Best things to do in Illinois

Illinois Essentials

Illinois features a mix of urban landmarks and significant historical sites. In Chicago, highlights include the 1914 Navy Pier, the Shedd Aquarium, and the iconic Wrigley Field. Springfield serves as a hub for Abraham Lincoln’s legacy, housing his former home, presidential museum, and tomb. Architectural landmarks range from Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House to the ornate Chicago Theatre. The state’s deeper history is preserved at the Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage site documenting the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico.

Illinois Essentials — Map

Serge Melki / CC BY 2.0

A

Navy Pier

Historic waterfront amusement pier featuring rides, dining, shopping, and scenic views of Lake Michigan.

Adam sk / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Shedd Aquarium

Shedd Aquarium is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the 5 million US gal aquarium holds about 32,000 animals and…

Raymon Sutedjo-The / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Chicago Theatre

The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the…

Josef Strachovský / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Adler Planetarium

The Adler Planetarium is a public museum in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics.

redlegsfan21 / CC BY-SA 2.0

E

Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois.

Jacquie Pietro / CC-BY-SA

F

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is an American Chicago-style pizza restaurant chain headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.

Agriculture / CC-BY-SA-3.0

G

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum documents the life of the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, and the course of the…

Jorge Láscar / CC BY 2.0

H

Chicago Picasso

The Chicago Picasso is an untitled monumental sculpture by Pablo Picasso in Daley Plaza in Chicago, Illinois.

I

Lincoln Tomb

The Lincoln Tomb is the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States; his wife Mary Todd Lincoln; and…

Teemu008 / CC BY-SA 2.0

J

Farnsworth House

The Edith Farnsworth House, formerly the Farnsworth House, is a historical house designed and constructed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe…

Michael Butler / CC-BY-SA

K

Standard Oil Gas Station Odell

The Standard Oil Gasoline Station is a historic gas station in Odell, Illinois, that lies along historic U.S. Route 66.

Teemu008 / CC BY-SA 2.0

L

Lincoln's Home

Lincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield, Illinois home and related historic district where Abraham Lincoln lived from…

Jesster79 / CC-BY-SA-3.0

M

General Grants Home

The Ulysses S. Grant Home in Galena, Illinois is the former home of Ulysses S.

N

Cahokia Mounds Interpretive Center

An interpretive center for the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. The museum features archaeological artifacts, a life-size Mississippian village recreation, and exhibits detailing the history of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Other Lists

Historic Churches & Temples Historic Heritage Sites Parks and Recreation Scenic Lookouts and Towers Water Parks & Scenic Lakes