Tourist Attractions

Downtown Benton's central business district has at its center, the Public Square, and is located at the intersection of Illinois Routes 14, 34, and 37. Crowning our Public Square is the historic Franklin County Courthouse, originally constructed in 1875 and still in use today.
Located around the Public Square are six unique antique malls. Collectively, these malls offer antiques and collectible items from over 200 vendors in 50,640 square feet of display space. These malls are open 6 days a week, with three of them also open on Sundays. The quality of the antiques found here will be of equal interest to tourists, collectors, and antique buffs. Benton's Public Square is rapidly gaining a reputation as being the destination of choice for an interesting and unique shopping experience. The festive atmosphere downtown is fostered by the colorful banners promoting the structural history of Benton, as well as, the businesses that support Downtown Benton, Inc.
Downtown Benton also features two unique museums: the Historic Franklin County Jail Museum, site of the last public hanging in Illinois, and the 1910's Franklin County Garage Museum. The Garage Museum houses a variety of antique automobiles and offers visitors a glimpse of the early days of motoring in Franklin County.
A recent addition to downtown Benton is Capitol Park, which serves as a community band shell. Rarely does a summer weekend go by without some form of free musical entertainment being offered at Capitol Park.