According to a news release, the John Deere Historic Site, located in Grand Detour, Illinois, opened its doors to the public this past weekend, marking its 50th year as a historic and educational attraction.
In celebration of 50 years, the John Deere Historic Site will host several special events this year including: The Grand Detour Gardening Symposium on May 17; the June Jam music festival on June 22; the Biennial Hammer In on August 2-3; the Art of Green on August 9-10 and the 66th Annual Grand Detour Arts Festival on September 14.
The site marks the original homestead of John Deere and is the site where he invented one of agriculture’s most monumental products, the steel plow. The site has since been recognized as a Registered National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, and a Historic Landmark of Agricultural Engineering by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
Visitors to the site have an opportunity to take guided tours that provide an entertaining and educational perspective of life on the prairie in the 1800s. They can walk inside a recreation of Deere’s original blacksmith shop or walk through the 1836 home of Deere which includes period décor designed to maintain integrity.
The site can be rented to groups for special events throughout the season. Gates open daily Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for ages 12 and older. For the 50th year, the John Deere Historic site has opened its doors to provide fans of Deere and agriculture an opportunity to walk the grounds where historic innovations were made by an agricultural icon.