Muirhead Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast

Private Master Suite surrounded by nearly 800 acres of prairie, this Frank Lloyd Wright designed home offers a private bath, historical artifacts, hearty country breakfasts and beautiful views.

CITY: Hampshire

My Best Friend's Wedding - Cuneo Museum

In this romantic comedy a food critic jealously tries to put a stop to her best buddy's wedding. The movie filmed extensively around Chicago, including the historic Drake Hotel on North Michigan Avenue; on a Mercury boat cruise as it sailed down the Chicago River; and at the suburban Cuneo Museum & Gardens, a Mediterranean-style mansion that features 75 acres of beautiful formal gardens. The gazebo featured in one of the wedding scenes was built for the film, but Cuneo's owners decided to keep it permanently.

CITY: Vernon Hills

My Kind of Town Tours & Events

This company offers group cultural and educational tours. Reservations are required.

CITY: Highland Park

Noble Horse Carriage Ride

Let Noble Horse make your day or evening special. See the city from a lovely antique horse carriage ride. Noble Horse Carriages are available at 2 locations: Michigan Avenue: 820 N. Michigan Avenue, the corner of Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue and Old Town: 1410 N. Orleans Street, the corner of Schiller and Orleans.

CITY: Chicago

Normal Theater

The Normal Theater is an historic movie theater located in downtown Normal, IL.

CITY: Normal

Northwestern University Walking Tours

Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is a renowned educational institution rich in history and architecture. More than 150 historically significant and interesting sites on campus are featured in various 30-minute walking tours.

CITY: Evanston

Oak Park Visitors Center

Stop by the Visitors Center for an audio walking tour, maps, books, souvenirs and unique gifts. Tickets are available for Hemingway's Birthplace Home and Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, Historic Pleasant Home and the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest.

CITY: Oak Park

Oak Park Visitors Center Walking Tour

This PDA guided tour will show you the evolution of architecture in Oak Park, from the Victorian period through to Prairie School and the 1930s Art Deco period. Hear the reflections of the famous people who walked these streets and nurtured their creativity in Oak Park.

CITY: Oak Park

Petit Memorial Chapel

Petit Memorial Chapel, located in Belvidere Cemetery, was designed by Frank Llyod Wright and erected in 1907. Brochures available for self-guided historic tours. Open daily, 8am - sunset. Tours available by appointment.

CITY: Belvidere

Pleasant Home

Explore this opulent 30-room mansion designed by prominent Prarie School architect George H. Maher, which today serves as a museum.

CITY: Oak Park

Richard J. Daley Center & Plaza

This powerful, 31-story tower was designed by Jacques Brownson (b. 1923) of C. F. Murphy Associates. Composed of three massive structural bays, each an unprecedented 87-feet wide and nearly 48-feet deep, and supported by warren trusses at every floor, the building achieves incredible structural integrity and interior flexibility. The exterior wall plane consists of 12-foot-high windows with amber-tinted glass and 6-foot-high panels of self-weathering Cor-Ten steel, which has aged to a rich brown color. The large public plaza features a 50-foot-tall Cor-Ten sculpture of 1967 by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), gifted by him to the city of Chicago. The Daley Center plaza is one in a line of three important public plazas in the heart of the Loop (see also the Federal Center and Chase Bank Plaza). Photo courtesy of AIA Chicago, Wes Urschel. Copy and descriptions courtesy of AIA Illinois and the 150 Great Places in Illinois www.illinoisgreatplaces.com

CITY: Chicago

Ridgeland Historic District Tour

This self-guided audio tour takes you through one of the "Prettiest Painted Places in America," the Ridgeland Historic District, to view great architecture and hear stories of famous Oak Lawn natives.

CITY: Oak Lawn

River Forest Methodist Church

First stop of the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trusts' River Forest Walking Tour.

CITY: River Forest

Riverside Walking Tours

Take a walk through Riverside's history by spending the afternoon with the Frederick Law Olmsted Society, your guide to learning more about the village's unique community and landscape design. Riverside was designed in 1869 by famous landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

CITY: Riverside

Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

Located in Hyde Park, this stunning Gothic chapel (funded by a gift to the University of Chicago by John D. Rockefeller) hosts regular performances by the Rockefeller Chapel Choir and visiting musical artists.

CITY: Chicago

Scottish Rite Cathedral

Scottish Rite Cathedral is on the former site of the Stillman Wheelock mansion, this Gothic Revival style cathedral was built in 1930.

CITY: Moline

Segway Experience of Chicago

Chicago's only Segway-authorized touring company has locations at Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue, plus certified tour docents who will ensure a memorable, safe experience.

