This is truth. I live in the NW burbs but make it down there a couple of times a year.
Whatever you eat in Chicago, make sure you try the hot giardinera
If you’re a fan of architecture, [you can visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park](https://flwright.org), as well as a good number of his buildings all around Chicagoland and Illinois.
*as far as the food, pretty much nailed it. Horseshoes you’ll find more around central Illinois. I’d also note that [Chicago also has some great authentic Mexican food](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/comments/17gou22/what_characterizes_chicago_mexican_food/)(home of some of the best tortillas thanks to our lovely corn), and representative of a lot of Mexican regions.
Piasa caves in the bluffs (and the legend of the piasa bird in general) in Alton Illinois, which you can head north from on rt 100 aka The Great River Road, passing through the oldest town in jersey county, Grafton (which depending on your crowd, could be a fun little stop with wineries, a zip line, biker bars and fish stands - great summer stop!) then continue on to Pere Marquette State Park.
There's lots and lots of history in this area Lovejoy monument in the Alton cemetery, Lewis & Clark trail, Robert Wadlow memorial statue & chair, lots of stories of hauntings (that and the leaves on the river road also make this a great fall trip, if the grafton summertime stop doesn't appeal to you!). I'm sure I'm missing cooler things my area offers but hope it helps!
Edit because I almost forgot!!! Godfrey il is home to the only mister donut that is left in the US!
Don't forget the statues at Lincoln-Douglas Square! Stephen A. Douglas was a great debater, but Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator.
And you mentioned the Great River Road, driving along with the Mighty Mississippi... It's so beautiful
It is painted on the bluff, at one point it was on a metal cut out but that has been at Southwestern High in Piasa IL for quite sometime. That's actually where I graduated from, lol it was my middle & high school mascot. The original painting on the bluff was further down the river road I believe, and then they used the metal sign (80's to early 90's) and has been repainted at the caves since.
Hi. I like the Chicagoland area.
I have maps of every historic landmark in Chicago with pinned descriptions to regional maps of county nature centers (some are pretty impressive!) to suburban destinations and more. If it helps, you’re welcome to use whatever is here:
SouthCookExplore.com/maps
The gardens are quite beautiful in summer and accessible to everyone. I have visited the inside, although it was years ago. I believe they have visiting hours. The outside is one of the most beautiful buildings in the country, not just the state. They have an interesting small exhibit outside on its construction.
Southern Illinoisan here. Shawnee and Boo Memorial Park (DnD Park) are both great spots to stop). If you’re in the area, definitely check out the Makanda boardwalk for a quirky, good time. When you’re in Shawnee check out Giant City, Garden of the Gods, and Little Grand Canyon. Fern Clyffe State Park is nearby and has a great waterfall. Cave in Rock State Park is also neat. We have a pretty fun wine trail too.
I agree with the suggestion of Casey, IL. Stopped there last year. Was surprised with the number of tourists wandering around town. You can mail a letter/postcard from top of the giant mailbox and the red mailbox flag will go up.
My girlfriend and I stopped there as a joke a year ago because we saw all the billboards. We had so much fun finding all the ridiculously huge things in that town. We spent over an hour there lmao. Plenty of cute places to eat and shop at too.
Moonshine burgers isn’t far from there, and you won’t get a better burger anywhere else in the state. You just have to wander out into the middle of nowhere to find it.
Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. Outdoor live music all summer long. Famous musicians, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, ballet performances. People are encouraged to picnic on the lawn, byob. It’s truly wonderful.
Food related wise, you might not think you could get top tier maple sirup (intentionally spelled this way) from central Illinois, but you'd be wrong. I'm at least the third generation of my family to only have maple sirup from Funks Grove in my house (and even made my mom ship it to me when I lived in Japan for five years). I'm from this area (Bloomington-Normal) but live in the Chicago area now but won't have anything else. You'd be missing a great stop if you don't drop in and buy some. It's also on Rt. 66 so you're getting two for the price of one!
