Nowhere is the American love affair with the automobile better illustrated than in the MY Garage Corvette Museum. At any one time, there are 20 or more of the 40+ Corvettes owned by MidAmerica Motorworks on display. See the one-of-a-kind and vintage Corvettes and thousands of pieces of Corvette history and memorabilia.

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Ben Winter’s Steam Engine Museum
1815 E 900th Ave. - 618-483-6665 Please call ahead.

Steam tractors, antique fire engines, industrial steam engines, ...a pencil collection? That and more are on display at Ben Winter’s Museum. There are scale model locomotives and a model train layout, too.

Directions: W. Rt. 40 10 minutes west from Effingham. Turn left at the 4-way stop, then right at the Carriage Inn.

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Dr. Charles M. Wright House
W. Jackson Ave. at N. Main St., Altamont - 618-483-6397 ask for Linda

Dr. C.M. Wright built this stately Renaissance revival home in 1889. It was subsequently owned by his son, also a doctor and his grandson, an attorney. The lineage ended with the third Mr. Wright, who donated his home as a museum.

Many of the original furnishings, including carpets, remain in the 18 rooms on the tour. The doctor’s surgery, the nursery and library are particularly memorable.

Open every Sunday, 2 pm - 4 pm, June - August. Admission $4/adults, $1/student (ages 6-18). Directions: West, Rt. 40, about 10 minutes from Effingham. Turn right at the 4-way stop.

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Altamont Living Museum
102 S Main St. Altamont - 618-483-3333 ask for Linda about tour information.

The first Presbyterian congregation built this traditional-style brick church in 1912. The architecture is accented by the original stamped tin ceiling, chan-deliers and curved oak pews. The stained glass windows are stunning.

Directions: West, Rt. 40, about 10 minutes from Effingham. Turn right at the 4-way stop.

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Monastery Museum
110 S. Garrett, Teutopolis - 800-772-0750 to arrange group tours.

The museum is a prism into the history of the settlers of the region and the Franciscans who ministered to them. View a dazzling panorama of the early life in this German Catholic community, founded in 1838, and the multitude of religious artifacts left by the Franciscans who first arrived in 1858.

The three priests and six brothers, who arrived in 1858, set about building a parish and friary. Today, that monastery houses the antique bibles, handscribed books and hundreds of other items representative of daily religious life.

The furnishings, clothing, toys, utensils and elaborate documents - which are works of art in themselves - on display offer a poignant and amazingly complete look at the lives of Teutopolis’ first residents. Visit St. Francis Church, adjacent to the monastery, and see the stained glass windows depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

Open 12:30 pm - 4 pm, April - November, the first Sunday of each month and by appointment. Directions: East, Rt. 40, about 5 minutes from Effingham.

Vandalia State House
315 W. Gallatin, Vandalia - 618-283-1161

Vandalia was the state capital of Illinois from 1820 - 1839. This Federal-style Statehouse was the first built and is the longest standing in Illinois. Many original furnishings. Vandalia also served as a major link on the Underground Railroad.

Directions: W. Rt. 40 or I-70. about 30 minutes from Effingham.

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