During our visit to
John Deere Pavilion in Moline, Illinois, we all got to be kids and climb on farm equipment! Of course, the John Deere experience is much more than climbing on tractors and we certainly learned a lot about John Deere and the company today! But, the climbing was fun!
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| John Deere Enhances the Plow |
We began our journey by learning about John Deere himself. We were surprised to learn that John Deere began by improving on the plow. The original plows used in the United States were more suited to the sandy soil out East and were not to successful on the rich yet tough soil of the Midwest. As a blacksmith, he would develop the steel plow that would improve farming in the Midwest. In addition to founding John Deere the company in 1837, John Deere would also serve Moline in a variety of capacities including as mayor.
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| An early John Deere tractor at the John Deere Pavilion |
The John Deere business would not move into the tractor business until the early 20th century, long after John Deere's death. We found it quite interesting that John Deere was not actually involved in the tractor business himself. From John Deere's beginnings with first the plow and then the tractor, the company has really exploded with innovation.
The cab of the tractor is amazing -- air conditioned with a computer and a refrigerator plus so much more!
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| John Deere combine |
Of course, one of the stars of John Deere Pavilion is the combine! How can you not climb aboard? The combine is massive and quite a presence!
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| Learning about a more sustainable future with John Deere. |
John Deere has a commitment to land stewardship, using innovation to minimize our impact on the Earth and move towards a sustainable future. This really spoke to me because my grandparents grew up on farms and instilled in me the importance sustainability.
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| Driverless tractor |
A couple of exhibits illustrate John Deere's work on driverless technology. We saw examples of both driverless tractors and lawn mowers. Would you do a double take if you saw a driverless tractor?
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| John Deere engine display |
We also enjoyed a couple of peeks at John Deere engines!
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| John Deere Tree Harvester with Legs |
One of the most interesting vehicles in the John Deere Pavilion is this tree harvester. Look at the legs!
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| Construction vehicle at John Deere Pavilion |
We had an amazing experience exploring John Deere! John Deere vehicles inside and out will spark curiosity. Additional exhibits provided added context and history. The John Deere Pavilion provides a wonderful educational experience highlighting an American maker. Definitely worth a visit!
Things to know:
- There are a number of John Deere attractions in Illinois and Iowa.
- John Deere attractions are FREE to allow the public to explore this Midwest company.
- You can call to schedule factory tours at several John Deere factories in Illinois and Iowa.
- The pavilion is very hands-on with plenty for kids big and small to explore!
- There is a virtual reality experience at the Pavilion where you can "drive" a tractor.
- Across from the John Deere Pavilion is a gift shop to get your goodies to bring home!
**Disclosure: Thank you to
Visit Quad Cities for hosting our visit. We received complimentary experiences in ordered to facilitate to bring these reviews to you. No other compensation was a received. All opinions are 100% my own.
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