Spice up your itineraries with off-the-radar treasures found in every corner of the state
Some of Illinois’ most intriguing attractions are often overlooked in favor of the obvious crowd-pleasers. Trips that veer off the beaten path give tour members a chance to make fresh discoveries. Here are just a few of the gems awaiting travelers in the Prairie State’s four tourism regions:
Looking for expert insights and fresh travel ideas? Download the latest issue of Leisure Group Travel for free and start planning your next unforgettable group adventure.
Chicago and Beyond
Illinois Railway Museum – Union
A few miles off of I-90, this outdoor museum in McHenry County boasts the largest collection of historic railway equipment in America. Several large exhibit barns are packed with antique railcars, including restored Pullman sleeping and dining cars. Guests can board the electric streetcar next to the 50th Avenue ‘L’ station for a ride up to the 1851 East Union Depot, where on summer weekends they can transfer to a main line steam or diesel train for a clickety-clackety roundtrip that takes 35-45 minutes. On one track guests can walk through a stock car and refrigerator car to learn about Chicago’s meatpacking industry or clamber up into the cupola of a red caboose. Besides the 1851 depot, vintage buildings on the 100-acre campus include the Central Diner and Schroeder Mercantile Store.
Sanfilippo Place de la Musique – Barrington Hills
This museum, housed in a majestic French Second Empire building on the Sanfilippo family’s private estate, showcases the world’s largest collection of restored automatic musical instruments, including music boxes and phonographs, coin-operated pianos, violin machines, and fairground and band organs and calliopes. It also boasts the world’s largest indoor theater pipe organ, arcade and gambling machines, and other mechanical marvels. The spectacular European salon carousel, with a carved, lit-up facade measuring 89’ wide by 42’ tall, possesses 36 horses, several gondolas and chariots, and a spinning lovers tub that all turn around to the sounds of a Gavioli band organ. Three-hour, docent-guided tours can be arranged, but only for groups of 40 or more.
Fisher Nuts Store – Elgin
Tour groups love shopping stops, especially when they can bag bargains. Some of the monthly specials are simply irresistible at this store next to the John B. Sanfilippo & Son nut-processing factory, right off of I-90, less than an hour from Chicago. The whole line of Fisher products is available, as are generous free samples. And it’s fun to grind your own peanut butter.
Billy Graham Center Museum – Wheaton
Located on the campus of Wheaton College in west suburban Chicago, this museum chronicles the history of Christian evangelism in America and spotlights the life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, a 1943 graduate of the college. Videos recall Graham’s Gospel-spreading campaigns in Los Angeles, New York, London and elsewhere.
Get inspired for your next trip! Access the newest edition of Leisure Group Travel and explore expert recommendations, itineraries, and exclusive travel insights.
B.A.P.S. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – Bartlett
The largest Hindu temple in America dazzles visitors with its luminescent pinnacles, exotic domes and photogenic fountains and gardens. The exhibition Understanding Hinduism sheds light on a religion practiced by one of every seven of the world’s people.
Charles Gates Dawes House – Evanston
Reminiscent of a French chateau, this magnificent 1894 mansion overlooking Lake Michigan was the home of the 30th U.S. vice president, who served under Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s. It has 25 rooms, including a cherry-paneled library, a vaulted dining room with a musicians’ gallery, six bedrooms and 12 fireplaces. Dawes, who lived in the mansion with his family from 1909 until his death in 1951, won the 1925 Nobel Peace Prize for his plan to alleviate the crushing burden of war reparations Germany was required to pay after World War I. A National Historic Landmark, the home is owned by the Evanston History Center.
Chicago Ethnic Museums
While big, world-class museums like the Museum of Science & Industry, Field Museum and Art Institute of Chicago grab most of the attention, smaller museums focus on groups that have contributed to the city’s ethnic diversity. Among them are the Polish Museum of America, Swedish American Museum, Ukrainian National Museum, Chinese American Museum of Chicago, DuSable Black History Museum and National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture.
Stay ahead of the trends in group travel. Download the current issue of Leisure Group Travel and discover top destinations, planning tips, and industry news—all for free!
Baháʼ í House of Worship – Wilmette
Better known as the Baháʼ í Temple, this landmark along the Lake Michigan shoreline in north suburban Chicago was the first Baháʼ í place of worship in the Western Hemisphere (completed in 1953) and is one of only 13 in the world. Crowned with a lacey white 135-foot-high dome, it, like all Baháʼ í temples, is circular, has nine sides and is surrounded by fountains and gardens. The Baha’i faith teaches tolerance, acceptance and peace, focusing on the oneness of God, oneness of humanity and oneness of religion. A movie in the welcome center tells the temple’s history. Group tours are available.
