4.5Cloud Gate(18.2k reviews) - Visit to Chicago to take part in the Marathon. Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Nicknamed "The Bean" for its sleek kidney shape, this Anish Kapoor sculpture is the centerpiece of AT&T Plaza in Millenium Park.See more..
4.5Superman Statue(662 reviews) - If in Metropolis, a Must See! Monuments & Statues
Great statue with plenty of free parking on the nearby streets. Several shops nearby have the Superman theme going. Visit the Lois Lane statue a few blocks away too! The nearby museum even has an old car and a phone booth for photos.See more..
After visiting the Superman Statue on the town square I walked a couple of blocks north to the Daily Planet/Lois Lane Statue. This statue is in a small park and is a fitting tribute to Noel Neill who played a reporter for the Daily Planet Newspaper in the old Superman TV Show. The is free street parking next to the statue which make it either a quick stop after visiting the Superman Statue. But if you park at the Superman Statue it is an easy short 2-3 block walk away. This is a nice quick stop in the small town Metropolis.See more..
4.5Hot Dog Muffler Man(97 reviews) - Route 66 Oddity Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
It's really just a giant statue on a sad former Main Street strip along Route 66 that was bypassed by the interstate. But it's part of the quirky charm of driving Route 66 that shouldn't be missed. Unfortunately, on the day we were there, none of the restaurants or businesses were open (could be Covid restrictions). There's also a pretty mural high on the wall to the left of the statue and a lovely Seth Thomas clock on the next corner (town square).See more..
Saw the cross at a distance and decided to check it out. Very happy that we did. Beautiful view and reading the history of the cross. Stopped by the gift shop - very sweet ladies working there. Met with some friends later in the day and found out that when he was in college he played at the Easter sunrise service - sounded beautiful. See more..
We went to 150 foot level of tower in early August and were able to perfectly see the confluence of the two great American rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi. Seth, our guide, had good information on the area and invited us to watch the interesting videos inside the visitor's center on the grounds, which we did and enjoyed. Any one who enjoys the Lewis and Clark adventure, or great waterways of the world, would enjoy this tower.See more..
4.5Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument(40 reviews) - Testament to Free Speech Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
By visiting the monument you will be inspired at the heroism displayed by Elijah P. Lovejoy in the pursuit of free speech. When reading the story of Elijah and his untimely end, it will give you a sense of the turmoil embracing that period of time. The adjacent cemetery is a great place to walk through also. There are graves there dating back to the Spanish War and a couple from the sinking of the "Lusitania".See more..
4.5Alma Mater(39 reviews) - How can you not take a photo here? Monuments & Statues
When one visits, you have to come here to take a photo of course. There are always people around here hanging out or taking photos. See more..
4.5University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign(38 reviews) - If You Want A Job - Graduate from the U of I Spent More than 3 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings • Monuments & Statues • Educational sites
The U of I has over 150 undergraduate majors. 95% of the graduates have a job in their major field within 6 months of graduation. Companies want U of I graduates.See more..
4.5Kaskaskia Dragon(34 reviews) - Fun - worth a quick stop Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Great roadside attraction. Get your tokens at the liquor store or hardware store to see the dragon breathe fire. See more..
We stumbled upon this memorial somewhat on accident while driving from central Illinois toward home in the SW Chicago suburbs. The onsite museum was closed for the night, but a caretaker was very informative and proud of the additions and improvements to the memorial. He also pointed out some of the moving personal mementos that the families of the fallen leave when they visit. The Illinois River rapids directly behind the memorial wall add to the serenity and solemnity of the site, but the sound of the river seems to remind you that life, indeed, does go on. I hope to go back soon to tour the museum.See more..
4.0Hippie Memorial(25 reviews) - You'll miss it if you sneeze you'll miss it Monuments & Statues
I've done long weekends in this area a few times a year over the last 30 years. There is nothing ostentatious going on here. No charge, no gift shop no lines or crowds. It's peaceful and I always stop by and pay tribute because I walked cool in the 60's.See more..
