everywhere.

Welcome to Mount Vernon, Illinois, the entertainment center of Jefferson County. Come and see why Mount Vernon is such a popular travel destination.