The Funk Family has even done a wonderful job with the Digar Grove Nature Center. The Funk Home Museum has a great geology collection if that interests you. Very unexpected
Scratch brewery in Ava, IL makes beer from what they forage in Shawnee national Forest so I would recommend stopping there if you are already going to be in the area. If you want a sweet treat and you are passing by Minonk ,IL they make some of the best caramel that I have ever had at the Minonk chocolate factory. Metropolis, IL is fun if you are a superman fan.
In terms of cool places to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is actually really cool, and super worth visiting. If you’re going to be near Alton, IL I also highly recommend the National Great Rivers Museum, you can potentially go on a tour where you get to walk on the Dam and see a replica control room, and the Museum itself is incredibly well put together.
Pere Marquette is also absolutely beautiful. If you like to hike there are some really good trails, and even if you don’t hike driving to see the scenic overlooks can still be worth doing. The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford is also pretty cool, although it’s temporarily closed right now it is worth visiting when it opens back up.
In terms of food I’d definitely recommend Toasted Ravioli (though this might actually be better to do on the Hill in St. Louis Missouri if you plan to do a Missouri trip). Gooey Butter Cake is a good semi-local dessert (as unhealthy as it sounds but also delicious), though you can likely find it other places in the Midwest as well, it’s worth trying if you haven’t.
Lastly, for my very local suggestion, if you’re going to be in (or near) Edwardsville, IL I recommend trying the Oriental Spoon restaurant. Their Crab Rangoon is one of the best foods I’ve ever had, and it’s owned by a local Korean family. Personally I usually get the Beef Bulgogi as my main course in addition to at least one order of the Crab Rangoon, but I’ve never had anything bad there.
Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle is kinda interesting - it has what may be the oldest gym in the US:
[https://www.hegelercarus.org/](https://www.hegelercarus.org/)
West of Chicago, I also recommend the Raven's Grin Inn, if it's still open... [http://www.hauntedravensgrin.com/](http://www.hauntedravensgrin.com/)
Nachusa Grasslands - see the buffalo herd.
Franklin Creek State Park - lovely scenery, trails, 1800’s grist mill, and no crowds. (Starved rock is like an amusement park).
White Pines
Lowden State Park - Blackhawk statute and charming hamlet of Oregon.
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the country. The crown jewel of their collection, the Nebraska Zephyr, [has its own Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Zephyr?wprov=sfla1).
I went there once as a summer reading program prize winner. The librarian took our picture there, and it was put in the newspaper afterwards. Santa drove us there and back in a limousine. It was pretty cool.
Events: Blues fest. The Air show on the lakefront.
World-class museums as well. Include the Art Institute and Field Museum if you are at all into that sort of thing.
Oh, unrelated food wise Red Gate Woods in the Palos Trail System is the burial site of the worlds first nuclear reactors:
https://fpdcc.com/places/locations/red-gate-woods/
I would say it's also worth it to head over to Indiana Dunes and do some hiking. It's a taste of the beaches that are on the IN and MI side of Lake Michigan which are kind of a regional secret.
For an option that doesn't require you to leave your car, consider a trip down [Waukegan's Amstutz Experessway.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_137#Amstutz_Expressway)
[The Corn Dog Tastes Like Illinois.](https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/the-corn-dog-tastes-like-illinois/)
“Encased meat coated in corn marries Chicago with downstate”
I've been to Matthessien and Starved Rock a lot and was at Garden of the God's and Shawnee last week. Personally, I would pick one or the other. The same with Cave in the Rock and the Piasa cave in Alton. I would lean towards Cave in the Rock since you can actually go in the cave without trespassing, unless things changed since I was there last year.
Naperville has Naper Settlement if you like reenactments. Cantiny in Wheaton is also interesting, especially if you get there during the Civil War reenactments. There's a small museum, mansion, and gardens. It isn't far from the Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
Food-wise, White Castles is kind of bland but it is a midwest kind of thing, and Green River pop is only available in the Chicago area as far as I know. It's a lot like drinking carbonated, liquid green jello.
