Joseph Smith Historic Site, Illinois, United States

4Jan B 5:00 PM Aug 2, 2022

Overpriced
This section of the Historic part of Nauvoo is owned by another church. There is a charge of $5/adult (not sure child price) for the tour. Our tour guide was informative and gave a good tour. There were 2 homes we saw, I just felt like $5 was high for what we got to see, especially compared to the other area of Historic Nauvoo where every tour was free and included demonstrations from a blacksmith and such. You do also see the grave sites for some of the Smith Family Members and that section is free. There is a gift shop with a lot of books a few other knick knacks, this is also where you buy your tickets for the tours.

5Taylor B 5:00 PM Jun 23, 2015

Telling the story of the LDS movement
It is only fitting that, while driving north on the Great River Road from Quincy and Keokuk and arriving at historic Nauvoo, the first attraction that greets a visitor is the Joseph Smith Historic Site. Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons, arrived with other church members in 1839. Today, the property, which contains a visitors center, four buildings and the Smith family cemetery, is owned and operated by the Community of Christ, a spinoff of the LDS church that was organized by Joseph Smith III after his father's death in 1844 and Brigham Young led a migration to Utah in 1846. Start your visit at the visitors center, which is located in Nauvoo's historic flats just off Illinois State highway 96 at Water Street. It contains murals and original oil paintings and books and artifacts and information about the city and its people. We aren't Mormons but we are historians. We were making our second trip to Nauvoo. The last time, we told one and all, the big white building on the bluff (the Nauvoo Temple, which was reconstructed in 2002) was a big hole in the ground. The staff at the visitors center was very helpful. Our education began with a very informative introductory film and continued with a guided tour by Jim Coil. He took us to the Homestead, Joseph Smith's first home; the Mansion house, Smith's second home which is located across the street from the Homestead; the Nauvoo house, an uncompleted structure that was used as a house and hotel but today is operated as a dormitory available for group rental; the Red Brick store, which still functions as a general store on the first floor and a meeting hall on the second floor; and the Smith family cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for Joseph Smith Jr., his wife Emma Hall Smith, his brother Hyrum Smith, and Joseph Smith's parents, Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith. In 1909, the reorganized LDS church, now the Community of Christ, purchased the property. Coil provided a very thorough explanation of Smith's struggle to establish the LDS church in Nauvoo. It was an excellent way to launch our day-long visit of the community. Based on Coil's information, we were encouraged to purchase biographies on Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. The Mormon exodus from Nauvoo to Utah is one of the most significant events in U.S. history. In the wake of our visit to Nauvoo, we thought we should know more about it.