John Deere Pavilion

[RobS]

Hi all, we just got back from a vacation which included a brief stop at the John Deere Commons in Moline, Ill. I must say, my wife is very tolerant /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

It was a nice visit, they have a store with all sorts of JD apparel, toys and such. A very nice display of vintage and new equipment and the new stuff is available to climb on /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif Not sure who enjoyed that more, the kids or me. There is also a "collectors center" modeled after a vintage dealership. They cater to the restorer and have a couple of restorations in process for viewing. Many older models on display in that area. Apparently there was an auction recently which sold a rare hi-crop tractor for $170K!!!

The corporate HQ is only a couple of miles away and we were told the displays there are more thorough. They also have plant tours but must be arranged ahead of time and no kids. We drove by a couple of plants in the area and the quantity of large ag equipment sitting around was quite impressive.

All in all, it was a pleasant stop but I don't know that I'd make the trip just for that (I know my wife wouldn't). There is a link on the Deere site if anyone wants more info /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

Rob,
I live about 30 miles from there and yes it is impressive if you like tractors. They have a tractor musuem also that is much larger than the commons area.