the old blacksmith shop

I have been to the Old Blacksmith Shop a couple times, and it's a great and interesting learning experience, I enjoyed it a lot.

Interesting history told here, as well as displaying the craft of blacksmithing in an original building - one of the few places in Galena where you can watch an authentic craft being done.

It was a nice photo op along the River. We didn't go in. There were other shops and restaurants in this area.

We happened on the Blacksmith shop at the end of Main street. It was quite fun to watch the blacksmiths at work. Everyone was happy to talk about their craft and the town. The prices for the items in the store were VERY reasonable. They even made 2 custom items that were ready to pickup the next day. This place is a real blacksmith shop, not just a tourist trap. You should check it out. And it's free!

A visit/vacation to Galena, IL is a must, and one of the top places to visit is The Old Blacksmith Shop on Commerce Street. Rich Tickner and his crew of volunteers are excellent. Not only is this an actual working blacksmith shop (they have made a number of items for me that far exceeded anything I could have purchased elsewhere), it is also a teaching blacksmith shop. They are all willing to answer your questions in a very professional manner. This shop is a step back in time that is well worth your time.

You can feel (and smell) this history here. The guide was very helpful and talked of the work that the volunteer smiths work on today as well as the history of the shop. I enjoyed the artifacts and the fact that the history lives on. This was a gem and I am glad we had the opportunity to visit.

We wandered into the Old Blacksmith shop and were glad we did. The volunteer was very knowledgable about the history of blacksmiths in Galena. He also did a demonstration and was very fun to talk to.

Great presentation of the shop and it's history. They ask for a small donation to help with expenses (a few dollars). I gave since I feel that this is a part of history and needs to be in existence for the future of our children. It is 1 block south of the Main Street and Franklin Street (east end of the main drag).

I took my husband here as he loves anything old and western. We were pleasantly surprised when we found that the blacksmith was still giving demonstrations. Tony, I believe was his name, was very friendly and answered all of our questions. He was also demonstrating and explaining how he was making a leaf. As he put the steel back in the fire, we bombarded him with questions, leaving the steel in the fire for too long and his leaf burnt off. Oops! But he was so friendly we really appreciated the time he took to explain everything for us. Definitely worth the stop if interested in the old west.

We went there right when it opened so we saw the beginnings of how coal was made. Lots of old machinery and tools to be displayed and a must-see for any men who uses tools. My mother bought a 20-pound gnome out of the blue, which she likes very much!

Our blacksmith was very informative and fun to listen to. Great place to stop and learn about the history of Galena.

I was more than pleased with my visit to The Old Blacksmith Shop. Everyone was so knowledgeable and friendly. We had spent a good amount of time talking with and watching the blacksmiths. This will definitely be a place we visit every time we are in Galena. We absolutely loved it!

This is a very interesting stop. The blacksmith was there working on a piece. He talked a lot about the history of blacksmithing, the craft, the mathematics and chemistry involved, and the tools he used. It was very informative, and we all enjoyed watching him work and listening to him talk for quite a while. Free to visit, just a requested donation. You can also purchase items that have been made in the shop (though those run out quickly) and other historical souvenirs from the attached shop.

Very interesting. We just missed the blacksmith but the shop and the collection within has been preserved well so it definitely was like taking a step back in time. The volunteer was very cordial and full of information and apologetic that the blacksmith was gone.

We wandered in after lunch and were entertained by the blacksmith's stories of the history of Galena. It was right before they were closing so didn't get to see him do any smithy work but the stories were very entertaining.