Apple River Fort State Historic Site

Located in Elizabeth, this is the site of one of the battles fought during the Black Hawk War. Black Hawk and his 200 warriors attacked the hastily erected fort on June 24, 1832. His story and that of the early settlers are told.

Today, the site includes both an interpretive visitor center and a reconstruction of the long-vanished fort modeled upon findings of a 1995 archaeological dig. Apple River Fort is a family-friendly historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The visitor center features knowledgeable staff, a variety of exhibits, and showings of a brief dramatic video depicting the attack on Apple River Fort and other events of the 1832 Black Hawk War. The fort itself is open concurrently for self-guided tours.

On weekends from May. 1 through Oct. 31, the fort comes to life through ongoing living history activities and special events. Through demonstrations, hands-on activities, and conversation, interpreters garbed in 1830s-style dress create a visitor experience that is historically accurate, engaging, educational, entertaining, and most of all, memorable.