4.0Dan Fogelberg Memorial(24 reviews) - Touching- a neat place to visit when passing through Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
The park at Constitution Gardens is easy to find- I was a little concerned about my safety when driving through the immediate area but it's beautiful with wonderful views of the Illinois River/Lake Peoria. The Memorial is on the edge of the river and I was surprised to find two other groups that visited the park for the specific purpose of paying their respects to Dan Fogelberg. One group was singing "Part of the Plan" and it was touching. Something else you need to do- GPS to find Fogelberg Parkway. It's only a mile or so away. The high school at the corner of Monroe Street is where his father, the "Leader of the Band" was just that. Continue up the road where it becomes Frye Ave and intersects with Prospect Road. The convenience store at this intersection is where Dan ran into his ex girlfriend on Christmas Eve...... :)See more..
4.0The Big Yardstick(17 reviews) - Still a yard stick? Spent < 1 hour Architectural Buildings • Monuments & Statues • Scenic Walking Areas
I thought this was cool, but my friend questioned how it's a yard stick if it's larger than a yard...but it did take up their whole yard ;-)See more..
4.09/11 Memorial(16 reviews) - Never Forget! Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Having left a small American Flag attached to this memorial last 9-11 & finding it has been removed I am less than pleased with whomever it was that liberated that flag. Otherwise the memorial is pretty awesome aside from not having any annual memorial service associated with 9-11 or any pictures or plaques naming those who died that day. But overall it is an awesome tribute piece.See more..
4.5Atomic Cannon(12 reviews) - Great history Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites • Monuments & Statues
A very impressive collection of firearms, cannons , artillery and tanks . Atomic vannon is huge. The entire park is well kept and easy to get around.See more..
4.0Wild Bill Hickok Memorial(11 reviews) - As a old west fan, it was a cool stop. Monuments & Statues
This is a small park in a small town in rural Illinois. I couldn't pass up the chance to check it out since I have been to Deadwood and went to the bat he was shot at and to the cemetery he is buried in. This sort of completed his journey. It's a park with a nice information board at the entrance and then a well done sculpture of Wild Bill in the middle of the park (larger than his cemetery sculpture) and a stone marker. There is a photo of the house on the information board. Maybe someday, someone will step up and fund a recreation of the house. That would make it a pretty good destination for your average history fan.See more..
4.5Galena Veterans Memorial Park(11 reviews) - Salute to our Brave fallen heros Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Salute to our war heroes. They tell thier own story without our need . Our country owes them so much from Lexington and Concord to Afghanistan.See more..
4.0Richard Pryor Statue by Preston Jackson(10 reviews) - Awesome surprise Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
What a great tribute to the king of comedy! Centralized in downtown Peoria is this fantastic sculpture of Mr. Pryor. Quick stop in adjacent parking lot.See more..
4.0Metropolis Lighthouse Hope Light(9 reviews) - I had to stop Points of Interest & Landmarks • Lighthouses • Monuments & Statues
As a survivor I had to visit it is in a peaceful spot. I sat and took it all in and while reflecting on my journey. Its not a large light house its small but functional while it was quiet I sat and watch the river front. I was there for 2 hours just relaxing in the peace and quiet.See more..
4.5Abraham Lincoln Statue(8 reviews) - Quality sculpture of a great man Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Abe's cool, and it's nice to see him honored. This sculpture has him standing with his umbrella, as if he just arrived in town. See more..
4.0North Alton Confederate Cemetery(7 reviews) - A must for Civil War history buffs. Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Cemeteries • Monuments & Statues
Very serene place. There are no markers for individual graves, but there is a stone monument with the names of all who are buried there.See more..
This is a great statue. Very realistic in the representation of a patrician scion of a prominent Bloomington family. The sculptor correctly got the details down to the famous hole in Adlai Stevenson's sole! See more..
