State Grants Tourism Money for “Amish Experience”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DECO) allocated $334,093.16 to fund a tourist attraction aimed at simulating an authentic Amish experience.

According to our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) allocated $150,000 in 2009 to the Rockome Gardens Learning Foundation in the town of Arcola to help fund tourist “buildings that will house dairy and ice-cream making components into an interactive Amish experience.”

The DCEO’s grant tracker shows the grant (#09-335023) to Rockome Gardens Learning Foundation was complemented on February 1st, 2010 by a $184,093 grant (#10-335011) for “Phase two,” which will “house the cheese making, bakery and general store portion” of the attraction. The total cost of these two grants is $334,093.16.

Since this grant was awarded in fiscal year 2010, the information is not currently available on ourIllinoisOpenGov.org website, but we plan on integrating it into our site when we have updated information. To find the grant on the DCEO grant tracker site, search for “Rockome Gardens Learning Foundation” in the “Name of Organization” field.