The Peoria Historical Society offers its All-American City Tour that highlights the city's history from the 1920s to the present. Passengers are escorted on a trolley bus and taken to Peoria's premier historical sites that include the old and new business district as well as the gangster areas. The city's gangster area is where the famous Bernie Shelton murder took place.
Brothers Carl and Bernie Shelton started a gang in the early 1920s and were known as America's bloodiest gang. The brothers were caught and sentenced to prison in 1925 and shortly after their release they were murdered. Carl was murdered in 1847 and Bernie was murdered in 1948. The tour also describes some of the city's most notorious haunted sites.
Onboard Peoria's CityLink trolley bus, passengers can partake in the Springdale Cemetery and Grandview Drive Tour. Hosted by the Peoria Historical Society, the escorted tour travels to the famous Springdale Cemetery. Tour participants will explore the oldest cemetery in Illinois and see where the founding fathers and other prominent members of Peoria are buried.
During the tour, passengers can also enjoy the Grandview Scenic Drive. The scenic drive provides visitors with breathtaking views of the River Valley district. On this part of the tour, Peoria's past and present elegant homes will be featured, providing participants with an idea of the city's small town feel and historic living conditions.
For travelers wanting to explore other regional areas of Peoria, the Peoria Charter Company features a shopping tour to nearby major cities. The day-long tour visits cities such as Chicago, Champaign, St. Charles and Gurnee.
The tours leave at 6:30 a.m. and return to Peoria at approximately 9:00 p.m. The tour stops throughout the day for food and beverage breaks, for which passengers are responsible for the costs. Whether you are shopping at the Chicago Place Mall or Gurnee Mills, the Peoria Charter Company provides you with over four hours of shopping experience.
