Illinois is a beautiful state.
When you drive through it, you’ll be treated to picturesque views of hills, fields, forests, and farmland.
You’ll likely drive past beautiful farms, equipped with tall grain silos set beside sprawling cornfields.
You’ll also see long rows of soybeans, along with a few of those big irrigation watering systems that roll through the fields—delivering essential water and nutrients to the plant life.
You’ll also see horses, cattle, and even the occasional classic big red barn.
However, while farm country is a big part of what makes Illinois a cool and beautiful place, that’s not all there is to it.
In fact, there are some notable tourist destinations that can actually make the state a lot more exciting than a lot of people give it credit for.
So in this post, you’re going to learn four of the best things to do in Illinois.
If you’re looking for the best activities to engage in while visiting or traveling through the Land of Lincoln, well, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s dive into it.
Table Of Contents
1. Visit Chicago
Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, and is home to an estimated 2.7 million people.
Its nicknames include the windy city, the city of big shoulders, and the city that works.
The downtown area of Chicago is known as ‘the loop.’
This refers to the area encircled by the Chicago Transit Authorities’ elevated train tracks, also called the ‘L’.
There’s a lot of history in Chicago.
There are a lot of things to do, a lot of things to see, and a lot of places to visit.
If you plan to travel through Illinois or spend any time there, then it’s most definitely in your best interest to think about paying a visit to this amazing and beautiful city.
2. Lollapalooza
A lot of people don’t know this, but one of the most famous music festivals in the world, called Lollapalooza, takes place every year over the course of four days in the city of Chicago.
It features amazing outdoor concerts, all kinds of creative art, paintings, sculptures, amazing food, and a sea of vendors offering all kinds of different things to buy, eat, drink, and enjoy.
There are workshops, activities, games, and all kinds of other cool stuff.
It’s truly one of the biggest festivals in the world—and the only place to experience the true Lollapalooza is in Illinois.
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3. The Art Institute of Chicago
While visiting Chicago, you should definitely consider paying a visit to the Art Institute.
This is one of the most interesting places in Illinois.
It’s one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States.
In fact, people often include it in discussions right alongside talking about amazing museums like the New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, or Washington DC’s National Gallery.
It’s amazing.
It features more than 300,000 pieces in total, ranging from works by Pablo Picasso, to famous pieces by artists like Grant Wood.
If you enjoy art, history, and the legacy of some of the world’s most intrepid creators—then this is most definitely a location that you should consider visiting if you plan to spend some time in Illinois.
4. Get Out Into Nature
Illinois features a total of 123 different state protected areas.
These include state parks, recreation areas, nature reserves, wildlife areas, and state forests.
There are also federal and local level protected areas in the state as well.
In other words, there’s a ton of nature to experience in the state of Illinois.
And if you’re the type of person who enjoys being outdoors, then it may be in your best interest to plan a little bit of extra time to get out and see some of these sites.
From fishing, to hiking, to camping—you can be sure to find a range of activities to enjoy.
And the great thing about Illinois is that during the spring, summer, and even fall months, the weather is actually pretty mild.
It does get cold in the winter, though.
So if you’re planning on doing some camping or hiking, it may be in your best interest to plan it for a season where the weather will be a bit warmer and milder.
Conclusion
There you have it.
Four of the best things to do while visiting Illinois.
With so many fun things to do, you’ll be hard pressed to be bored.
All that’s left now is to make a plan to get out there and make it happen.
You’ve got this!