Tourist information center at Villa Kathrine celebrating 35th anniversary before Tuesday’s annual meeting of Friends of the Castle

QUINCY — Quincy’s tourist information center in the Villa Kathrine is celebrating its 35^th anniversary this month.  

Friends of the Castle will be holding an open house before its annual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13.  The Villa Kathrine will be open for free tours from 1-5 p.m. Everyone is invited to see the castle and visit with board members and volunteers.  

The annual meeting will begin after the open house at 5 p.m. with a social hour and the business meeting beginning at 6 p.m.  The annual meeting is open to the public and will include reports on the state of the organization, upcoming events, renovations and volunteer recognitions — including the Volunteer of the Year.

The center was formally declared open on Sept. 7, 1987, and deemed the tourist information center by then-Mayor C. David Nuessen.  

Locating the tourist information center in the Villa Kathrine was a goal of the Friends of the Castle when it was formed in 1978. The organization founded by the Quincy Jaycee-Ettes, a group of women and their supportive families, worked to form the not-for-profit group to restore and operate the Villa Kathrine.  

Getting the Villa Kathrine on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979 was the first step in a long process of cooperative efforts that brought the neglected 1900 structure back to its original glory.  The tourist information area in the front parlor was the first area inside to be restored.  It has been staffed by volunteer hosts from the first day of operation until present day. These volunteers strive to keep the Villa Kathrine open seven days a week year-round.