Places to go on vacation in illinois
Art Institute of Chicago
Welcoming more than 1.5 million visitors per year, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the major points of interest of Illinois.
It’s also among the oldest and largest art museums in the entire country, so it’s usually spoken in the same breath as institutions such as New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Washington DC‘s National Gallery!
Exhibits at the museum range from ancient textiles to modern art and photography. There are more than 300,000 pieces in total, and you’re bound to recognize some of them, including Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist and Grant Wood’s American Gothic.
In addition to exploring the art, you can also attend special events at the museum such as workshops, lectures and semi-private tours with artists and curators.
Leaning Tower of Niles
Located in Niles, Illinois, the Leaning Tower of Niles is a half-sized replica of the real thing. Though it wasn’t constructed for any official purpose, it was recognized by the Italian government in 1934, and Niles and Piza were established as sister cities shortly afterwards.
Today, the tower is considered one of the biggest tourist attractions of Niles. It has four fountains and a pool in addition to a full arrangement of antique, still-ringing bells, so it’s a great place for sightseers. It’s also something of a beacon for summertime fun; many musicians and buskers camp out in front of the tower when the weather is nice, and it’s a common place for joggers, painters, dog walkers and food vendors.
Bahá’í House of Worship
You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the glory and rarity of the Bahá’í House of Worship. It’s the only one of its kind in North America and one of only a handful in the entire world.
There it sits, however, with its massive spherical architecture that includes dozens of windows encircling a great central dome. Inside, there are chapels and rooms for prayer; outside, there are nine outdoor gardens filled with fountains and other beautiful and peaceful features designed to invoke feelings of serenity.
The Chocolate Sanctuary
You’ve heard of truffles, but have you heard of truffle martinis? You know what chocolate tastes like in a cake, but are you familiar with chocolate-based glazes used on chicken breasts served with nuts, peppers and breadcrumbs?
These are just a few of the ways to experience the signature ingredient of The Chocolate Sanctuary, a gourmet restaurant in Illinois. It specializes in sweet and savory dishes that put the cacao bean front and center.
Some deploy a chocolately twist on old favorites; others are completely new inventions that will make you say “what?” followed by “oh, yum!” Dinner at The Chocolate Sanctuary is one of the most decadent things to do in Illinois.
From its smooth silk pies to its crusted barbecue pork chops, every moment of your dining experience will be a self-indulgent one.
Illinois Beach State Park
You might not think of Illinois as a place with sun-soaked beaches, but when you visit Illinois Beach State Park, you can recline in the sand with a salt-rimmed margarita just like you’re in the Caribbean. Popular beach sites offer swimming, boating, fishing, scuba diving, volleyball playing and more.
Less crowded areas have breathtaking natural scenery in the form of canyons, sand dunes and wetlands dotted with driftwood trees.If you’re looking for places to go outside of the water, you can also hit up the black oak savanna for things like hiking, cycling, geocatching and bird watching.
Route 66 Motorheads Bar, Grill & Museum
Route 66 is the kind of destination that conjures up visions of sprawling road trips filled with diners, motels and the wind blowing through your hair from top-down windows. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be a fantasy when you visit a place like the Route 66 Motorheads Bar in Illinois!
Thoroughly nostalgic, the Motorheads Bar is a blast from the past that incorporates everything from classic cars in its decor to traditional trucker food in its menu. Every space in the parking lot is filled with automobiles from another era.
Every inch of the walls is covered with faded Ford advertisements and Coca-Cola posters. There are even ancient but fully functional arcade games for you to play! It isn’t just a bar and restaurant, and it it isn’t just a museum. It’s all three combined.
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is one of the most famous places in the Midwest. Its skyline is printed on countless postcards, and its activities range from dining and shopping to touring glass gardens and hopping on amusement park rides.
The most recognized attraction is the Ferris wheel that lights up at night, but there are also games, cruises, carousels, art shows, funhouse mazes, remote control boats and more. Another nice thing about the pier is that it’s open all year long, so whether you’re headed to Chicago this weekend or three seasons from now, you can count on it being a rock-steady presence in the city.
Old Book Barn
Old Book Barn covers 14,000 square feet and is stuffed to the brim with old, rare and used books as well as arts, crafts, games, CDs, DVDs and antiquities.
If this sounds like a trip into an older, more nostalgic world, you’re absolutely right. Stepping into the barn is like stepping back in time.
Before the days of Amazon and eBay, you had to find buried treasures on your own, and that might mean sifting through all kinds of flea market fare to unearth the gems beneath the junk.
It’s still possible to have that kind of vintage thrifting experience today, but you’ll need to go to places like the Old Book Barn.
With its crowded bookshelves crowded by even more odds and ends, it’s one of the more unique things to see in Illinois, but its individuality is just another part of its charm.
Superdawg Drive-In
You can’t visit Chicago without trying a Chicago-style hot dog. It’s a must do. Thankfully, the Superdawg Drive-In offers a fun and unique vacation experience that’ll leave your belly and your camera roll fit to bursting.
You see, the food isn’t the only reason to visit Superdawg. Though it offers a tasty hot dog served on a poppy seed bun and topped with piccalilli fries, its real selling point is its 1950s-style carhop service.
You drive up to the neon lights that advertise its glitzy, boxy building, and after you’ve placed your order, an employee will come out and hand it to you.
