Why Quincy Is a Hidden Gem on the Mississippi

Long before Quincy had Maine Street, it all started at the river. In 1673, explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet paddled past these bluffs, among the first Europeans to see this stretch of the Mississippi. More than 350 years later, that river still shapes the town. And for travelers who plan their trips around water and history, Quincy offers more than almost any stop on the Great River Road.

Most river-trip itineraries skip right over Quincy in favor of bigger names upstream and downstream, but they are missing out. Far from being a mere tourist stop with a perfunctory museum, Quincy is an authentic river town forged over two centuries by steamboat trade, freedom seekers, and the pulse of commerce.

A City Shaped by the River

Quincy sits on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi, and that geography is the whole reason the city exists. Founder John Wood settled the site in 1822, drawn by the high ground and river access below it. By the 1850s, Quincy’s riverfront saw nearly 3,000 steamboat arrivals and departures in a single year, and Congress had designated it an official port of entry for foreign goods. During the mid-19th century, Quincy rivaled Chicago in importance, becoming Illinois’s second-largest city – built almost entirely on what the river brought in and carried out. 

Much of that history is still visible today. More than 3,600 structures across four historic districts in Quincy’s core contribute to the National Register of Historic Places.

At several beautiful parks perched along the water, you can enjoy sweeping views of the Mississippi River and the Bayview Bridge, which now carries the Great River Road across the waters that have carried so much rich history.

At Indian Mounds Park, trails wind past mounds built by the Native peoples who lived along this river centuries before Marquette and Jolliet floated past. For one of the best views of it all, visitors stop at Villa Kathrine, a Moorish-style mansion built in 1900 on the bluff, now home to the Quincy Tourist Information Center and the Quincy Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The River as a Road to Freedom

Quincy’s location, separated from the state of Missouri by nothing but the width of the river, made it one of the most significant stops on the Underground Railroad. Local abolitionists organized the Adams County Anti-Slavery Society, the first in Illinois, and Dr. Richard Eells’s home became one of the first documented stops on the Underground Railroad in the nation. Eells was tried and convicted in 1842 for helping a freedom seeker named Charles cross the river. The case was presided over by Judge Stephen A. Douglas, who would return 16 years later to debate Abraham Lincoln in Quincy’s Washington Park.

The river carried more freedom seekers. During the winter of 1838–39, Quincy sheltered thousands of Latter-day Saint refugees fleeing Missouri before they continued north to Nauvoo, one reason the city earned its nickname as a “city of refuge.” 

Where the Working River Still Runs

Unlike many river towns whose commercial waterfront has gone quiet, Quincy’s stretch of the Mississippi is still very active. Lock and Dam 21, operational since 1938, sits just outside town, where you can watch modern barge tows lock through the same stretch of river that once carried so many steamboats. Bring binoculars in winter. The surrounding trees are a favorite roosting spot for bald eagles.

Rest Easy at Town & Country Inn and Suites

A day spent exploring lock-and-dam history, Underground Railroad sites, and bluff-top views deserves a comfortable place to land, and that’s where Town & Country Inn and Suites comes in. Locally owned and operated, the staff takes pride in helping guests get the most out of their time along the river, from pointing you toward the best sunset lookout to mapping your next day’s route through the city.

The available accommodations at Town & Country Inn and Suites strike a rare balance: spacious, comfortable, and quietly elegant. If you’re settling in for a few days, the suites offer kitchenettes, dining areas, and whirlpool tubs to unwind after a day on the water or the pavement. Each morning, a complimentary continental breakfast fuels you up before heading back to the bluffs, and after a long day of sightseeing, The Den offers a relaxed spot for an evening drink.

Plan Your River Getaway

Quincy rewards travelers who are willing to slow down and explore a river city. Considering the working lock and dam, the many bluff-top parks, and the centuries of history carried in on the current, it’s a stretch of the Mississippi that has earned the title of “hidden gem”.

Call 217-214-0400 or book your stay online at Town & Country Inn and Suites, and make Quincy your next stop on the Mighty Mississippi.