Illinois
Find Illinois travel tips, stories, field reports and maps for unusual tourist attractions and landmarks.
Trunkations
Illinois Popeye Pummels The Competition
Chester - For an 80-year-old cartoon character, Popeye has some sea legs. At least three towns promote his immortality with statues, but Chester, Illinois, clearly has wind in its sails. Full story
Featured Attractions
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum
Springfield, Illinois
An imagineered immersion in the life of the 16th President.
Historic Auto Attractions
Roscoe, Illinois
History, via 20th century pop culture and you-are-almost-there artifacts. The way we like it!
Captured Leg of Santa Anna
Springfield, Illinois
The Alamo's revenge, snatched from the Mexican general.
Robert Wadlow, World's Tallest Man
Alton, Illinois
Exhibits and statue at the birthplace of the World's Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow.
World's Largest Catsup Bottle
Collinsville, Illinois
Water tower painted to resemble a bottle of Brooks Tangy Catsup.
Purple Martin Capital of the Nation
Griggsville, Illinois
Purple Martins eat 2,000 mosquitoes a day and live in luxury bird condo high rises.
Hometown of Superman and Super Museum
Metropolis, Illinois
The Super Museum, life's work of Jim Hambrick, is stuffed with over 20,000 items relating to the Superman saga, from first appearance in comic books.
Landmarks and Oddities List
Vacation Favorites
Notable places we've visited or heard about.
- Alton: Piasa Bird [tips]
- Alton: Robert Wadlow: World's Largest Man
- Ana: King Neptune the Pig grave
- Arcola: One and Only Hippie Memorial
- Atlanta: Smiley Face Water Tower
- Bourbonnais: Children's Memorial
- Calumet City: Smiley Face Water Towers
- Carbondale: King Tut the Dog
- Charleston: World's Biggest Lincoln Statue
- Chatsworth: Train Wreck Marker
- Chester: Popeye statue
- Chicago: Brickhouse Announcer Monument
- Chicago: Walk-Thru Heart
- Chicago: Museum of Surgical Sciences [tips]
- Collinsville: World's Largest Catsup Bottle
- Covell: Lindbergh Crash Site
- Des Plaines: McDonald's Museum
- Effingham: World's Largest Cross
- Elwood: Ammo Plant Dead Statue
- Forest Park: Circus Performers Mass Grave
- Gays: 2-Story Outhouse
- Griggsville: Purple Martin Capital of the Nation
- Harvard: Harmilda the Cow
- Kewanee: Live Otters in Bank Lobby
- Kewanee: Hog Capital of the World
- Libertyville: Lamb's Farm
- Lincoln: Watermelon Monument
- Makanda: Boomer
- Metropolis: Big John [tips]
- Metropolis: Birdman of Alcatraz Grave [tips]
- Metropolis: Superman Statue | Super Museum
- Monroe Center: Kapotas Sculptures [tips]
- Mount Carroll: Haunted Raven's Grin Inn [tip]
- Niles: The Leaning Tower
- Norway: Agricultural Crash Monument
- Oak Lawn: Indian [tips]
- Olney: White Squirrel Capital of the World
- Oquawka: Norma Jean the Elephant
- Palatine: Miniature Golf in a Funeral Home
- Plainfield: Tornado Memorial
- Peoria: Uniroyal Gal
- Peoria: Wheels of Time Museum [tips]
- Peoria: Giant Solar System Model
- Rock Island: Rex, faithful dog [tips]
- Roscoe: Historic Auto Attractions
- Schaumburg: Medieval Times
- Shelbyville: Freedom Square
- Springfield: Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum
- Springfield: Captured Leg of Santa Anna
- Springfield: Defiant Tomb of Mr. Accordion
- Springfield: Lincoln's Lucky Nose, [Statue Rubbing]
- Springfield: Museum of Funeral Customs
- Springfield: Skinny Young Lincoln statue
- St. Charles: Al Capone-abilia [tips]
- Streator: Coffee Pot Lady Statue
- Taylorville: Kay the Elephant
- Volo: Volo Auto Museum [news]
- Wadsworth: Gold Pyramid House
- Watseka: Smiley Face Water Tower [tips]
- Wedron: Lindbergh Crash Site
- Wilmington: Gemini Giant [tips]
- Woodstock: Groundhog Day Movie Town [tips]
