Illinois Off The Beaten Path

  Oz Park - The Cowardly Lion (2011)
by Kaspian
 
  • Oz Park - The Cowardly Lion (2011)
      Oz Park - The Cowardly Lion (2011)
    by Kaspian
  • Oz Park - Sunbathing (2011)
      Oz Park - Sunbathing (2011)
    by Kaspian
  • Oz Park - The Scarecrow (2011)
      Oz Park - The Scarecrow (2011)
    by Kaspian
  • Oz Park - Nick Chopper (2011)
      Oz Park - Nick Chopper (2011)
    by Kaspian
  • Oz Park - Dorothy and Toto (2011)
      Oz Park - Dorothy and Toto (2011)
    by Kaspian
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Illinois

1.

Architecture & Public Art (outdoor)   Chicago

Architecture & Public Art (outdoor), Chicago

 72 Reviews  Just wandering home to my friend's condo... Lots of fun architecture and city art! Good times! Home to Second City, Zanies Comedy Club, the Red Orchid Theatre, the Bijou Theatre, & the Stanley Paul... 

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2.

Neighborhoods-other   Chicago

Neighborhoods-other, Chicago

 48 Reviews  We 1st visited Beverly probably around 20 years ago when we used to go out to Maple Tree Inn when it was located in Chicago on Western, we would drive down Longwood and gape at the beautiful mansions... 

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3.

Suburban delights   Chicago

Suburban delights, Chicago

 45 Reviews  Willowbrook Park, a unit of the Forest Preserves of DuPage County is a wonderful oasis in this urban area. The rehabilitation center houses numerous animals For more pictures see my marsh, and rehab... 

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4.

Museums   Chicago

Museums, Chicago

 33 Reviews  MCA-Chicago has an interesting building with a great view of the lake from the terrace. As for the contents -- you'll have to be the judge. I have prided myself on being up-to-date ... but ..... 

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5.

Oak Park/Frank Lloyd Wright   Chicago

Oak Park/Frank Lloyd Wright, Chicago

 22 Reviews  Maher may have inspired with, or competed with Frank Lloyd Wright, both of which featured this style of Prairie home in late 1800's. This home was built in 1897, and is on 217 Home Ave, Oak Park. It... 

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6.

Cemeteries   Chicago

Cemeteries, Chicago

 11 Reviews  Last visit June 2011 We did this tour with the Architecture Foundation the 1st time we went and it was a bit heavy on the architecture and a bit light on the history of the people buried here. A... 

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7.

Hyde Park/Washington Park   Chicago

Hyde Park/Washington Park, Chicago

 16 Reviews  It was in Chicago that the first self-sustaining chain reaction and the controlled release of nuclear energy was conducted. The site is at the University of Chicago. There is a sculpture which... 

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8.

Beaches and Parks   Chicago

Beaches and Parks, Chicago

 22 Reviews  Lake Michigan has many beaches. The region is often referred to as the "Third Coast" of the United States, after those of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The sand is soft and off-white,... 

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9.

Bahai Temple   Chicago

Bahai Temple, Chicago

 9 Reviews  The Bahai is an independent religion founded in Iran more than 100 years ago. Nowadays it is practiced by more than 5 million people throughout the world. Bahai followers believe that God revealed... 

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10.

Eating & drinking   Chicago

Eating & drinking, Chicago

 16 Reviews  Rainbow Cone This place has been around for 70+ years and its history is as rich as its flavorful ice cream. You will see long lines of families extending from one end of the block to the other just... 

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11.

Tours   Chicago

Tours, Chicago

 5 Reviews  I highly recommend going on Chicago Detours' indoor walking tour of the Loop (www.chicagodetours.com). It has a real educational angle that teachers would love, and it digs into most main points of... 

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12.

Chicago Botanic Gardens   Chicago

Chicago Botanic Gardens, Chicago

 9 Reviews  I love the Botanical Gardens! It is absolutely beautiful and soul-soothing. I definitely recommend the Japanese gardens. It is free to go, but if you are driving then you have to pay for parking.... 

