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Eagle Hotel

Historic hotel
In Wilmington, Illinois
On Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The Eagle Hotel is a former hotel building in Wilmington, IL, dating from 1838 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stood in town nearly 90 years before Route 66 was laid out in 1926, and it sits only about half a mile from the Gemini Giant, Wilmington's space-age roadside statue. For travelers on the old road, it is a quick look at the town's much older past.

What is Eagle Hotel?

The building went up in 1838 as a hotel and is now counted among the historic places of Illinois on the National Register. Its hotel days are over; records describe it as a former hotel. Few other details about its builders or later owners are on record, so enjoy it for what it plainly is: a survivor from Wilmington's early years, older even than the Chicago and Alton Railroad, which reached the town in 1854.

Visiting Eagle Hotel: tips

The hotel sits in central Wilmington, so it is an easy stop on a drive through town. Its present use is not recorded, so view it from the street and respect the property. A few minutes is enough for photos. The Small–Towle House is about 0.4 miles away and the Gemini Giant about 0.5 miles, so all three fit into one short walk or drive. Food, fuel and a motel are all within about a block. For a longer outing, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is about 5.3 miles away.

Practical info

Address: 100 North Water Street, Wilmington, IL 60481
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Eagle Hotel

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Diner & restaurant
Polk-a-Dot Drive In
Braidwood, IL · 4.4 mi from Eagle Hotel
A 1950s-style drive-in in Braidwood that began in 1956 as a school bus painted in polka dots.