2013 Travel Guide
Enjoy Illinois App
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Oct 31
Lincoln's Ghost Walks - Legends and Lore
Take a 90-minute nighttime tour of sites throughout Springfield that are linked to spirited stories about Lincoln’s life and death. Founder Garret Moffett based the tour partly on local lore about Lincoln’s visions and dreams, as well as on reported ghost sightings.
CITY: Springfield
David Davis Mansion
The David Davis Mansion was the home of Judge David Davis, the friend, mentor and campaign manager for Abraham Lincoln. The elegant 36-room Victorian home tells the story of the generation that led the United States through the Civil War and early years of Reconstruction. Take a tour of the lavishly decorated mansion, where you’ll learn about the important friendship between Davis and Lincoln, and get a peek at what life was like for a wealthy Victorian-era family.
CITY: Bloomington
Chicago Pedway Tour
The Chicago Pedway Tour will lead you through the Pedway, the backdrop for an amusing and enlightening tour of some of the hot-spots (or a least warm-spots) of downtown Chicago. The tour focuses on interesting anecdotes and tales about some of the great buildings downtown, but it’s also a study of the city underneath the city. The Pedway is a strange and wonderful place and adds so much to the city’s personality. These are great tours for Chicagoans who want to learn more about the city and for tourists who want a full Chicago experience without ever going outside. The tour is 90 minutes and is $20. Monday/Thursday/Saturday at 10:30 am. Please note: the start location for the Monday and Thursday tour is at 40 W. Lake St. in the “Gallery of Shops.” The start location for the Saturday tour is at start at Block 37 – 108 N. State St.
CITY: Chicago
Annie Wiggins Ghost Tours
Join us for the original ghost tour of Galena's sites, cemeteries and famous ghostly tales. Costumed guide. Reservations recommended.
CITY: Galena
Nov 1
Alton Hauntings Tours
Based on the book Haunted Alton by Troy Taylor, Alton Hauntings Tours offers an entertaining and spine-tingling trip into the unknown, taking visitors to the most authentic haunted places in Alton. Uncover the eerie folklore, ghostly tales and documented haunted spots on a three-hour walking tour of the city’s most haunted sites. Visitors will see sites that have become nationally known, like the old Alton penitentiary, First Unitarian Church, Enos Sanitarium and many others. The tours have been proven to be popular with ghost enthusiasts and history buffs alike, and nowhere else can you learn as much about the real, haunted history of Alton. Walking tours and bus tours are offered during two touring seasons – Spring & Summer and the Haunted Fall Season. Private tours are also available for groups of 20 or more. Reservations must be made in advance for all tours.
CITY: Alton
Chicago Food Planet Tours
Take the 3-hour food tasting and cultural walking Chicago tours, which combine delicious food and drink tastings with some serious fun in Chicago’s most delicious, off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods. Suitable for all age groups and fitness levels, you’ll experience delectable foods from one-of-a-kind specialty food stores and ethnic eateries while receiving an insiders view into the culture, history and architecture that defines the Windy City. Walk away with new culinary perspectives, big smiles, satisfied taste buds and the confidence to continue exploring the areas where locals live.
CITY: Chicago
Chicago Greeter Service
Explore Chicago with a friendly, knowledgeable Chicago Greeter as your guide! Visitors can register for a free 2-4 hour guided walking tour of a neighborhood or special local interest of their choice. This free service matches an individual, family or small group of friends with one of over 200 enthusiastic volunteer Greeters who love sharing their expertise and passion about the city and all there is to see and do here. For more information, visit http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/tours/tourism/chicago_greeter_tours.html.
CITY: Chicago
August Hill Winery
Visit the August Hill Winery & Illinois Sparkling Co. tasting room and experience locally-made handcrafted wines. Wine tastings and flights, wine gifts & accessories, gallery of local art, outdoor patio, private events. Open Monday - Thursday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday - Saturday, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM & Sun 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
CITY: Utica
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Experience Chicago's world renowned architecture with one of 80+ different tours offered by The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF). Explore by boat, foot, bus, bicycle or Segway, and choose from tours such as the Devil in the White City tour, Lights, Camera, Architecture! tour, the Daniel Burnham Tour and many others. Interested in the boat tour? Only the Chicago Architecture Foundation and Chicago's First Lady Cruises can showcase Chicago's world renowned city architecture with style, class and comfort. Learn more at www.cruisechicago.com. Also offered: FREE exhibitions, programs and workshops, youth education, family programs and an architecture and design-themed retail store. Private tours and group tour rates available. Open daily 9:30-5:00.