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13.

Pullman   Chicago

Pullman, Chicago

 4 Reviews  Pullman is something of a cross between a lower middle class neighborhood, and a preserved historical district. It is a living neighborhood that was originally a separate city built by the Pullman... 

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14.

Libraries   Chicago

Libraries, Chicago

 7 Reviews  On one of my jaunts in Chicago while waiting for a VT Meeting/Dinner to begin, I spent time in the Lincoln Square area checking out the beautiful, huge Conrad Sulzer Regional Branch Library. This... 

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15.

Prairie Avenue   Chicago

Prairie Avenue, Chicago

 3 Reviews  Prairie Avenue was one of Chicago's most fashionable neighborhoods, home to the likes of Marshall Field (retailer), Phillip Armour (meat packing), William Kimball (pianos) and George Pullman (Pullman... 

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16.

Theater & Music   Chicago

Theater & Music, Chicago

 10 Reviews  Lots of people come to Chicago to see the touring Broadway shows. And not to knock it, but that's not the real Chicago theater experience. Broadway theater tours hit lots of big cities (and they're... 

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17.

Garfield Conservatory   Chicago

Garfield Conservatory, Chicago

 5 Reviews  Last Visit February 2008 for the Chocolate Festival Garfield Park is on the west side of Chicago, the surrounding area is a little rough but it is worth the trip over to the area to see the Garfield... 

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18.

Ravinia Park   Chicago

Ravinia Park, Chicago

 5 Reviews  Experience a concert under the stars at Ravinia. Ravinia consists of an amphitheatre and lawn where people of Chicago and the North Shore go to hear classical music, jazz and pop concerts. Attendees... 

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19.

Festivals   Chicago

Festivals, Chicago

 9 Reviews  Every summer, Grant Park is host for a free outdoor classic movie festival on Tuesday evenings. More information is on the official City of Chicago webpage below. I have not been to one of these yet,... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Recall good old days at top ranking campuses

by Faiza-Ifrah

Illinois has three universities of international ranking - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The last two are located in Chaicagoland, sort of midwestern response to East's IVY League and West's Stanford. University of Chicago is located in the south of the city, with its highest number of faculty with Nobel prizes. Because of the location of its campus, it is not advised that an average tourist visit it.Northwestern University has two campuses located on Lake Michigan: a 240-acre campus in Evanston, the first suburb north of Chicago, and a 25-acre campus in Chicago itself. My hubby went to one of its schools here - J. L. Kellogg School of Management. While he may remember it for his studies, I remember the school which once held the record of most number of College football games lost at a stretch (28 games). This is because...

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Illinois Prairie Path (Chicagoland)

by The_Highwayman

The Prairie Path is a multi-use nature trail for bicycles, horseback riding or walking. It consists of 61 miles of trail that extends west from Maywood, IL all the way out to the Fox River in the Far West suburbs. This is a popular trail for bicyclists in Chicago's Western suburbs. The IPP is connected to two other major trails in the area: The Great Western Trail and the Fox River trail which creates a network of over 140 miles of bicycle path in the west Chicago suburbs.

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The Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum in Arcola

by dlandt

Just south of Champaign, in the small town of Arcola, you will find a museum devoted to the characters Raggedy Ann and Andy, a true slice of Americana. The museum is closed on Sunday, but is otherwise worth a quick stop. They have a large collection of antique memorabilia as well as some remaining effects of Mr. Gruelle, the doll and story creator. In On prominent display, we discovered a very large collection fo Japanese Raggedy Anns, some shown in the pictures. These were only a few of the unique dolls to view, and they also had large paintings and other artwork devoted to her. Of course, there is a gift shop.

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Plano

by scott_norwood

This is the town where the followers of Joseph Smith the III gathered and built there 1st church building. This church was made up by those who rejected the leadership of Brigham Young and did not go west to Utah.

