Taylorville

Around Taylorville

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Town and around · Illinois · 33k people

Taylorville

Where the prairie meets the lake

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Welcome to Taylorville and the surrounding towns! Whether you're here for the lakes, the fairs, or just to enjoy the friendly small-town pace, you'll find a community that takes pride in its agricultural roots and neighborly spirit. Grab a horseshoe sandwich, head to the lake, and you'll feel at home in no time.

Clubs for Taylorville

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The room

One room for everyone around Taylorville. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

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Coming up

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Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Taylorville. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

  • Lake Shelbyville A large U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir with boating, fishing, and camping.
  • Lake Taylorville A smaller city lake with a beach, picnic areas, and a walking trail.
  • Christian County Courthouse Historic courthouse on the Taylorville square, a center of local life.
  • Shelby County Courthouse An 1880s courthouse in Shelbyville with a distinctive clock tower.
  • Christian County Fairgrounds Home of the county fair and other community events.
  • Shelby County Fairgrounds Hosts the Shelby County Fair and rodeos.
  • Outdoors Boating on Lake Shelbyville
  • Outdoors Fishing at Lake Shelbyville
  • With kids County fairs
  • With kids Swimming at Lake Taylorville
  • Evenings Small-town taverns
  • Evenings County fair grandstand shows
  • Locals love Lakes and reservoirs
  • Locals love County fairgrounds

Through the year

  • Christian County Fair July Held in July at the fairgrounds with livestock shows, carnival rides, and grandstand concerts.
  • Shelby County Fair July A classic county fair in Shelbyville with 4-H exhibits, demolition derbies, and a parade.
  • Taylorville Summer Concert Series summer Free outdoor concerts in the park or on the square, featuring local and regional bands.
  • Lake Shelbyville Fireworks July 4th A big Fourth of July fireworks show over the lake, with many boaters gathering on the water.
  • Pana Coal City Festival summer A summer celebration in Pana honoring the town's coal mining heritage with food and music.

Humid continental climate with four distinct seasons: hot, humid summers; cold, snowy winters; and pleasant springs and falls. Best time to be out is late spring through early fall. Best: Spring and early fall are ideal for being outdoors, with mild temperatures and lower humidity.

Talk like a local

“T-ville”
Short for Taylorville, used locally.
“Shelby”
Short for Shelbyville.
“Pop”
A sweet carbonated beverage; soda.
“Crick”
A small stream or creek.

Getaways

  • Springfield The state capital with Lincoln sites, museums, and the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
  • Decatur Lake Decatur for boating and fishing, plus the Scovill Zoo and Children's Museum.
  • Lincoln Home to Lincoln College and the Abraham Lincoln heritage sites.
  • Effingham Known for the large cross and outlet shopping, plus the Effingham Performance Center.

Local flavour

Rooting for Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Illinois Fighting Illini

Eat and drink

  • Horseshoe sandwich A Springfield-area classic of bread, meat, fries, and cheese sauce, popular across the wider metro.
  • Pork tenderloin sandwich A Midwestern staple, often served breaded and fried at local diners and fairs.
  • Persimmon pudding A sweet, dense dessert made from wild persimmons, a local fall treat.
  • Sweet corn Fresh Illinois sweet corn is a summer staple, often sold at roadside stands.

Where people go

  • Lakes Lake Shelbyville is a major recreation spot for boating, fishing, and camping.
  • County fairgrounds
  • Small-town main streets Historic downtowns with local shops, diners, and community gathering spots.
  • Grain elevators Iconic rural silhouettes marking the agricultural heartland.

Heritage and traditions

Taylorville and its neighbors are proud of their small-town Midwestern roots, a strong farming and coal-mining heritage, and a close-knit community life centered on county fairs, lakes, and the simple pleasures of central Illinois.

This time of year in Taylorville

  • Persimmon picking October-November After the first frost, families gather persimmons to make pudding and bread.