CITY: Chicago
Funks Grove Pure Maple Syrup
Guided tours offered during February and March that show syrup making by the "Boiling Down" process. Gift store stocked with syrup as well as Route 66 memorabilia.
CITY: Shirley
Mineral Springs Haunted Tours
Take an eight-block tour of some of the haunted locations in downtown Alton, investigate the four floors of the Mineral Springs Hotel, be part of a seance and top the evening off with a tarot card reading. All tours begin and end at the Mineral Springs Mall. Tour options include New Moon Haunted Tours, Waking the Dead Walking Tours, Cemetery Tours and Haunted Overnights.
CITY: Alton
Watson Adventure Scavenger Hunts
Explore museums, historic neighborhoods and more while hunting for answers to tricky, humorous questions. Monthly hunts are offered for the public and private groups.
CITY: Chicago
Galena Main Street Walking Tours with General Grant
Partake in an one-hour tour with one of Galena's most notable citizens, General Ulysses S. Grant, and explore the historic highlights of this award-winning Main Street. The tour also features the 'Field of Dreams' movie locations that were captured in downtown Galena. Reservations are not required to join in the tour.
CITY: Galena
Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio
Wright's Oak Park Home and Studio served as his primary residence and studio from 1889-1909. Offers guided interior tours, highlighting family life and Wright's use of this complex as a living laboratory developing his principles.
CITY: Oak Park
Argyle Lake State Park
Find serenity at this beautiful 1700-acre wooded park situated along an old stagecoach route between Galena and Beardstown. Featuring 95-acre Argyle Lake, the park is home to countless beaver dams and more than 200 bird species and 5 miles of hiking and biking trails.
CITY: Colchester
Bobby's Bike Hike Obama Tour
Enjoy a gorgeous ride through the historic Hyde Park and Kenwood neighborhoods. Your guide will take you to all of President Obama's favorite Chicago places, including the University of Chicago campus and the first family's residence.
CITY: Chicago
MetroWalkz Self-Guided Walking Tours
Our numerous self-guided walking tours with easy-to-use maps and insider narratives make sightseeing a breeze. Current tours include Loop Architecture, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, Museum Campus, Grant Park, Chinatown, Old Town, Gold Coast and the West Loop.
CITY: Chicago
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
Mt. Carroll Garden Walk
Stroll the brick streets and enjoy unique historic architecture while viewing beautiful flower, perennial and water gardens. Garden vendors and a farmer's market will be stationed in the Courthouse Square.
CITY: Mount Carroll
Charnley-Persky House Museum
Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan designed this Gold Coast residence, now the home of the Society of Architectural Historians. Open for tours.
CITY: Chicago
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
27
Native American Prairie Day
Relive life on the prairie as it was 1,000 years ago with guided tours of the buried Indian village and ceremonial mound, demonstrations of an ancient weapon (atlatl thrower), local archeological collections featuring stone tools, arrowhead points, pottery, trade goods, beads, and even a Woolly Mammoth tooth on display. A native American flute-player, indigenous foods, and face-painting will keep everyone entertained.
CITY: Hanover
31
VW Welcomefest Downtown Party
Join us for in Downtown Effingham on the Courthouse Lawn for VW Welcomefest, where the night begins with a road tour from Mid America Motorworks. The VWs will make their way through town and come down the parade route about 5 p.m. Food by the Gabby Goat, ice cream, tropical snow and great music will await everyone at the Courthouse lawn from 5-8:00 p.m. Don't forget to sign up to win a Ipad Mini, along with other great giveaways. We've added some cool new things this year you won't want to miss, like "Big Red," a 10,000 pound VW Beetle and a fortune teller! This event is sure to be fun for the whole family!
CITY: Effingham
Andersonville & Edgewater: Chicago Neighborhood Tours
Discover the gay-friendly shops and restaurants of Andersonville, then head to Edgewater to see Art Deco and Tudor Revival architecture in the Bryn Mawr Historic District. Tours depart from the Chicago Cultural Center.
CITY: Chicago
Sculpture on the Avenue
Come explore the sculptures that have transformed the City of Effingham's avenues into an art gallery! Over 40 sculptures created by some of the Midwest's best known and unknown sculptors bring life to the streets of Effingham through this outdoor exhibition. The Sculpture on the Avenues program is a self-guided walking tour that begins at City Hall in downtown Effingham. From there, the exhibition winds in and out of downtown Effingham. An informative guide, which facilitates a walking tour, is available at Effingham hotels, downtown businesses, the Effingham Visitor Center (Tourism Office) and City Hall.