5.0Clayville Historic Site(4 reviews) - A well spent afternoon Spent 2-3 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Cemeteries • Monuments & Statues • Ghost Towns
My wife and I visited Clayville on April 18, 2017. Having never been there, we didn't know what to expect. We were more than pleasantly surprised! Besides the old Broadwell Inn stagecoach stop, there were several other structures. All had fascinating histories, which were explained in great detail by our very knowledgeable guide (a retired history whose name escapes me). The Pleasant Plains Historical Society not only lovingly restored the old inn, but they brought in other historic structures from around Illinois to reconstruct the village. The site also has a very good agricultural museum in and old barn filled with artifacts dating to the early-middle 1800s (including one from the Donner party!). Clayville is MUST SEE for all history lovers and it's only 13 miles NW of Springfield. Don't miss it!See more..
We left western Illinois to drive to Haubstadt, Indiana, to have dinner at the Log Inn where Lincoln visited waiting for a stage to return him home from a campaign rally for Clay's presidential bid in 1844. Directions took us through here and we saw this memorial on the map so we decided to stop. It's a beautiful relief memorial marker of the Lincoln family as they are crossing from Indiana to Illinois when Lincoln was 21. It's well worth a few minutes to stop and visit the memorial. But if you do, take time when you cross the bridge to visit the George Rogers Clark memorial in Vincennes. We didn't and I wish we would have. I looked him up as we were leaving and he was a Revolutionary War hero in the area. I didn't realize there were any battles that were fought in this region. Also found out he is the older brother of William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame. Another great Lincoln site for the history buffs in the area.See more..
4.5Big John Grocery Clerk(3 reviews) - Larger than Superman statue in downtown Metropolis Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
This Big John Grocery Clerk statue is actually larger than Superman statue in downtown Metropolis! Big John in Metropolis is a hulk, carrying car-sized bags filled with groceries in the parking lots of its food store. It is about 28-30 feet tall fiberglass statue. Many Big Johns (when store goes out of business), were re-purposed. But this one in Metropolis is still located at the Big John grocery store. Right now Big Johns are rare; only about eight are known to be in publicly accessible places. And this one in Metropolis is one of them. It is well-kept specimen at the local Big John store, but he's often overlooked because the Man of Steel (Superman) is located nearby in downtown Metropolis. Due to their scarcity, Big Johns are sought after by collectors.See more..
5.0Stillman's Defeat(2 reviews) - The first engagement of the Black Hawk War Points of Interest & Landmarks • Battlefields • Monuments & Statues The Black Hawk War was a paragraph in the history of the United States, a conflict between Illinois militia and Native Americans that lasted from April 6 to Aug. 26 in 1832. It was mostly notable for the fact that Abraham Lincoln served but saw no combat. However, the brief conflict made national heroes of Winfield Scott, Zachary Taylor and Jefferson Davis. And the country became aware of Chief Black Hawk. Today, virtually all that is left to remember is Stillman's Run Battle Site or Stillman's Defeat, a site at Roosevelt and Spruce Streets in Stillman Valley, Illinois, where Illinois militia clashed with Black Hawk and his Sauk Indian band on May 14, 1832 in what was the first battle of the Black Hawk War. It wasn't much of a battle. Outnumbered 2-to-1, the detachment of 275 Illinois militia fled in a panic. Twelve militia men were killed while making a stand on a small hill. Black Hawk said at least three and maybe as many as five of his warriors were killed. Today, a marble and granite monument stands at the site of the battlefield. According to one inscription, "The presence of soldier, statesman, martyr Abraham Lincoln assisting in the burial of these honored dead has made this spot more sacred." The tombstones of the 12 fallen are part of the memorial. The one-acre site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.See more..
4.5The Soldiers’ Monument(2 reviews) - Very large monument by well known sculptor Taft Monuments & Statues
This monument sis actually three statues dedicated in 1916. 1 in bronze and 2in marble by sculptor Lorado Taft. (he is also the one responsible for the 50-feet tall Black Hawk statue on the other side of the river in the Lowden State Park)See more..
Located next to the Livingstone County Courthouse in the charming town of Pontiac is the Civil war monument - The Memory of All Soldiers, is rather grand and well worth finding.See more..
