Doors Open in southern Illinois this weekend

This coming weekend, it is Doors Open in southern Illinois - a tourism initiative giving residents a chance to peek inside some of the region's greatest historic treasures, for free.

The recently renovated Governor's Mansion (formerly the Hayes House) on the grounds of the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, the Giant City Lodge, the Illinois Rural Heritage Museum in Pinckneyville and the Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown are four of 13 special places in southern Illinois that will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

It's all part of the Illinois Bicentennial celebration. Similar Doors Open events will be held around the state this month: Central Illinois, Aug. 11-12; Western Illinois (communities along the full length of the Mississippi River), Aug. 18-19 and Northeastern Illinois, Aug. 25-26.

Here are southern Illinois sites with free access:

The Downstate Governor's Mansion (former Hayes Home), 655 Executive Drive (Du Quoin State Fairgrounds)

Illinois Rural Heritage Museum, 187 Fairgrounds Road, Pinckneyville

The historic Rose Hotel, 195 S. Main St., Elizabethtown

The Ohio River Visitor Center, 101 N. Calhoun St., Equality

Giant City Lodge, Makanda

P.A.S.T. of Union County Heritage House, 102 S. Main St., Jonesboro

Kornthal Church, 2 Kornthal Church Road, Jonesboro

St. John's Lutheran Church, 1390 St. John's Road, Anna

Union County Museum, 117 S. Appleknocker St., Cobden

Golconda Lockmaster Homes, 1503 Water St., Golconda

Pope County Historical Society Museum, 206 E. Main St., Golconda

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2600 Richview Road, Mt. Vernon

Robinson Stewart House Museum and Ratcliff Inn Museum, in Carmi

To see all the places open for view through the Doors Open program, visit www.enjoyillinois.com/illinois-bicentennial/doors-open-illinois/.