CITY: Effingham
Chicago Photo Safaris
A professional photographer takes visitors to a landmark Chicago destination while giving tips on composition, lighting and exposure. These sessions are for photographers of any skill level with any kind of camera, digital or film.
CITY: Chicago
Shoal Creek Nature Preserve
This 260-acre site offers nature trails for visitors to explore wetlands, prairie openings, and sandstone bluffs and ledges. The preserve is home to more than 700 plants and 70 bird species, including bald eagles during the winter months.
CITY: Litchfield
Boone County Conservation District
The enchanting charm of Boone County’s Buffalo Creek creates a picturesque scene of nature at its finest. With a mission of preserving nature for generations to come, the area offers numerous educational events and festivals.
CITY: Belvidere
Chicago Chocolate Tours
Take a fun, educational guided walking and tasting tour of select chocolate shops along the Magnificent Mile or in the Loop. Learn about the history of chocolate and sample chocolate delights on this tasty tour
CITY: Chicago
Cedarhurst Center for the Arts & Mitchell Museum
Exhibitions, a children's gallery, a permanent collection and special events. Grounds include 85 acres sculpture park, nature trails and bird sanctuary. Hosts annual Cedarhurst Craft Fair.
CITY: Mount Vernon
Aurora Downtown Walking Tour
Take a self-guided tour of Aurora's historic downtown. Tour brochures are available at the Aurora Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
CITY: Aurora
Tastebud Tours
Embark on a three-hour walking tour that's an unforgettable food adventure, offering the traditional tastes of Chicago.
CITY: Chicago
6 - 7
Geneva's Christmas Walk & House Tour
On Friday evening, Santa Lucia arrives by horse-drawn carriage and Santa arrives to open his Gingerbread House. Enjoy carolers, the Great Tree lighting, roasted chestnuts, Swedish cookies, and old-fashioned candy cane pull, and holiday shopping. On Friday & Saturday, five distinctive homes festively decorated for the holidays by local decorators open their doors to visitors for self-guided tours.
CITY: Geneva
1 - 2
42nd Annual Northern Illinois Art Show
The Kishwaukee Valley Art League is proud to bring its annual Northern Illinois Art Show to the public. Held each spring in Sycamore, Illinois on the Dekalb County Courthouse lawn and now in its 42nd year, the Northern Illinois Art Show features the work of artists in fine arts and fine crafts from across the Midwest. This show is an outstanding opportunity for fine artists to reach a wide audience and a great place for shoppers to find unique gifts. Easily accessible and highly publicized, the Northern Illinois Art Show attracts artists, residents, and tourists from across Northern Illinois and beyond. Applications to the show from artists will be accepted through April 12. Accepted artists will be contacted directly by KVAL. Applications are available on their website. Admission: Free for visitors
CITY: Sycamore
Joliet Mosaic Walking Tour
Take a self-guided walking tour of the magnificent murals, sculptures and mosaics found throughout Joliet's city center.
CITY: Joliet
25 - 26
2013 Cemetary Walk
Kankakee history comes to life with the guided history walk through Mound Grove Cemetary. Actors will portray historical figures sharing their lives and times in Kankakee County. Tours are at 11 a.m and 2 p.m.
CITY: Kankakee
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
Dec 29
Christmas at Clover Lawn
The David Davis Mansion's annual holiday celebration, Christmas at Clover Lawn, runs from November 28 through December 29th. Tours are offered Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Tours are free, but donations are welcome. Create holiday memories with your family by visiting the David Davis Mansion, all decked out for the holidays. Antique dolls and toys, spectacular evergreens, more than 15 decorated trees, and hundreds of 19th-century paper and glass ornaments turn the house and grounds into a Yuletide wonderland.
CITY: Bloomington
Mt. Carroll Walking Tour
Take a self-guided walking tour through Mt. Carroll's historic district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
CITY: Mount Carroll
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
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
A wildlife refuge covering approximately 43,500 acres of forest, wetlands, and grasslands. Hunting, fishing & boating available.
