3 Fascinating Things You Might Not Know About Galena, Illinois

As a lifelong Illinois resident who loves visiting Galena, I thought I knew a lot about what this charming town has to offer, but then I learned these three fascinating facts.

The Most Charming Town in Illinois

I may have lived my entire life in northern Illinois, but there are still sooo many towns and cities I have never been to before. My experience and knowledge about Southern Illinois might not be great, but I still think many people will agree when I say Galena is one of the most charming towns in the entire state.

READ MORE: Galena Named One of the Most Charming Towns in America

I have been to Galena more times than I can count, primarily because I love the vibe and history of the town. From the cute shops and restaurants, to the views and experiences, I love everything about Galena's downtown area in every season!

This past weekend my family and I drove through Galena on our way to Dubuque (sadly, we didn't have time to stop, shop, and eat), but I noticed one major thing I'd never paid attention to before; the streets leading into Galena are red!

What other interesting things don't I know about Galena yet? I decided to do a little research...

3 Fascinating Facts About Galena, Illinois

Since I already brought it up, let's start with this first fun fact;

Many of the roads leading into Galena are red.

Galena's roads may be made of concrete, but why are they tinged this unique shade of red?

Almost all of the buildings on Galena's Main Street are made of red brick, so to keep the historical aesthetic going, the main roads are tinged red as well.

According to Visit Galena;

The unique geography and lead mining history of Galena Country have impacted almost everything in the area, from the distinct red “Galena brick” buildings to the size of the Galena River.

Many scenes from the movie 'Field Of Dreams' were filmed in Galena.

Baseball fans loved the 'Field of Dreams' movie, but did you know a LOT of the movie scenes were filmed in Galena? In fact, twelve different locations in Galena were featured in the movie, and you can see the breakdown of which scenes were filmed where, here.

Red Stripe Beer was first brewed in Galena.

When I first saw this fact, I was like "no way!" Red Stripe is famously Jamaican, (which is true), but it was first brewed in Galena.

Visit Galena says;

 Red Stripe Beer was crafted in the original Galena Brewing Company in the 1830’s. When the brewery closed in 1938, the recipe was sold to two British investors who moved the company to Jamaica and made the drink world-famous during World War II.

Well, I'll be. Now I think I may love Galena, Illinois even more.

Here's more proof Galena is awesome...