5.0Norma Jean the Elephant Memorial(1 review) - The Story Saturday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Sites • Monuments & Statues • Educational sites
Norma Jean, from a small traveling circus, was struck and killed by lightning, and the townspeople buried her on the spot. So as to never be forgotten, a memorial was built in her honor. This visit will take you 5 minutes, but it is inspiring, and will help you learn about an old-time traveling circus if you do a little research. If you are driving through Oquawka, do stop by. See more..
3.0Cherry Miner's Cemetery(1 review) - A Memorial about a Tragedy. Cemeteries • Monuments & Statues The Cherry Mining Disaster is an event that I don't think many people know about. I ran across this on a Only in Your State type website and decided to stop by and check it out on my roadtrip. I've now read up a little on the event online. It sure doesn't seem like a place this would happen when you stop by now, but it was a different landscape 100+ years ago. There is a memorial at the cemetery and another in town.See more..
5.0Holy Sepulchre Cemetery(1 review) - famous people and in-laws buried close by Spent < 1 hour Cemeteries • Religious Sites • Monuments & Statues We went there to pay our respects to my wife's grandparents and great-grandparents. If you like a histor, politics especially old city machine politics then the monument at the Daley family plot is a must stop. Richard Daly mayor of Chicago from 1955 to 1976 and leader of the second longest tenured and one of the strongest Democratic Machine city politics in history, next to the O'Connell & Corning machine in Albany NY which lasted 50+ yearsSee more..
3.0Haymarket Martyrs' Monument(1 review) - This is only half of the story Saturday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues
The Haymarket Martyrs' Monument commemorates the Haymarket Affair which occurred on Tuesday, 4 May 1886 in Haymarket Square, 175 N. Des Plaines Ave., in Chicago, Il.. It was the result of labor unrest which resulted in demonstrators being injured and killed during a demonstration for 8 hour work days. On the next day, because of the demonstrators, the police again were told to disperse the demonstrators. As the approximately 175 police tried to do that, an unknown (to this day) demonstrator threw a dynamite bomb and seven police officers were killed, along with, at least, four civilians. There were scores of injuries on both sides. Eight anarchists or labor demonstrators were arrested and convicted of conspiracy, though the person who actually threw the bomb was never arrested and charged. Of the eight anarchists, seven were sentenced to death and one was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The death sentences of two of the anarchists were commuted by Gov. Richard J. Oglesby, but four of the anarchists were hung. One anarchist committed suicide rather than go to the gallows. Six years later, those still in prison under the shadow of death sentences were pardoned and the trial was criticized by Gov. John P. Altgeld. The burial site was designated a National Historic Landmark. The actual site of the bombing was designated a Chicago Landmark. For years, a statue of a police officer to commemorate those officers who died was displayed at the location, but in 2007, that statue of the police officer was moved to the Chicago Police Headquarters building at 3501 S. Michigan Ave., where the statue would not be vandalized again.See more..
5.0George Rogers Clark Monument(1 review) - Important historical figure and sculpture Points of Interest & Landmarks • Lookouts • Monuments & Statues
If it wasn’t for this scalp tire I r we oils to know how important his campaign and victories were for creation of USA in today’s boundaries. Perfect location of the statue right See more..
5.0Lincoln Monument(1 review) - What a great location! Monuments & Statues
This monument is located right on the bank of the Rock River in downtown of Dixon, IL in the Presidents Park. Very nice monument although not anything special but a typical portrayal of Lincoln. But again location, location, location...See more..
4.0Fort Armstrong Historic Site(1 review) - A piece of history. Historic Sites • Military Bases & Facilities • Monuments & Statues I was on a road trip around the area and I always look for historic places to check out. This location popped up and I added the stop to places I wanted to see. There is only a few parking spots on the road to use and I was lucky that one was open. There is a small block house fort recreation, a couple monuments, an area of information boards with Nature and Native American information, and a few cannons. There is a picnic table too, but I sat under a tree and had lunch. I noticed the sidewalk lead to the Arsenal/Government Bridge, so I walked over to it and checked out the barges in the lock. I ended up walking all the way across the bridge to Iowa on one side and back on the other. Not many people I know have walked over the Mississippi River.See more..
