Nauvoo House
890 Main St,, Nauvoo, IL 62354
Historic Sites
In 1841 a group of investors, led by Church of Latter Day Saints founder Joseph Smith, began a joint-stock company to build a massive hotel called the Nauvoo House.
Slowly over the course of the next few years, the building began to take shape. Construction continued after Joseph's death in 1844, but the walls were not yet three stories high when work stopped in 1846. Decades later Emma Smith’s second husband, Lewis Bidamon, finished part of the structure and together they operated it as a boarding house called the Riverside Mansion. It was in this building that Emma Smith Bidamon lived during the last eight years of her life.
More Information
- Mon: 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Tue: 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Wed: 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Thu: 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Sat: 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Sun: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
There is a $4.00 preservation fee per person for the guided tour of the Smith homes.
How to find us?
What's happening nearby...

Annual Nauvoo Grape Festival
Nauvoo State Park • Aug 29 – Aug 31
The Nauvoo Grape Festival has something for everyone! Join us for 3 days packed with petting zoos, mud volleyball, a car show, grape stomping, and much…
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When early church members first gathered in Nauvoo, this cabin on the river became Latter Day Saints founders, Joseph and Emma's first home.
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Guests can view demonstrations in a wide variety of 19th-century trades such as spinning, bread making, candle making, pottery, rope and barrel making.
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