Say it like a local: “You betcha” — You're welcome or yes

Festivals

  • Moweaqua Coal Days September Celebrates the town's coal mining history with a parade, museum open house, and family activities.
  • Taylorville Old Settlers Day September A day of games, food, and local history, often with a parade and live music.

Landmarks with a story

  • Taylorville Carnegie Library Built in 1904 with Carnegie funds, this library is a community landmark and architectural gem.
  • Shelbyville Little Theatre on the Square A professional summer stock theater housed in a historic building, bringing Broadway-style shows to the area.
  • Christian County Historical Society Museum Preserves artifacts from the county's farming and coal mining past, including pioneer tools and photographs.
  • Shelby County Historical Society Museum Located in a historic home, it showcases local history from Native American times to the present.
  • Moweaqua Coal Mine Museum Tells the story of the town's coal mining heritage with exhibits and a preserved mine entrance.

Food traditions

  • Catfish dinners Fried catfish, often caught fresh from Lake Shelbyville, is a summer staple at local fish fries and lake-side restaurants.
  • Deer camp meals During hunting season, families gather for venison steaks and sausage, a tradition passed down through generations.
  • Church potlucks Covered-dish suppers at local churches feature casseroles, Jell-O salads, and homemade pies.
  • Ice cream socials Summer ice cream socials at churches and community centers offer homemade ice cream and cake.
  • Corn roasts Sweet corn roasts in late summer, where corn is boiled or grilled and slathered with butter.

Music and arts

  • Shelbyville Little Theatre on the Square Professional summer stock theater with a season of musicals and plays.
  • Taylorville Municipal Band Community band performing summer concerts in Manners Park.
  • Quilting circles Local quilters create traditional patterns, often displayed at county fairs.
  • Country and gospel music Local musicians often play at fairs, church events, and fundraisers.

A little history

  • 1850s Abraham Lincoln rides the Eighth Judicial Circuit
  • 1880s-1920s Coal mining boom in Pana and Moweaqua
  • 1963 Lake Shelbyville completed for flood control and recreation
  • 1904 Taylorville Carnegie Library opens
  • 1901 Christian County Courthouse built in Beaux-Arts style

Rivalries

  • Cubs vs. Cardinals A friendly but passionate split between Chicago and St. Louis baseball fans.
  • Taylorville vs. Pana High school football and basketball games are fiercely contested.
  • Shelbyville vs. Pana Another cross-county rivalry in basketball and volleyball.
  • Game day Friday night high school football
  • Game day Winter basketball games
  • Outdoors Boating on Lake Shelbyville
  • Outdoors Fishing for bass and catfish
  • With kids Going on carnival rides at the county fair
  • With kids Swimming at Lake Taylorville

People here speak with a Midwestern accent, often saying 'pop' for soda and 'you guys' for a group. You might hear 'ope' as an interjection and a flat 'a' in words like 'bag' and 'flag'.

Only here

  • The Little Theatre on the Square is one of the few professional summer stock theaters in rural Illinois.
  • Moweaqua's Coal Mine Museum is one of the few coal mining museums in the state.
  • The Christian County Courthouse is a stunning example of Beaux-Arts architecture.
  • Persimmon pudding is a beloved local dessert made from native persimmons, often served at church suppers.
New here? A few tips
  • Expect hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters; be prepared for both.
  • Drive a car; public transit is limited, and distances between towns are a few miles.
  • Try a horseshoe sandwich and a pork tenderloin at a local diner.
  • Join a church or community group to meet people quickly.
  • Learn to love county fairs and small-town festivals.

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Part of Springfield area

Nearby

Every area
SpringfieldIllinoisWhere history and horseshoes meetDecaturIllinoisWhere the prairie meets the heartlandShelbyvilleIllinoisWhere the prairie meets the lakeTuscolaIllinoisWhere the harvest is golden and the welcome is warm.LincolnIllinoisWhere Lincoln's legacy meets the prairieVandaliaIllinoisWhere the prairie meets the pastEffinghamIllinoisWhere the highways meet and the heartland beats.JacksonvilleIllinoisWhere the prairie meets a proud college town.

Taylorville, IL. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.

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