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Metropolis

by ant1606

Near the southern tip of Illinois, the town of Metropolis has elected itself as the home of Superman.If billboards and merchandise stores are inevitable, an unexpected sight is a large statue of the hero in front of the city hall. Questionable, in my opinion.For those who can't resist, be aware that not far from Metropolis there's Popeye hometown.

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Odell - Route 66

by ant1606

"If you ever plan to motor West...."The old song praises one of the most celebrated American highways, the US 66, that since 1926 spans from Chicago to Los Angeles across nine States. This route became particularly popular during the infamous "Dust Bowl" period in the 30s. Years of uncontrolled agricultural practices in the Plains had resulted in an extreme impoverishment of the soil, causing a serie of severe dust storms that forced hundreds of thousands of people to move to California during that decade."The Mother Road", as Route 66 is also nicknamed, has slightly changed over the course of time and certainly superseded by the faster-pace Interstate road system. A true icon of the past times, driving today on Route 66 is a relaxing experience and a great occasion to sample the essence of America.A number of gas stations had clustered in Odell, Illinois, and the Standard Oil Company...

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Historic Long Grove

by traveldave

The village of Long Grove was settled in the early 1800s by German farmers. The settlers used to come into the village to buy supplies, weigh their milk, make their cheese at the cooperative, have their horses shod, and exchange news and pleasantries.The village went into a decline during the 1930s and 1940s, and was untouched by progress and development. As a result, the historic houses and buildings of the village remained in their original condition. In the 1950s, several women opened an antique resale shop in the crossroads area of the village, and other shops soon followed. Nowadays, there are about 85 boutique shops and restaurants which attract shoppers and day-trippers from nearby Chicago.

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Olney's Albino Squirrels Are a Sight To See

by deecat

While in Chicago in August of 2007, I saw this advertisement on a billboard on Michicagn Avenue [1st photo]Growing up in Robinson, Illinois, I always heard about the white squirrels in Olney, Illnois. I finally got to see one of the famous white squirrels. According to local legend, the white squirrel made its first appearance in 1902. They have pink eyes, pure white fur, & they seem quite friendly. These are true albinos, so they do not see or hear as well as other squirrels, which makes them easy prey for dogs & cats, especially the baby white squirrels.Olney conducts an annual white squirrel count each year to keep track of the migration trends. At one time there were 1,000 of them; they have been holding steady at 200 white squirrels for many years now. In addition, they have a law on the books that give the squirrels the right-of-way on every street! There is a stiff fine for anyone...

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Morrison Covered Bridge

by Stephen-KarenConn

coming...Morrison Rock Creek 2 137' 2001 Cement deck N41 49.12 W89 58.09 N. of Morrison, Mount Pleasant Township. Orange St. N. 0.4 miles from jct with US30 in Morrison, W. on Norrish Rd. 0.2 miles to the bridge. Open walkway on S. side of bridge.

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Check out campsites

by searay185sports

Dam west Marina, we later found out as tole by the gate keeper at Boulder access is the busiest lakeside marina in the US. If you prefer less crowded area, check out the surrounding campsite. We checked out cole'screek and boulder and found them to be just as great, less people and less windy too at that time

Top 3 Hotels in Illinois

The Peninsula Chicago  Chicago

 4 Reviews and 305 Opinions  The Peninsula Hotel in Chicago is an absolutely wonderful hotel! Every detail is thought through and... 

 Hotels in Chicago

Hilton Springfield  Springfield

 4 Reviews and 147 Opinions  The Hilton Springfield Hotel can be seen for miles. We were never lost because we could always cage... 

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Hotel Arista  Naperville

 54 Opinions

 Hotels in Naperville

Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hello Illinois people! Im looking to either rent or buy some isolated land for a wilderness or rural vacation home here in... 

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A: Hi and welcme to VT. I grew up in Illinois and you are right. Southern Illinois is still fairly undeveloped with the exception of some small rural towns such as Anna,... 

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