CITY: Marion
Walldog Walking Tour
Walldog sign and mural artists trace their trade back to the signpainters of old who painted advertisements on walls in communities all over the country. They worked like dogs in the hot sun and thus came to be known as "wall dogs". Walldog artists traveled from all over the world to paint our murals. Artists came from as far as New Zealand, with others coming from British Columbia, Hawaii, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, California and many other locations. The walls were painted not only by visiting Walldogs, but also by anyone from the community who wanted to help.
CITY: Danville
Center Children's Farm
Experience life down on the farm during guided family tours, or take a hike on the peaceful nature trail.
CITY: Palos Park
River Forest Methodist Church
First stop of the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trusts' River Forest Walking Tour.
CITY: River Forest
Joliet Prison Park
Once you arrive, a huge steel and barbed wire entry sign will beckon you into a park unlike any other. Information kiosks on site offer an insight into the prison’s past and inmate history, as well as the famous films that have been shot here.
CITY: Joliet
Franklin Creek Grist Mill & Interpretive Center
This four-story, reconstructed 1847 grist mill features a four-ton waterwheel and displays of 1800s milling equipment.
CITY: Franklin Grove
General Grant Walking Tour
Whether you are a history buff or someone who is just looking for insight behind the makeup of Galena, join in an one-hour walking tour with Galena's own General Ulysses S. Grant on Main Street in downtown Galena. Periodically, his fellow eight Civil War generals make an appearance. Be on the lookout!
CITY: Galena
William Tanner House
Built in 1856, this Italianate is home to the Aurora Historical Museum which offers tours of the fully furnished home.
CITY: Aurora
Aug 31
History Comes Alive
Every day for 12 weeks this summer, you’ll be able to take a step back in time as you participate in a whole array of living history performances and programs that will both delight and educate about the Springfield Abraham Lincoln knew and loved for most of his life. From Civil War encampments to White House kitchen chats with Mr. Lincoln himself, there’s something for everyone. Some event may have fee.
CITY: Springfield
15
Luminary Night On Stephenson and Lincoln Streets
Enjoy the beauty of the soft light of luminaries and the architecture of these historic homes as you stroll this lovely residential neighborhood. Also, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies. Stephenson Street and Lincoln Boulevard from West Street to Park Boulevard.
CITY: Freeport
1 - 31
31st Annual Midwest Heritage Quilt Show
Beautiful quilts, some nearly 100 years old, will be on display at the Vermilion County Museum throughout the month of July. Awards will be given in 9 categories including bed quilts, purses and clothing, and wall hangings.
CITY: Danville
23 - 27
Sycamore Pumpkin Fest
2013 is the 52nd Annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival downtown. Back in 1956, Wally Thurow, who is known as Sycamore’s "Mr. Pumpkin", began what was to become the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival when he displayed a few decorated pumpkins on his front lawn to turn Halloween into a time of fun and creativity. In 1962, through the efforts of Mr. Pumpkin and the Sycamore Lions Club, the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival became an official celebration in Sycamore. The Courthouse lawn is the center of activities, including thousands of decorated pumpkins on display, there are also art and craft shows, a house walk, a pie eating contest, a carnival, a fun fair, a race and other events. The festival is concluded by a giant parade on Sunday afternoon.
CITY: Sycamore
8 - 11
Sycamore's Steam Show and Threshing Bee
For the last 56 years, the Northern Illinois Steam Power Club has sponsored the Sycamore Steam Show & Threshing Bee the second Thursday in August. The event starts at 6:00 a.m. with breakfast and is then followed by a church service, the National Anthem, and the Raising of the Flag. The afternoon is filled with threshing of steam engines and tractors and spotlights a 1:30 p.m. parade of old steam engines, tractors, cars and other antique machines. Activities for kids, a petting zoo, bake sale and flea market all take place on the fairgrounds as well. OPEN DAILY 7 AM TO 6 PM. FREE PARKING. Admission: Adults $6, Children under 12 Free. Thursday Senior Citizens $3
CITY: Sycamore
10 - 14
A Hog in Dog Heaven - Celebrating 20 Years of Walldogs
The Walldogs, a group of wall muralists and sign painters from around the globe, are celebrating their 20th birthday. We invite you to join in the celebration this summer in Kewanee, Illinois during this five day event. Watch over 190 artists paint 15 historical murals on downtown buildings. Be part of history and join in the fun!
CITY: Kewanee
Oct 27
Blacksmith Demonstrations and Tours
Live blacksmith demonstrations and tours at the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead June 9th and 23rd from Noon to 4:00 pm. and on the second and fourth Sunday of each month.
CITY: DeKalb
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