Illinois Holocaust Museum – Skokie
The third-largest Holocaust museum in the world is dedicated to teaching the universal lessons of the Holocaust, inspiring all ages to take a stand against hatred, prejudice and indifference. Travel through history as you explore life before, during and after the evils perpetrated by the Nazi regime across Europe. Step into an authentic German rail car and visit impressive galleries filled with artifacts. In the hologram theater, cutting-edge technology allows guests to interact with Holocaust survivors who tell their harrowing stories.
Chicago Botanic Garden – Glencoe
This horticultural wonderland encompasses 27 gardens and four natural areas situated on 385 acres on and around nine islands, with six miles of lake shoreline. Climb a waterfall garden, find hidden rooms inside an English walled garden, and discover a garden with trains chugging across bridges and trestles.
Chicago Temple – Chicago
Across from City Hall in the Loop ,the First United Methodist Church, better known as the Chicago Temple, offers tours of the Sky Chapel, a lofty perch under the spire of the 568-foot-tall Neo-Gothic sky scraper, the tallest church building in the world. The chapel is a gift from the Walgreen family in memory of Charles R. Walgreen, the founder of Walgreen’s drug stores.
The Chopping Block – Chicago
It’s been around for 28 years, but many group travel planners may not be aware of this cooking school in the North Side’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. Groups that book a hands-on cooking party have fun trying out their kitchen skills as they chop, mix and cook their way to a gourmet feast, all while enjoying the satisfaction of teamwork and sense of accomplishment.
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home – Dixon
Tours are available of the two-story home on Hennepin Avenue where the future president of the United States lived with his parents and brother from 1920-1923. The nearby Northwest Territory Historic Center is a converted 1908 school building with a President Reagan History Room, a collection of original Reagan movie posters and the restored sixth grade classroom of “Dutch” Reagan. A half hour away in Tampico is Ronald Reagan Birthplace & Museum, where groups can tour the restored apartment where Reagan was born in 1911.
Anderson Japanese Gardens – Rockford
One of the top Japanese gardens in America, this 12-acre oasis of streams, waterfalls, winding pathways and koi-filled ponds features two gardens, a pond-strolling garden and the contemporary Garden of Reflection. Guided group tours are available.
Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park – University Park
Located on the campus of Governors State University in south suburban Chicago, the “Nate,” as it’s colloquially known, features 30 masterworks of large-scale sculptures across a beautiful prairie landscape. Free of charge and open 365 days a year, it was voted #1 Best Sculpture Park by USA Today Readers’ Choice (2021).
1950s Park Forest House Museum – Park Forest
Run by the Park Forest Historical Society, this museum brims with nostalgia from a simpler time. Dating back to an idyllic era in the country’s first fully planned post-World War II suburb, it is filled with furnishings, toys, dolls and books representing that decade.
Railfan Viewing Sites – Chicago Southland
South suburban Chicago is one of the most densely packed railroad regions in the United States, making it a top destination for rail buffs. Check out the Blue Island Double Diamond or Dolton Junction, or watch trains go by from the Homewood Railroad Viewing Platform or the Park Forest Railfan Park.
Lotton Art Glass Gallery & Studios – Crete
This family business has been around more than 50 years. View artists working with hot glass and shop for hand-blown vases, bowls, sculptures and lamps.
Vintage Purse Museum – Manteno
This new museum, employing special needs adults, showcases thousands of vintage fashions including purses, dresses, hats, and shoes, along with nostalgic comic book, Barbie and World War II exhibits. Opening to the general public soon and ready for group tours now, it is housed in a1920s building once used for the administrative offices of a hospital, then a bank.
Land of Lincoln
Allerton Park & Retreat Center – Monticello
A treasure trove of art and nature, this sprawling estate and woodland area was donated to the University of Illinois by artist and philanthropist Robert Allerton. More than 50 statues and other artworks are scattered throughout the formal gardens and hiking trails. The mansion’s first floor is available for public viewing, and private tours of the estate can be arranged for a fee. Overnight accommodations are available in 33 guestrooms in the mansion and three guest houses.