CITY: Chicago

Shoreline Sightseeing

A Shoreline Architecture Tour is a fascinating way to explore Chicago’s past and present. Shoreline’s Skyline Lake Tours offer breathtaking views of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, while the Fireworks Cruise provides a front-row seat for Navy Pier’s spectacular fireworks displays.

CITY: Chicago

Skydeck Chicago

Step out and enjoy a view like you’ve never experienced before at Skydeck Chicago’s The Ledge. Located on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Ledge’s glass boxes jut out from the side of the skyscraper, offering unparalleled views of Chicago and four neighboring states.

CITY: Chicago

Soldier Field

Today's Soldier Field comprises two distinct structures. There is classical stone-clad shell designed in the 1920s. Its contemporary interior is a 2003 retrofit designed specifically for the NFL's Chicago Bears. The original stadium seated 120,000. The new Soldier Field seats 61,5000 in a boldly asymmetrical steel and concrete bowl set within the confines of the original colonnades.

CITY: Chicago

Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple of Greater Chicago

This temple is one of only three Sri Venkateswara Hindu temples in the United States, constructed by Native American artisans.

CITY: Aurora

St. James Cathedral

The St. James parish, featuring the oldest Episcopal church in Chicago, is one of the oldest in Illinois. The church's plaza is used for a variety of religious and community activities.

CITY: Chicago

Starlight Theatre at Rock Valley College

The area's oldest outdoor summer theatre with four musical productions in June and July. Starlight's home, the Bengt Sjostrom Theatre, features more than a thousand seats, a stunningly artistic and creative retractable roof, new seating and an improved stage. Starlight Theatre has been named one of Illinois' 150 Great Places by the American Institute of Architects, Illinois Council. This prestigious award is given to places that have been identified by leading architects as contributing to their communities' quality of life.

CITY: Rockford

Tall Ship Windy

Navy Pier's resident 148-foot, four-masted schooner pays tribute to the Great Lakes' rich maritime heritage during a variety of cruises each day.

CITY: Chicago

The Farnsworth House Estate

Master architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created the ultimate minimalist masterpiece, the Farnsworth House, in pastoral Plano. The stellar structure of floor-to-ceiling glass seemingly "floats" above the rambling Fox River.

CITY: Plano

The Jones House

This Gothic Revival house, built in 1858, it is the oldest brick home in Pontiac.

CITY: Pontiac

The Ragdale Foundation

Art, architecture, and garden tours of Howard Van Doren Shaw's summer retreat. The house and gardens, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places among examples of the Arts and Crafts movement in the country. It house 12 artists at a time.

CITY: Lake Forest

The Rookery

John Wellborn Root designed the Rookery in 1885-9, which reflects the development of new structural systems for large urban buildings during that time. It holds one of the most spectacular interior spaces in the state, an elaborate main lobby and light court that were renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) in 1905. The Rookery was named a Chicago Landmark in 1972, listed to the National Register in 1970, and named a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Copy and descriptions courtesy of AIA Illinois and the 150 Great Places in Illinois www.illinoisgreatplaces.com

CITY: Chicago

The Signature Room at the 95th

Enchanted dining experiences await guests at this contemporary American restaurant. Located atop the John Hancock Center, it offers the best view of the city of Chicago. Live jazz, elegant dark wood and marble tiled artdeco interior compliments the mood.

CITY: Chicago

Tribune Tower

Home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper offices, this Gothic-Revival landmark features flying buttresses and gargoyles This is a result of New York architects John Mead Howells and Raymond M. Hood's design that was chosen as a winner out of 263 entries from twenty-three countries during an international architectural competition to immodestly "erect the most beautiful building in the world" in 1922.

CITY: Chicago

Urban Adventure Cruise

Entertaining river and lake sightseeing boat cruise with informative tour guides lead this family-friendly 90-minute boat ride aboard Mercury, Chicago's Skyline Cruiseline showcasing Chicago’s world-famous skyline and landmarks. Bring a snack and beverage aboard, too.

CITY: Chicago

Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Marion

Tours are available at this center, built in 1914, that features an Egyptian architectural motif. It has been serving veterans for 50 years.

CITY: Marion

Villa Kathrine

Villa Kathrine is a unique example of Mediterranean architecture in the Midwest. Located on the bluffs of the Mississippi, Villa Kathrine houses Quincy's tourist information center.

CITY: Quincy

Wrigley Building

Located in the center of the Magnificent Mile, and steps from the Michigan Avenue Bridge, The Wrigley Building has been a hallmark of Chicago’s skyline since 1920. Designed as the headquarters for the successful chewing gum, the building was modeled after the Seville Cathedral’s Giralda Tower in Spain. Today, it is still home to Wm Wrigley Jr. Company, and is perhaps best known for its dazzling white towers that illuminate the city at night.

CITY: Chicago