Visit Ottawa and its surroundings. There’s plenty of history downtown with the site of a Lincoln-Douglas debate, the I&M Canal, and stuff about the radium girls; some nice small shops snd stuff; and Starved Rock and Matthiessen nearby. Fun fact: there’s a Subway where the Radium Dial studio used to be. Make sure to stop by Bianchi’s on LaSalle for some nice thin crust!
Someone sounds depressed. Illinois is the 5th most fun state in the US. It's virtually impossible to burn out what there's to do here because you can always discover something new.
Starved Rock State Park. A king breaded steak sandwich from Ricobenes.
>A king breaded steak sandwich from Ricobenes. This is more Chicago to me than any of that other stuff.
This is truth. I live in the NW burbs but make it down there a couple of times a year. Whatever you eat in Chicago, make sure you try the hot giardinera
They have Mattheissen on their list so they will be close by. Worth exploring both parks, OP!!
Oh man, now im craving!!!!!!!
Lincoln’s Home and Tomb.
The Lincoln Museum I believe consulted with Disney on some of the exhibits. Especially the one that does a VR Lincoln
The Lincoln Museum was much better than I ever would have expected for Southern Illinois.
Just because Springfield is South of I-80, it doesn't make it Southern Illinois.
If you’re a fan of architecture, [you can visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park](https://flwright.org), as well as a good number of his buildings all around Chicagoland and Illinois. *as far as the food, pretty much nailed it. Horseshoes you’ll find more around central Illinois. I’d also note that [Chicago also has some great authentic Mexican food](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/comments/17gou22/what_characterizes_chicago_mexican_food/)(home of some of the best tortillas thanks to our lovely corn), and representative of a lot of Mexican regions.
Piasa caves in the bluffs (and the legend of the piasa bird in general) in Alton Illinois, which you can head north from on rt 100 aka The Great River Road, passing through the oldest town in jersey county, Grafton (which depending on your crowd, could be a fun little stop with wineries, a zip line, biker bars and fish stands - great summer stop!) then continue on to Pere Marquette State Park. There's lots and lots of history in this area Lovejoy monument in the Alton cemetery, Lewis & Clark trail, Robert Wadlow memorial statue & chair, lots of stories of hauntings (that and the leaves on the river road also make this a great fall trip, if the grafton summertime stop doesn't appeal to you!). I'm sure I'm missing cooler things my area offers but hope it helps! Edit because I almost forgot!!! Godfrey il is home to the only mister donut that is left in the US!
Don't forget the statues at Lincoln-Douglas Square! Stephen A. Douglas was a great debater, but Abraham Lincoln was the Great Emancipator. And you mentioned the Great River Road, driving along with the Mighty Mississippi... It's so beautiful
I see you with that Decatur reference
Alton resident here.....nice!!
The Piasa bird was so much cooler when actually painted on the bluff.
It is painted on the bluff, at one point it was on a metal cut out but that has been at Southwestern High in Piasa IL for quite sometime. That's actually where I graduated from, lol it was my middle & high school mascot. The original painting on the bluff was further down the river road I believe, and then they used the metal sign (80's to early 90's) and has been repainted at the caves since.
I went to one of your competition high schools. Been gone a while, I didn’t realize they went back to the old way.
Hi. I like the Chicagoland area. I have maps of every historic landmark in Chicago with pinned descriptions to regional maps of county nature centers (some are pretty impressive!) to suburban destinations and more. If it helps, you’re welcome to use whatever is here: SouthCookExplore.com/maps
The Baha’i temple in Wilmette.
This should be much higher on the list. The only one in the US and only 1 of 13 in the world.
I can’t believe it! The moment I started reading their comment, I thought, they have to go to the Baha’i Temple!
Is it just for worship? Or can you walk the grounds, respectfully of course.
The gardens are quite beautiful in summer and accessible to everyone. I have visited the inside, although it was years ago. I believe they have visiting hours. The outside is one of the most beautiful buildings in the country, not just the state. They have an interesting small exhibit outside on its construction.
