Things to do in Shelbyville
The county seat at the foot of the dam: a 1903 Chautauqua in a park that runs down to the lake, a courthouse square Lincoln argued on, a restored single-screen theater, and a festival calendar that fills October and lights December.
In town
Forest Park and the Chautauqua Auditorium ↗
Shelbyville, at the back of town toward the dam
The city’s signature park, with the 1903 Chautauqua — a twenty-sided wooden hall, the largest of its kind still standing and on the National Register — plus the Sunken Garden, Crystal Lake, ball fields, disc golf, a skate park and the dog park. The back of the park opens onto the Dacey Trail.
Link goes to: Enjoy Illinois listing
Family Aquatic Center ↗
Forest Park
The city pool: water slide, frog slide, wet playground, sand play area and concessions, summers.
Link goes to: Enjoy Illinois listing
General Dacey Trail ↗
Downtown Shelbyville to Forest Park, Dam West and the dam overlook
A National Recreation Trail for walkers, runners and cyclists, built in phases since 2006 by a volunteer committee, with lake views, an outdoor fitness area below the overlook and sections fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.
The courthouse square and Lincoln ↗
Downtown Shelbyville
The 1885 courthouse anchors a historic square ringed by shops and offices. Lincoln practiced here on the Eighth Circuit and debated Anthony Thornton in Shelbyville in 1856; the "Let’s Debate" statues stand in front of the courthouse.
CityWalk — four self-guided downtown tours ↗
Downtown Shelbyville
Four walking tours of the historic downtown, put together with a state preservation designer and the county historical society, on the architecture and the stories behind the buildings around the square.
Boarman’s Roxy Theatre ↗
East Main Street, downtown
A restored single-screen movie house on the square, showing first-run films since it reopened in 2003.
Boarman’s Chevy Bel-Air Auto Museum ↗
Downtown Shelbyville
Bob Boarman’s private collection, open since 2005: around ten restored Chevrolets, an Indy pace car, and a room of Chevy memorabilia down to the jukebox. Call ahead.
Shelby County Historical & Genealogical Society ↗
The old county jail, Shelbyville
The county’s collection since 1962, housed in the former jail: family papers, photographs and artifacts donated by Shelby County families, and the place to research a house or a family.
Shelby County Fairgrounds ↗
Shelbyville
Home of the county fair and 4-H fair in summer, and horse events through the season.
On the lake, from town
The dam, the visitor center and the Dam West and Dam East recreation areas are minutes from the square.
Lake Shelbyville Visitor Center ↗
East side of the dam, on Route 16
The Corps’ visitor center and project office: exhibits on the lake’s wildlife and history, aquariums and terrariums, a gift shop, an auditorium, butterfly gardens and a view over the water. Open daily in summer, weekdays the rest of the year.
The beaches — Dam West, Wilborn Creek, Sullivan Beach, Wolf Creek ↗
Around the lake
Three Corps swimming beaches and a fourth at Wolf Creek State Park. The Corps’ maps page has a printable map of each recreation area.
Boat rentals — pontoons, party barges, kayaks, houseboats ↗
Lithia Springs Marina, Findlay Marina, Sullivan Marina
All three marinas rent through 32 Marine. Lithia Springs has the widest fleet, including houseboats for a night on the water, and Nessie’s floating bar and grill.
Fishing — the state biologist’s outlook ↗
Lake-wide, and the tailwater below the dam
White bass and white crappie rated excellent; walleye, sauger, muskie, largemouth and channel catfish very good. The muskie that escape over the dam make the spillway tailwater a fishery of its own.
Lake Shelbyville Fishing Guide ↗
Lake-wide
A local guide service for crappie, walleye and muskie, with an accommodations list.
Wineries and a short drive
Willow Ridge Vineyards & Winery ↗
North of Shelbyville
A Tuscan-style winery outside town with a terrace, a fireplace and live music, and the launch site for BalloonFest.
Vahling Vineyards ↗
Stewardson
A family vineyard and winery south of the lake with five acres of grapes and fruit wines.
The Goat Tower ↗
On a farm outside Findlay
A thirty-one-foot brick tower with a spiral of two hundred seventy-six steps, built in 1998 for a herd of goats after its builder saw one in a wine magazine. Viewable from the road; the one thing in the county nobody expects.
Link goes to: Enjoy Illinois listing
Thompson Mill Covered Bridge ↗
Over the Kaskaskia, two miles northeast of Cowden
Completed in 1868 and the narrowest covered bridge in Illinois, on the National Register since 1975. A state historical marker stands beside it.
The calendar
The Greater Shelbyville Chamber keeps the running list; dates below are the organizers’ own for the year shown.
Third Saturday in January
Candlelight Walk on the Dacey Trail ↗
Dacey Trail, Shelbyville
A luminary-lit winter walk on the trail with bonfires and hot cider, run by the trail volunteers.
May 8–9, 2026
Chet Kingery Memorial Bluegrass Festival ↗
Chautauqua Auditorium, Forest Park
Two days of bluegrass in the Chautauqua.
Third Saturdays, May through September, 2026
Makers & Growers Markets ↗
Johnstown Mall lot, Shelbyville
A morning market of local growers and makers.
July 4, at dusk
Fireworks over the lake ↗
Launched from Ramp Point, Dam West
The Corps’ show over the dam, with the Chamber’s parade, concessions and inflatables at Dam East and Dam West and a community picnic the next day. Watch from Dam West, Dam East, the visitor center or the overlook; parking fills, so the Corps lists overflow lots.
Summer
August
October 9–10, 2026 (Columbus Day weekend)
Scarecrow Daze ↗
Downtown Shelbyville
The whole town decorates to a new theme every year — homes, businesses, the square — with a parade, car show, quilt show, music, a beer tent and kids’ games.
October 9–11, 2026
Touchstone Energy BalloonFest ↗
Shelbyville airport and Willow Ridge Winery
Hot-air balloons over the lake the same weekend as Scarecrow Daze, launching from the winery on Friday.
Mid-November through December
Festival of Lights and Festival of Trees ↗
Forest Park, Shelbyville
A drive-through light display built entirely by volunteers — the Victorian Village, Santa’s Shop, the North Pole, Bethlehem, Candy Cane Lane — with the Chautauqua lit as a carousel, and sponsored trees filling the park alongside.
Year-round
Shelbyville Chamber — event list ↗
Shelbyville
Everything the Chamber runs or sponsors, with dates, plus a calendar you can subscribe to.
Every entry was checked against the organizer’s own site or agency page on September 19, 2026. Dates and hours are theirs to set; confirm before you drive. We list these because a visitor who knows the lake is a better buyer, not because anyone paid.