About
Heritage Harbor
At Heritage Harbor we believe life should be simple and beautiful by keeping things close to your heart…close to your home! Where days are spent with neighbors who have become friends and friends who have become neighbors. A place where family traditions can be carried on and new ones created. A charming downtown where the storekeeper, butcher and baker know your name and take you back to the way things ‘used to be’.
It’s a place where you can take time for yourself and make time for others. You’ll have the opportunity to give back, to learn new hobbies and explore new adventures. It’s a place where you will catch yourself thinking things like, ‘When did the sky get so many stars?’ ‘How can a sunset have that many colors?’ ‘Wow I really would miss the beauty that each season brings.’ A reflection of your soul bounces off the water’s edge every time you take a breath at the calmness, and yet a sense of adventure awakens your soul while exploring the state parks, boating on the Illinois River or biking the I&M Canal. You will wonder why you didn’t discover these close-to-home treasures sooner. It’s knowing that you will never miss any of your children, grandchildren or friends’ life events because you will be so close, rather than being hundreds of miles away.
It’s having the perfect home that is easy to maintain so that your days or weekends aren’t spent working but rather spent living. It’s life the way it was meant to be lived…. it’s that simple and beautiful –Your Life at Heritage Harbor!
Make Heritage Harbor
Your Happy Place
We are a riverfront destination in the heart of Starved Rock Country, an incredible outdoor recreation region rich in history, nature, and adventures. We are also situated along the Heritage Corridor with access to the 97-mile I&M Canal Trail. Heritage Harbor is as equally grounded in the history of the Illinois River as it is connected to the water sports and natural discoveries that define the river experience.
Whether you desire a stay in our Harbor Inn as a welcome guest, or an investment in your own piece of the Harbor Life, we will gladly help you discover your renewed lifestyle.
Our historic downtown Ottawa has the nostalgic small-town America charm that defines Midwest living, all located just 90 minutes from Chicago.
The vision and history of
Heritage Harbor
Tom Heimsoth is the driving force behind the development of Heritage Harbor. After a successful career as a software entrepreneur, he sought a new challenge. Tom often enjoyed visiting many of the premier resort destinations found in the Midwest. Having lived in the area his whole life, Tom recognized that Chicago area residents had a very limited selection of options for “getting away”.
Southwest Michigan, Wisconsin, and Galena were all becoming increasingly more inaccessible and congested. At the crossing of two rivers and less than 90 minutes from downtown Chicago, Tom saw a historic Illinois town located in an area with the unparalleled natural beauty of Starved Rock Country in a community where life was a lot like it used to be.
He envisioned a place where families and friends could come together to make lasting memories. He saw the magnificent waterfront parcel that would soon become the finest resort community in the Midwest.
In the heart of
Starved Rock Country
Starved Rock Country is generally described as the four-county region adjacent to Starved Rock State Park including the counties of Bureau, Grundy, LaSalle and Putnam. Starved Rock State Park is the tourism driver of the region as it is one of the state’s leading tourist attractions. It attracts nearly 3 million visitors annually thanks to its inherent natural scenic beauty, blessed to be located within less than a two-hour travel for the 9.4 million Chicagoans.
However, it is largely a one-day destination, attracting visitors from the Chicagoland region and central, western and northern Illinois. STARVED ROCK COUNTRY is much more than just Starved Rock State Park. It is a region of unparalleled beauty, history, nature, quaint communities, friendly and authentic people and affordable real estate. There is “life beyond the Rock.”
