Things to Do in Illinois
Ten stops that skip Chicago on purpose, since it's got its own dedicated page, and head instead toward an ancient Native American city and a small town that legally changed its name to match a comic book hero.
Chicago already has its own page on this site, so this list heads elsewhere, downstate history, a former ancient city larger than London at its peak, and a small town that's leaned entirely into a superhero connection. Ten stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site if you fancy testing what stuck.
Springfield's Lincoln Sites
Springfield holds one of the most concentrated collections of Abraham Lincoln history anywhere, his only owned home, now a National Historic Site, sits within a preserved four-block historic neighbourhood free to walk through. The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum runs considerably more theatrical exhibits than a typical presidential library, including a properly striking recreation of his funeral procession.
Lincoln's Tomb, a short drive from downtown, remains an active site of remembrance, a good pairing with the home and museum for the fuller picture of his life and legacy in one visit.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am-5pm
Address 413 S 8th St, Springfield, IL
Cahokia Mounds
Once the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico, home to an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people at its peak, considerably larger than London was at the same point in history. Monks Mound, the largest earthen structure of its kind in the Americas, still rises 100 feet above the surrounding floodplain, climbable via a staircase for sweeping views over the wider site.
The interpretive centre covers what's known about the society that built this, visit it before the mounds themselves, this history properly surprises most first-time visitors given how little it gets taught outside the region.
Hours Wed-Sun, roughly 9am-5pm
Address 30 Ramey St, Collinsville, IL
Starved Rock State Park
Eighteen sandstone canyons cut by ancient glacial floodwater, several holding seasonal waterfalls that run fullest in spring, all connected by roughly 13 miles of well-marked trails through the park. The park earned its unusual name from a Native American legend involving a Illinois tribe's last stand here, read up on it before visiting for the added context.
This runs well for families, most trails stay manageable for kids, and the canyon walk-throughs in particular tend to be the highlight for younger visitors.
Best time Spring for fullest waterfall flow; autumn for foliage
Address 2668 E 875th Rd, Oglesby, IL
Shawnee National Forest & Garden of the Gods
A stretch of southern Illinois forest holding rock formations properly unlike anything else in the state, Garden of the Gods specifically features wind-carved sandstone bluffs offering sweeping views over the surrounding Shawnee Hills. A short, easy loop trail covers the main formations, a good option for most fitness levels without much commitment.
Camel Rock and Anvil Rock, both distinctly shaped formations along the trail, tend to be the most photographed spots, time a visit for late afternoon when the sandstone catches warmer light.
Best time Spring and autumn for the most comfortable hiking weather
Address Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, IL
Route 66's Illinois Stretch
Illinois holds the eastern starting point of historic Route 66, and a properly well-preserved stretch of the original road still runs through small towns south of Chicago, vintage diners, drive-in theatres, and roadside attractions that have survived since the highway's mid-20th-century heyday. The Gemini Giant, a 30-foot fibreglass spaceman statue in Wilmington, remains one of the most photographed of these roadside oddities.
This works well as a scenic driving day rather than a single destination, allow extra time for the small-town stops rather than rushing straight through.
Address Historic Route 66, southern Illinois
Galena's Historic Downtown
A former lead-mining boomtown in Illinois's northwest corner, over 85% of its buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a properly intact 19th-century streetscape that largely escaped the modernisation seen elsewhere. Ulysses S. Grant lived here before the Civil War, and his preserved home remains open for tours covering this earlier chapter of his life.
The surrounding countryside runs considerably hillier than most of Illinois, a good driving detour if the flat farmland further south has started to blur together.
Address Galena, IL
Shawnee Hills Wine Trail
Southern Illinois's wine region runs along the same hills as Garden of the Gods, over a dozen wineries within a fairly compact area, several with tasting rooms overlooking properly scenic vineyard views. This isn't a widely known wine region outside the immediate area, a good combination with the Shawnee National Forest stops given how close they sit to each other.
Owl Creek Vineyard, one of the more established names on the trail, runs a particularly good outdoor tasting patio, time a visit around good weather specifically.
Best time September-October for harvest season
Address Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, southern Illinois
Illinois State Fair, Springfield
A proper agricultural fair running since the mid-19th century, livestock competitions, a full midway, and a food scene built around deep-fried fair staples, all set within Springfield given its status as the state capital. The Butter Cow, a life-sized cow sculpture carved entirely from butter each year, remains the fair's most enduring, oddly beloved tradition.
It runs for about ten days each August, check current dates if a state fair is on your list, this ranks among the more historic and longer-running examples still going.
Hours Mid-August, check current dates
Address Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
Discovery Center Museum, Rockford
A children's science museum running entirely on hands-on exhibits, water tables, a real bubble-making station, and a climbing structure that keeps younger kids occupied for a full morning without much prompting. The museum sits within Rockford, considerably quieter than a Chicago day trip, a good option if you want a proper kids' activity without the bigger city's crowds.
This works especially well for younger children specifically, most exhibits are built for hands-on exploration rather than passive viewing, properly different from a standard museum visit.
Hours Tue-Sun, roughly 9am-5pm
Address 711 N Main St, Rockford, IL
Metropolis, Illinois: Superman's Hometown
A small town along the Ohio River that adopted Superman as its official mascot decades ago, largely because it shares its name with the comic book character's fictional home city, complete with a 15-foot bronze statue in the town square and a small museum covering decades of Superman comics and memorabilia. This is a properly earnest, small-town novelty rather than an official DC Comics attraction, worth knowing that going in.
Kids familiar with the character tend to get a real kick out of this one specifically, the statue and museum both lean fully into the fun rather than taking themselves too seriously.
Address 517 Market St, Metropolis, IL
Best time to visit Illinois
April through June and September through October cover the most comfortable weather for this list, mild enough for the outdoor stops without summer's peak heat and humidity.
Springfield's museums and the Discovery Center both work well year-round, consider either specifically if visiting outside the ideal outdoor months.
Getting around Illinois
A car is essential, the distances between Chicago's suburbs, Springfield, and the southern tip of the state run into several hours, this is a state best covered with your own transport.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Illinois worth visiting beyond Chicago?
- Yes, easily, Cahokia Mounds and Starved Rock both offer landscapes and history that feel completely distinct from the state's largest city.
- How many days do you need in Illinois beyond Chicago?
- Five days gives a comfortable pace to cover Springfield, Starved Rock, and either Galena or the Shawnee National Forest.
- Is Illinois expensive to visit?
- No, generally affordable, food and accommodation both run below the national average outside of the Chicago area specifically.
- What's the best Illinois trip for kids?
- The Discovery Center Museum and Metropolis's Superman statue both rank as the most reliably kid-friendly stops on this list.
That's ten decent slices of a state that runs considerably further than its biggest city alone.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
