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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Girard, Illinois: Carlinville and Macoupin County on Route 66
Shop a lavender farm stand near Girard, tour Carlinville's Million Dollar Courthouse for free, then follow a 1.4-mile brick stretch of Route 66 at Auburn.
4 places · updated October 17, 2026
🌱 What’s happening now
Updated October 17
🪻 In season now
Broom Orchard · Greene Fields Farm
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Macoupin County lies between Springfield and St. Louis, and the earliest path of Route 66 crossed it: the highway ran through Carlinville from 1926 to 1931, and Girard's old drugstore soda fountain still sits just off the route. The towns keep their brick squares, and the countryside between them is corn, beans, orchards and small farms. Carlinville, the county seat, is the place to start: its courthouse famously grew from a $50,000 plan to about $1.3 million, and a whole neighborhood of Sears mail-order houses still stands a few blocks away.
Moore Acres Lavender Farm is a young homestead on the Carlinville Cutoff Road west of Girard. A wooden farm stand sells its lavender oil blends and balms along with eggs from a flock of about 36 hens, and the farm is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. Its lavender planting is still being expanded, with Phenomenal and Hidcote added in spring 2026, so think of it as a farm-stand stop rather than a field to walk, and look for the farm at Carlinville Market Days and the Broom Orchard festivals.
The lavender farms
- Moore Acres Lavender FarmLavender farm · Girard
Farm stand on Carlinville Cutoff Road, open seven days a week; lavender plantings are just beginning (spring 2026); no tours or u-pick announced.
Best time to visit
Lavender here is new: Moore Acres added Phenomenal, its main oil variety, and Hidcote in spring 2026, and English types like Hidcote generally flower in early summer, with Phenomenal blooming in mid to late summer. Carlinville Market Days fill the historic square on the first Saturday of several months, including May 2, August 1, September 5 and October 3 in 2026. Broom Orchard opens from mid-July through October, and its 44th Apple Festival (September 26–27, 2026) and 36th Pumpkin Festival (October 11, 2026) are the busiest weekends of the year. Route 66 turned 100 in 2026, and Virden marked it with a centennial celebration on its town square on October 10. The Litchfield Museum keeps longer hours from April through October.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Carlinville Historic Square and Macoupin County Courthouse🏛️ Historic site · Carlinville · about 11 mi, 15 min drive
A square of restored 1880s buildings on old Route 66, where the first two county courthouses once stood. Nearby is the "Million Dollar Courthouse," begun in 1867 as a $50,000 project and halted in 1870 at about $1.3 million; the county took about 40 years to pay it off. The city offers free courthouse tours.
Courthouse tours free (call 217-204-1446 to arrange)
- Macoupin County Jail (Cannonball Jail)🏛️ Historic site · Carlinville · about 11 mi, 15 min drive
The county jail from 1869 to 1988, with Civil War cannonballs set into its walls. It also serves as a stop for tourist brochures, and the city includes it in its free tours.
- Standard Addition Sears Homes Neighborhood🏛️ Historic site · Carlinville · about 11 mi, 15 min drive
About 150 Sears, Roebuck mail-order houses built around 1917–1918 for Standard Oil mine workers, bounded by Whitley, Burton, University and High streets. Pick up the Carlinville History Trails map, which covers more than 30 sites on foot, bike or by car.
- Macoupin County Historical Museum (Anderson Mansion)🏛️ Museum · Carlinville · about 11 mi, 15 min drive
Two stories of antiques and local collections inside Carlinville's Anderson Mansion.
- Beaver Dam State Park🌳 State park · Plainview · about 18 mi, 25 min drive
A 750-acre wooded park south of Carlinville, named for the beaver dam that first formed its lake. Fish, picnic or walk the hiking trails; there is also tent and trailer camping.