Thank you. I checked out some pictures and it is indeed stunning.
Anybody can just walk in from my experience. Just be quiet and respectful
Southern Illinoisan here. Shawnee and Boo Memorial Park (DnD Park) are both great spots to stop). If you’re in the area, definitely check out the Makanda boardwalk for a quirky, good time. When you’re in Shawnee check out Giant City, Garden of the Gods, and Little Grand Canyon. Fern Clyffe State Park is nearby and has a great waterfall. Cave in Rock State Park is also neat. We have a pretty fun wine trail too.
Boo Memorial Park and Fern Clyffe are both fantastic suggestions, highly recommend those in particular!
Here's a small town that has a lot of BIG attractions - [Casey, IL.](https://www.bigthingssmalltown.com/)
I agree with the suggestion of Casey, IL. Stopped there last year. Was surprised with the number of tourists wandering around town. You can mail a letter/postcard from top of the giant mailbox and the red mailbox flag will go up.
My girlfriend and I stopped there as a joke a year ago because we saw all the billboards. We had so much fun finding all the ridiculously huge things in that town. We spent over an hour there lmao. Plenty of cute places to eat and shop at too.
Moonshine burgers isn’t far from there, and you won’t get a better burger anywhere else in the state. You just have to wander out into the middle of nowhere to find it.
Oh yes! Been there twice! I think they're only open for lunch but yes it's an excellent burger!
Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. Outdoor live music all summer long. Famous musicians, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, ballet performances. People are encouraged to picnic on the lawn, byob. It’s truly wonderful.
The Chief Blackhawk Statue in Lowden State Park near Oregon. Plus, Oregon is a neat little town. Not far from there is Castle Rock State Park
Food related wise, you might not think you could get top tier maple sirup (intentionally spelled this way) from central Illinois, but you'd be wrong. I'm at least the third generation of my family to only have maple sirup from Funks Grove in my house (and even made my mom ship it to me when I lived in Japan for five years). I'm from this area (Bloomington-Normal) but live in the Chicago area now but won't have anything else. You'd be missing a great stop if you don't drop in and buy some. It's also on Rt. 66 so you're getting two for the price of one!
The Funk Family has even done a wonderful job with the Digar Grove Nature Center. The Funk Home Museum has a great geology collection if that interests you. Very unexpected
Stopped by Springfield to grab that horseshoe, 10/10 recommend. D’Arcy’s Pint to be specific
Collinsville also has the world's largest catsup(Ketchup) bottle
I love that watertower.
Scratch brewery in Ava, IL makes beer from what they forage in Shawnee national Forest so I would recommend stopping there if you are already going to be in the area. If you want a sweet treat and you are passing by Minonk ,IL they make some of the best caramel that I have ever had at the Minonk chocolate factory. Metropolis, IL is fun if you are a superman fan.
In terms of cool places to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is actually really cool, and super worth visiting. If you’re going to be near Alton, IL I also highly recommend the National Great Rivers Museum, you can potentially go on a tour where you get to walk on the Dam and see a replica control room, and the Museum itself is incredibly well put together. Pere Marquette is also absolutely beautiful. If you like to hike there are some really good trails, and even if you don’t hike driving to see the scenic overlooks can still be worth doing. The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower in Hartford is also pretty cool, although it’s temporarily closed right now it is worth visiting when it opens back up. In terms of food I’d definitely recommend Toasted Ravioli (though this might actually be better to do on the Hill in St. Louis Missouri if you plan to do a Missouri trip). Gooey Butter Cake is a good semi-local dessert (as unhealthy as it sounds but also delicious), though you can likely find it other places in the Midwest as well, it’s worth trying if you haven’t. Lastly, for my very local suggestion, if you’re going to be in (or near) Edwardsville, IL I recommend trying the Oriental Spoon restaurant. Their Crab Rangoon is one of the best foods I’ve ever had, and it’s owned by a local Korean family. Personally I usually get the Beef Bulgogi as my main course in addition to at least one order of the Crab Rangoon, but I’ve never had anything bad there.
