Heritage Trolley Tour

The Historic Preservation Commission is planning the Annual Heritage Trolley Tour for June 8, 2025 featuring important homes in the community that were built before 1900.  

This tour is a celebration of Crystal Lake’s history and architecture and this summer we are celebrating 25 years! Every year it brings together hundreds of community members who are interested in learning more about our city. Tickets are on sale at Heisler's Bootery by cash or check only and online here.

Hop on a trolley for a 45 minute narrated tour.  Attendees are given a keepsake program booklet which will guide them through the tour and inform them about these distinct and historically rich homes that were important to the development of our community. 

To mark our 25 year celebration, we will depart from the Colonel Palmer House and all ticket holders are invited to visit the special exhibit on display inside of the home after their tour. Additionally, there will be food trucks on site all day as well. The Colonel Palmer House is located 660 E. Terra Cotta Avenue.  There is paved accessible parking and additional grass parking. 

The commission is also looking for sponsors. If you own a local business and are interested in supporting this event as well as advertising to the community, please reach out to Elizabeth Maxwell, Crystal Lake City Planner at emaxwell@crystallake.org. 815-356-3738. Thank you!

Additional Information

The Annual Heritage Tour is a celebration of a designated neighborhood's history and architecture. Each subsequent year, the tour stitches together another piece of Crystal Lake's history, the long term goal being to assemble a comprehensive history of the City. Past tour booklets are available for sale at the ticket booth or for reference at the public library.

Revenue generated by the tour is the single source of revenue for the Commission. The money is used throughout the year for preservation activities and for funding the grant program. If you would like to volunteer or see a particular neighborhood featured in next year's Heritage Tour, join us at one of our monthly meetings on the first Thursday of the month at the 3:00 PM at City Hall or email Elizabeth Maxwell.