- Route 66 Original Brick Road🌉 Landmark · Auburn · about 20 mi, 30 min drive
About 1.4 miles of hand-laid brick over a 1920 concrete roadbed on Snell and Curran roads north of Auburn, bricked in the early 1930s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
free
- Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center🏛️ Museum · Litchfield · about 24 mi, 35 min drive
Local history and Route 66 memorabilia on North Old Route 66, including an original Route 66 road sign, classic license plates and the restored neon sign from Vic Suhling's gas station.
April–October: Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday 1–4 p.m.; November–March: Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Sangchris Lake State Park🌳 State park · Rochester · about 32 mi, 45 min drive
More than 3,000 acres around a 1964 power-plant cooling lake with 120 miles of shoreline, plus 20 miles of horse trails and nature trails for hiking.
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Doc's Just Off 66Restaurant · Girard
An 1884 drugstore turned soda fountain and diner on Girard's square, with burgers and ice cream among the Route 66 memorabilia.
- Broom OrchardApple orchard · Carlinville
U-pick apples and pumpkins from mid-July through October, with free-admission Apple and Pumpkin festivals.
- Plainview Vineyard & WineryWinery or vineyard (21+) · Plainview
Macoupin County's first commercial winery, opened in 1998, making wine from its own grapes and fruit near Beaver Dam State Park.
- Greene Fields FarmPumpkin patch · Greenfield
A family farm west of Carlinville with pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, a corn maze and farm animals in September and October.
- Stella's FarmPumpkin patch · Auburn
A small farm near Auburn with seasonal produce, homegrown pumpkins and fall flowers, close to the brick road.
- Apple BarnApple orchard · Chatham
A fall farm stop in Chatham for apples, pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn, open daily in season.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMMoore Acres Lavender Farm
Stop at the farm stand for lavender oil, balms and eggs. About 30 minutes; hours aren't posted, so check their social pages first.
- 10:45 AMCarlinville Historic Square · about 15 min drive
See the Million Dollar Courthouse and the Cannonball Jail; call ahead to join a free courthouse tour. About 50 minutes.
- 11:40 AMStandard Addition Sears Homes · about 5 min drive
Drive or walk the blocks of mail-order houses with the History Trails map. About 20 minutes.
- 12:10 PMBroom Orchard · about 10 min drive
Pick apples (mid-July through October) and buy cider at the farm market. About 50 minutes.
- 1:20 PMDoc's Just Off 66 · about 20 min drive
Lunch and an ice cream treat at the old drugstore soda fountain (closed Wednesdays). About 1 hour.
- 2:40 PMRoute 66 Original Brick Road · about 20 min drive
Follow the brick-paved old highway on Snell and Curran roads. About 30 minutes.
- 3:25 PMApple Barn · about 15 min drive
In fall, finish with apples and pumpkins in Chatham before heading home. About 30 minutes.
Tips
- Moore Acres does not post farm stand hours. Check their social pages or email before making a special trip.
- Courthouse tours in Carlinville are free but arranged by phone (217-204-1446), so call a few days ahead.
- Doc's Just Off 66 is closed Wednesdays and closes at 3 p.m. on Sundays.
- Broom Orchard's Apple Festival and Pumpkin Festival weekends are its busiest days; come early for parking.
- If you visit Plainview Vineyard, plan a designated driver for the country roads back.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Can you pick lavender at Moore Acres?
Not yet as a public activity. The farm is still expanding its planting, with Phenomenal and Hidcote added in spring 2026, and sells its lavender products at its roadside farm stand and local markets.
Why is it called the Million Dollar Courthouse?
The Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville began in 1867 as a $50,000 project and was halted in 1870 at about $1.3 million. The county took about 40 years to pay off the debt.
Where is the brick section of Route 66 near Girard?
North of Auburn on Snell and Curran roads, about 20 minutes north of Girard. About 1.4 miles of brick pavement remain, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
When is apple picking near Carlinville?
Broom Orchard runs from mid-July through October, with its 2026 Apple Festival on September 26–27 and Pumpkin Festival on October 11.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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