What to Expect When Visiting Historic Nauvoo

Nauvoo is a restored town run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is the largest of the Church historical sites, and there are more than a dozen buildings, some original, and a few restored or added later. You cannot see everything in Historic Nauvoo in one day. You think you can, and you can plan it that way, but you can’t. That’s okay, though. If you have a day in Nauvoo like we did, you can still see about 75% of the buildings, so pick your favorites. Because this is a Church run site, it is entirely free. There are also some great places to stay right in Nauvoo.

Start at the Visitor Center

Start at the North Visitor Center in Historic Nauvoo. There is a south Visitor Center, but it doesn’t have much info, just a few artifacts. At the North Visitor Center, there is a short scavenger hunt, and the missionaries there can help direct and orient you. If your kids finish the scavenger hunt, they will earn an adobe brick made right in Nauvoo. There is also information on what shows are happening that day, but we chose to look at those online beforehand.

At this Visitor Center, you can search for your ancestors who lived in Nauvoo. There are missionaries available to help you look through your family file, and then locate where your ancestor owned land in Nauvoo. We had quite a few relatives that we found and drove to see their spot back in the 1840s.

Next, you need to decide what kind of activity you’d like to do. There are three categories: Historic Home Tours, Demonstrations, and Activities/Shows The house tours include walking through restored or original homes belonging to founders of the LDS Church. Read more in the section below. The demonstrations are more about how the Saints made things in the 1840’s. The activities are things like wagon rides, games, and all of the shows going on around Nauvoo. Let’s start with the homes.

Historic Homes

At each of the Historic Homes, you’ll learn about the testimonies and contribution of early Church members. A set of missionaries will take you on a tour of the home telling the story of the occupants. A few of the famous homes include:

• Lucy Mack Smith
• Brigham and Maryann Young
• Wilford and Phoebe Woodruff
• John Taylor Home
• Orson and Marinda Hyde
• Heber and Vilate Kimball
• Smith Homestead & Mansion House

Demonstrations

The demonstrations are great for kids because they show what life was like in the early 1800’s, and often there are some hands-on or interactive parts for the children. There is usually a story and testimony included in these places as well. The demonstrations include:

• Lyon Drug Store
• Stoddard Tin Shop
• Browning Gun Shop
• Brickyard
• Riser Boot and Shoe Shop
• Taylor Printshop
• Webb Blacksmith Shop
• Scovil Bakery

Activities

The third category are the activities and shows throughout Nauvoo. There are a lot of things going on, especially in the summer months. In the off season, some of these activities don’t happen. Make sure to look at the current info when you plan to visit. Here is more info about activities in Nauvoo.

Pioneer Pasttimes

This was our boys’ favorite part of Historic Nauvoo. There is an area in the village with lots of pioneer games. They learned how to milk cows by using the climbing bears, they threw hoops and sticks, and they played checkers, too. There were a lot of fun things to do and we spent a long time here, and actually stopped for a second visit at the end of our day.

Family Living Center

This building offers demonstrations about pioneer life. While Pioneer Pasttimes is the fun and games that children enjoyed, the Family Living Center shows the chores that families, especially children, would have had to complete. It is still fun as the kids learn to build a bucket or make candles. A missionary takes you through this building and helps you learn about each of the chores and activities. We think this is a don’t miss spot for families.

Wagon, Carriage, and Oxen Rides

There are three different ride options! If you have a few days in Nauvoo, then you should try to do all of them. If you are short on time, I would pick one and enjoy it. The wagon ride takes you through the Main Streets of Nauvoo and tells you stories about the city. The carriage ride takes you out into the countryside around Nauvoo and the missionaries share stories there, too. The oxen ride is shorter, and you can imagine what it would have been like to ride and walk next to the ox cart as it crossed the plains. During the busy times of the year, you need free reservations to reserve a time to ride. Ask at the Visitor Center which ones are running when you visit and plan it into your day.

Shows & Performances

First thing you should know about shows and performances is that they only happen from Memorial Day to the end of September (sometimes first week of October). This is called the Summer Season. If you visit in the off season times, none of these events will be happening.

During the summer season, there are many different shows that happen throughout the day in Historic Nauvoo. One is all about Hymns of Zion, and another is in along the Trail of Hope in the evening. There are character enactments and a parade down the streets of Nauvoo. There is always a big show on the Outdoor Stage called Sunset on the Mississippi. Missionaries have auditioned and been called for the summer to sing and dance, and their show is really amazing. I would definitely plan on attending the show.

If you are in Nauvoo in July and early August, you will be lucky enough to be there for the Nauvoo Pageant. The Nauvoo Pageant and the British Pageant happen at the same time during July on alternate evenings. They tell the history and stories of the Saints at that time. We visited in June, so we didn’t not get to see this show, but it is a must see if you visit.

Nauvoo Temple

The Nauvoo temple sits at the top of the hill and you are able to see it while you visit historic Nauvoo, but you will want to make a stop at the grounds sometime during your day. The building is beautiful and you can clearly see the sunstones and moonstones. There is also a large statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith as they ride back to Nauvoo before they were martyred. It is a great place for pictures and the views of the Mississippi River are gorgeous. We came at sunset and it was perfect. That is our suggestion for you, too!

Opening in the summer of 2026 is a brand new Nauvoo Temple visitor center. We cannot wait to go back and visit to see what it has to offer.

Historic Nauvoo Website

We used the Historic Nauvoo website to plan our trip. They do a wonderful job of keeping everything current and up to date with show times for certain seasons. This is also where you can make reservations for the rides and shows that need them.

Final Tips

We loved our visit to Historic Nauvoo, and we would definitely visit again. There is so much to see and do that we recommend two days. Two days should give you time to see most of the shows and buildings.

In order to make the most of our visit, we packed a picnic lunch and ate at the picnic tables in Historic Nauvoo. They have many around the village. There isn’t anywhere to eat in the historic village, so you would have to leave and then come back. Eating a quick lunch right in Nauvoo helped us maximize our time since we only had one day. There are several options for dinner in town.

You will be walking all over, so wear comfortable shoes. There are certain places to park, but it is often easier to just walk through the town than go and get your vehicle and try to find parking again. Make sure to bring water, sunscreen, and a hat.

We also planned our visit and arrived as early as possible. The historic sites are only open until 5 pm (4 pm during the off season), so in order to maximize your day, you will want to be there the full 9-5. The summer shows happen in the evening after the sites have closed.

If you are interested in visiting Carthage Jail while you visit Nauvoo, it is about 30 minutes away. We also loved our visit to this site and you can read about our visit here.

For those who are unable to visit Nauvoo, they offer virtual tours. Missionaries will take you through different homes on a live virtual tour. There are also pre-recorded videos to watch for many historic sites in Nauvoo and other areas in the United States. You can find info for virtual tours on this site: Virtual Tours.

We also have a list of other things to do around Nauvoo for when the historic sites are closed, or when you need a little break from touring historic buildings. Here is our list of Things to do Around Nauvoo.