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site – Lerna
While the Abraham Lincoln sites in Springfield are top-tier tourist attractions, this working farmstead south of Charleston provides insights into the famous Illinoisan’s family history. A two-room cabin replicates the 1840s home of Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln, the future president’s father and stepmother. The site offers a variety of interpretive programs, as does the adjacent Stephen Sargent Farm, which was moved to that location to broaden understanding of 19th century rural life in Illinois.
Lincoln Heritage Museum – Lincoln
Groups can see a rare collection of artifacts relating to Abraham Lincoln’s days in Illinois and the Civil War. Besides the first-floor exhibit area, the 75-minute high-tech “Immersion Tour” upstairs features a series of audio-visual displays equipped with captivating graphics. The current exhibit on Mary Lincoln, Clouds and Darkness Surround Us, includes many items owned by the Lincoln family, including a lock of Abraham Lincoln’s hair and Mrs. Lincoln’s jewelry, mourning fan and handbag.
Casey, Illinois
Located off of I-70 in east-central Illinois, the town of Casey (pronounced “KZ”) is worth a stop for picture-taking at the World’s Largest Barber Pole, World’s Largest Rocking Chair and other supersized roadside attractions. Climb up into the World’s Largest Mailbox or ring the World’s Largest Wind Chime. Have lunch at Richards Farm Restaurant, home to the 60-foot-long World’s Largest Pitch fork. Casey’s motto: “Big Things Small Town.” Groups can tour the town with Model Tees Trolley.
Great Rivers Country
Spinach Can Collectibles – Chester
See rare Popeye the Sailor Man artwork and other memorabilia at this museum/souvenir shop. Visitors to Chester, hometown of the cartoon character’s creator, E.C. Segar, will also find murals, picture cut-outs and statues depicting Popeye and friends.
Fort Defiance State Park – Cairo
At Illinois’ southernmost tip you can climb a concrete observation tower and lookout over the point where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi. This is also the lowest point in Illinois, at 279 feet in elevation. At one of the largest confluences in the world, the current of the two rivers stays separate for about a mile on down from where they meet, almost as if they balked at merging. Bridges lead to Kentucky over the Ohio River and to Missouri over the Mississippi. Cairo’s top tourist attraction is Magnolia Manor, a grand Victorian brick house built in 1869.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site – Collinsville
The largest pre-Columbian site north of Mexico preserves the remnants of a city of 20,000 people and more than70 of the original 120 + mounds, some built for religious ceremonies, others for burials. Cahokia, inhabited from A.D. 700 to 1400, peaked from 1050 to 1200 and flourished as one of North America’s most complex civilizations. Visitors can walk to the mounds, but the museum is closed for renovations for most of 2025.
Bishop Hill State Historic Site – Bishop Hill
A number of historically significant buildings, including Colony Church, remain from the utopian religious community founded in 1846 by a Swedish pietist and his followers. The Bishop Hill Museum offers an orientation video. Several shops provide the opportunity to see artisans at work, and the general store sells specialty foods and other imports from Sweden.
Don’t miss out on the latest group travel trends. Download your free issue of Leisure Group Travel and stay informed on the best destinations, planning tips, and expert insights.
Trails to Adventure
Super Museum – Metropolis
This small Ohio River city is the “Home of Superman.” Its shrine to the TV, movie and comic book hero contains one of the world’s largest collections of Superman memorabilia—from toys, food products and lunch boxes to movie posters, paintings and statues, and props and costumes from the old TV show. Nearby, a 15-foot-tall bronze statue of Superman stands by the Massac County Courthouse.
Giant City State Park – Makanda
Nestled in Shawnee National Forest, the park draws hikers eager to squeeze through the narrow passageways threading the massive sandstone walls lining mile-long Giant City Nature Trail. Giant City Lodge, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, awes first-time visitors with its massive white oak timbers and sandstone blocks. Its spacious Bald Knob dining room is famed for all-you-can-eat chicken dinners served family-style. Nearby are 34 cabins and an 82-foot-tall water tower with an observation deck offering panoramas of the picturesque bluffs, ridges and canyons.
Illinois Rural Heritage Museum – Pinckneyville
Two cavernous buildings house an outstanding collection of farming implements and other antiques. Catch a demonstration of the rope-making machine, learn about coal mining, see a lard kettle and sausage stuffer, and admire a farmhouse, general store, and doctor and dentist offices from way back when.
Your next group adventure starts here! Get your free copy of Leisure Group Travel magazine and explore the best destinations, itineraries, and travel ideas.
By Randy Mink