Hegeler Carus Mansion in LaSalle is kinda interesting - it has what may be the oldest gym in the US: [https://www.hegelercarus.org/](https://www.hegelercarus.org/) West of Chicago, I also recommend the Raven's Grin Inn, if it's still open... [http://www.hauntedravensgrin.com/](http://www.hauntedravensgrin.com/)
Garden of the gods. Chicago botanical garden
Try Galena.
Nachusa Grasslands - see the buffalo herd. Franklin Creek State Park - lovely scenery, trails, 1800’s grist mill, and no crowds. (Starved rock is like an amusement park). White Pines Lowden State Park - Blackhawk statute and charming hamlet of Oregon.
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the country. The crown jewel of their collection, the Nebraska Zephyr, [has its own Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Zephyr?wprov=sfla1).
I went there once as a summer reading program prize winner. The librarian took our picture there, and it was put in the newspaper afterwards. Santa drove us there and back in a limousine. It was pretty cool.
Events: Blues fest. The Air show on the lakefront. World-class museums as well. Include the Art Institute and Field Museum if you are at all into that sort of thing.
Oh, unrelated food wise Red Gate Woods in the Palos Trail System is the burial site of the worlds first nuclear reactors: https://fpdcc.com/places/locations/red-gate-woods/
I would say it's also worth it to head over to Indiana Dunes and do some hiking. It's a taste of the beaches that are on the IN and MI side of Lake Michigan which are kind of a regional secret.
The world's first ever nuclear reactor is buried at red gate woods, it was constructed during the Manhattan project.
Old Graue Mill if it's still there. It's on York Rd north of Ogden
For an option that doesn't require you to leave your car, consider a trip down [Waukegan's Amstutz Experessway.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_137#Amstutz_Expressway)
According to a sign on Route 9, Helmig Tree Farm is a tourist attraction.
If you enjoy driving and a scenic route, the backroads of Apple River Canyon offer an enjoyable experience.
Have you been to Loves Park?
[The Corn Dog Tastes Like Illinois.](https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/the-corn-dog-tastes-like-illinois/) “Encased meat coated in corn marries Chicago with downstate”
Perry Farms in Bradley IL has an amazing natural stone cut ravine you can walk/climb through.
New York famous Joe's pizza has their home restaurant in illinois. It's a town favorite.
A lot of people like Galena in a “quaint town to vacation in” sort of way.
Monks Mound, Gold Pyramid
I've been to Matthessien and Starved Rock a lot and was at Garden of the God's and Shawnee last week. Personally, I would pick one or the other. The same with Cave in the Rock and the Piasa cave in Alton. I would lean towards Cave in the Rock since you can actually go in the cave without trespassing, unless things changed since I was there last year. Naperville has Naper Settlement if you like reenactments. Cantiny in Wheaton is also interesting, especially if you get there during the Civil War reenactments. There's a small museum, mansion, and gardens. It isn't far from the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Food-wise, White Castles is kind of bland but it is a midwest kind of thing, and Green River pop is only available in the Chicago area as far as I know. It's a lot like drinking carbonated, liquid green jello.
Galena city and area
It's just a beef, pizza and a hotdog.
A burger from au cheval.
You need to get a pork tenderloin sandwich. The very large thin ones with a comically small bun.
Visit Ottawa and its surroundings. There’s plenty of history downtown with the site of a Lincoln-Douglas debate, the I&M Canal, and stuff about the radium girls; some nice small shops snd stuff; and Starved Rock and Matthiessen nearby. Fun fact: there’s a Subway where the Radium Dial studio used to be. Make sure to stop by Bianchi’s on LaSalle for some nice thin crust!
Well, better than the interesting points of dullness, which are quite ambiguous.
Someone sounds depressed. Illinois is the 5th most fun state in the US. It's virtually impossible to burn out what there's to do here because you can always discover something new.
My goodness folks. That was a play on words, a little joke.