Brookfield Zoo
It is located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois, and covers a total area of 216 acres, being home to 450 species of animals. It is popularly known as Chicago Zoological Park, and was the first zoo in America to exhibit giant pandas.
It was opened on July 1, 1934 and gained international recognition for using moats and ditches instead of cages. The zoo has America’s first fully indoor dolphin exhibit and has the first fully indoor rain forest simulation. It is owned by the Cook County Forest Preserve District and managed by the Chicago Zoological society.
David Davis Mansion
The David Davis Mansion, popularly known as Clover Lawn, is located in Bloomington, Illinois. It was built during 1870 to 1872. It is a Victorian home, which was the residence of David Davis, supreme court justice. It has been a state museum since 1960. The mansion comprises 36 rooms in an Italianate villa style.
It is open to the general public from Wednesday through Sunday. It is a host to many seasonal events such as “Halloween at Clover Lawn” and “The Blessings of the Table”. During December, gas light tours are offered for a modest amount.
| State Parks | Fort Massac, Apple River Canyon, Delabar, Beall Woods and Castle Rock |
| Beaches | Montrose Beach, Oak Street Beach, North Beach and Kathy Osterman Beach |
| Museums | Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Addison Historical Museum, 1864 Farmhouse Museum, Catherine V. Yost House Museum |
| Historical Places | Adler Planetarium, Bishop Hill Historic District, Leiter 2 building, Kennicott’s Grove and Lincoln Log Cabin Historical site. |
| Other Places | Chaplin Creek Village, Charles Gates Dawes House Museum, Grosse Point Lighthouse and Lockport Gallery |
Lincoln’s New Salem
New Salem is located 15 miles northwest of Springfield and around 3 miles south of Petersburg. It is the historically recreated town site of Abraham Lincoln’s frontier village in Menard County, and contains 200 campsites, including 100 electrical hookups. The location is currently a historic park and is visited by approximately 600,000 people. In 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum was founded and built in 1930 by Max Adler. It is located on the Northerly Island, and is the part of Chicago’s Museum Campus. It is the first planetarium built in the Western Hemisphere and is the oldest in existence. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Fort Massac State Park
Fort Massac or Fort Massiac is located on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois. It was built by the French in 1757, during the war between the French and the native Indians. The French abandoned the fort after the war ended in 1763. It was made a State Park in 1908 and is the first Illinois state park. It covers a total area of 1,450 acres and is governed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Willis Tower
The Willis Tower, also known as the Sears Tower, is a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. It has 108 stories and is 442 meters tall. It was the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion. As of now, it is the tallest building in the United States and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.
Wildlife Prairie State Park
Wildlife Prairie State Park is located in Peoria County, Illinois. It was established in 1960s and was open to public in 1978. It is governed by the Department of Natural Resources and covers a total area of 1,700 acres.
