The Kaskaskia Dragon is a large metal sculpture of a dragon on the north side of town, operated by a coin mechanism that causes it to breathe genuine fire. Insert a token — available from the nearby Little Brick Liquors store — and the beast obliges with a dramatic burst of flame from its metal jaws.
The dragon sits on a trailer in a car park and has become something of a local institution, drawing curious visitors from around the state. It is the kind of thing that makes a small town memorable. The mechanism works best in the evening when the flames are most visible. The liquor store that sells the tokens is on Main Street, a few blocks from the courthouse.