Elsah Village050

The structures, streets, and public squares date mostly from the nineteenth century in Elsah Village, a "perfectly preserved" storybook-like town in Illinois that is nestled snugly, almost invisibly, in a thickly wooded ravine. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places during the 1970's.

The town's structures display a simple, rustic nature, heralding back to the pioneer frontier that Missouri once was. Its more stately buildings feature Greek Revival and Gothic styles.

Today, Elsah has three small inns perfect for weekend getaways, as well as the Village of Elsah Museum and a few small stores. Visitors appreciate taking self-guided walking tours of the town's narrow streets to see the limestone and brick houses, beautiful gardens, and spectacular autumn foliage; an annual house tour is typically held in December.