Jubilee College State Historic Site

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Illinois History — Gothic Revival school founded in 1839 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase — the first college in Illinois! The limestone building overlooks the Kickapoo Creek valley near Peoria.

Visitor Information

About Jubilee College

Jubilee College State Historic Site in Peoria County preserves the 1839 stone college building founded by Bishop Philander Chase — the first Episcopal bishop of Illinois. The college, built of locally quarried limestone, was the first institution of higher learning in Illinois outside of Jacksonville. The surrounding state park offers extensive trails through prairie and forest.

Things to Do

Touring the restored stone college building, hiking and mountain biking on 35+ miles of trails in the surrounding state park, hunting (seasonal), cross-country skiing, and learning about early education on the Illinois frontier.

About Jubilee College

Jubilee College State Historic Site near Peoria preserves the 1840 school founded by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase — one of the earliest institutions of higher education on the Illinois frontier. The imposing stone building housed a seminary and college that served frontier Illinois before the Civil War. The surrounding Jubilee College State Park offers extensive trails.

Things to Do

Touring the historic stone college building, hiking in the adjacent state park (3,500 acres), mountain biking on extensive trails, attending living history events, and learning about frontier education in Illinois.

Insider Tips

Frontier education: Jubilee College (1840) was one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in Illinois — founded by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. Pro tip: The stone Gothic Revival building sits in 3,200-acre Jubilee College State Park — combine the historic site with excellent hiking and mountain biking trails. Architecture: The massive stone building looks transplanted from England — remarkable for 1840s frontier Illinois.

Best Time to Visit

Fall: Fall foliage on the park’s trails. Spring: Wildflower bloom in the timber. Summer: Mountain biking and hiking. Winter: Cross-country skiing on the trails.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the college close?

Jubilee College operated from 1840-1862 — the Civil War drained enrollment and funding. The building was used as a community center and church before becoming a state historic site. The surrounding state park (3,200 acres) is one of central Illinois’s best outdoor recreation areas.

Wildlife & Nature

Jubilee College State Historic Site preserves the ruins of Jubilee College (1840) — founded by Bishop Philander Chase, the first Episcopal bishop of Illinois. The college — one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the state — operated until 1862. The stone buildings, now partially restored, sit in a forest setting that has reclaimed the former campus. The surrounding 3,200 acres of oak-hickory forest support one of the richest breeding bird communities in central Illinois. Pileated woodpeckers — crow-sized birds with flaming red crests — hammer on dead trees. Barred owls call through the forest at twilight. The forest’s vernal pools — temporary spring pools in forest depressions — support spotted salamanders and wood frogs, both of which breed exclusively in these fishless pools.

Nearby Attractions

Jubilee College State Park — surrounding the historic site — offers extensive mountain biking and equestrian trails. Peoria — “The Whiskey Capital” during Prohibition — has the Peoria Riverfront Museum and Caterpillar Visitors Center. Wildlife Prairie Park near Peoria features bears, wolves, and bison in natural habitats. Grandview Drive — once called the “World’s Most Beautiful Drive” by Teddy Roosevelt. Peoria Zoo. Glen Oak Park offers urban recreation.