Franklin Creek Preservation Area

Franklin Creek Grist Mill, 1893 Twist Road off Old Mill Road, Franklin Grove. Covered wagon tours. Interpretive Center.

CITY: Franklin Grove

Jacob Henry Mansion

Elegant National Historic Landmark offers unique Victorian setting for weddings/receptions. Groups and tours welcome.

CITY: Joliet

Fever River Railroad

For model railroad aficionados -- and everyone else who ever enjoyed model trains -- this model railroad is something to see. The Fever River Railroad is a 120X24-foot HO scale model of a hypothetical railroad running from Duluth, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri. This fully operational model railroad has detailed scenery, rail yards, factories, and interchanges with many other railroads. The model railroad allows for the operation of multiple trains along railroad right-of-way that portrays typical towns along the Duluth to St. Louis route. The Fever River Railroad is an ongoing project with upgrades to the layout and scenery that provides an exciting model railroad experience. A collection of railroad memorabilia and pictures, many from the surrounding area, are on display throughout the facility. The Stephenson Society of Model Trainmen, who operate the railroad, host an open house twice a year, and visitors are welcome at other times by appointment.

CITY: Freeport

Matthew T. Scott Home

The traditional Victorian home belonged to Matthew T. Scott, a well-known agriculturalist, and his wife Julia Green, one of the founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

CITY: Chenoa

Lamon House

The 1840s Lamon House is believed to be the oldest frame residence in the area. Constructed by Joseph Lamon, cousin of Ward Hill Lamon who was Lincoln's law partner and presidential bodyguard.

CITY: Danville

Irish American Heritage Center

The Irish American Heritage Center provides community events, a historic museum, musical programs, an Irish history library and a place for Irish Chicagoans to gather to celebrate their heritage.

CITY: Chicago

Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center

Mennonite museum, archives, historical and genealogical library, farm museum, restored barn, and grandfather house. Surrounded by native Illinois trees, prairie grasses, and flowers. Please call for a guided tour.

CITY: Metamora

Midwest SOARRING Foundation Native American Cultural Center

Native American Office and Cultural Center. Experience Indigenous cultures through lectures, cultural presentations, educational programs, Save the Bison Project, and the Annual Harvest PowWow. Call for information or visit our website for a calendar of events. Group programs are available upon request.

CITY: Oak Brook

Devonshire Cultural Center

Home of the Skokie Art Guild and Devonshire Playhouse, the Cultural Center offers children's and adult theater, as well as visual and performing arts.

CITY: Skokie

Aurora Historical Society.

This local history research archives houses historic photos, books, documents and maps covering Aurora's history from the 1830s to the present. Open by appointment only.

CITY: Aurora

Kendall County Historical Society's Heritage Hall & Chapel on the Green

Dating back to 1855, the chapel is Kendall County's oldest church building, adorned with stained glass windows and a restored 1899 pipe organ. The adjacent hall houses local artifacts, including photographs and clothing.

CITY: Yorkville

Deskin's Tavern & Postville Well

Abe Lincoln often stayed at Deskin's Tavern when he traveled to Postville. A well where he is said to have quenched his thirst is also located on this site.

CITY: Lincoln

Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society

In 1977, the Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society was formed to bring together area people who had an interest in local and regional history and its preservation.

CITY: Genoa

Hutsonville Cabins

Six log cabins recreate life as it had been in Illinois back in 1812. Visit the homestead belonging to the Hutson family before a fatal Indian attack killed Isaac Hutson's entire family.

CITY: Hutsonville

Dennis Hanks Gravesite

View the burial site of Abraham Lincoln's tutor in the Old City Cemetery.

CITY: Charleston

Historic Jerseyville Courthouse Square

Built in 1893, this historic masonry courthouse sits at the center of town and serves as the hub of activity for the entire county. The courthouse is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tours of the courthouse are available for groups with reservations. Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon

CITY: Jerseyville

Burns House

The first brick home built in Polo is now a tourist information center and home of the local Convention and Visitors Bureau.

CITY: Polo

Historic Montgomery County Courthouse

This historic courthouse was built circa 1858.

CITY: Hillsboro

Fabyan Windmill

Authentic, five-story, 1850's working windmill located on Fox River Trail, Volunteer millers serve as docents on the weekends. Open May 15-Oct 15.

CITY: Geneva

Calumet City Historical Society

Come discover Calumet City's fascinating heritage and history.

CITY: Calumet City

Logan County Courthouse

This 1905 Neo-Classical building features a stained glass dome, the longest-serving courtroom in Illinois, a mosaic of the state seal, a statue of Abraham Lincoln and murals of Logan County.

CITY: Lincoln

Jane Addams Burial Site

Jane Addams, born and raised in Cedarville, was an internationally famous humanitarian and social work pioneer who founded Chicago's Hull House and won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is buried in this lovely old hillside cemetery.

CITY: Cedarville

McDonough County Courthouse

This historical courthouse, built in 1872 for $155,000 and still in use today, features its original stone, brick and walnut detail.

CITY: Macomb

Central Congregational Church

This historic Romanesque-style church was erected in 1898.

CITY: Galesburg

Rammelkamp Chapel - Illinois College

Rammelkamp Chapel is the home of religious life on campus as well as the site for various events ranging from weekly chapel services, mass, convocations, concerts and ceremonies.

CITY: Jacksonville

Lyons School

Lyons school is the host to the Glenview Art Fair that showcases over 110 jewelers, printmakers, stain and fused glass artists, representational and abstract artists, photographers, potters, ceramists and more.

CITY: Glenview

Civic Center Authority Visitor Center

The Bedford Park Heritage Corridor Visitor Center is full of information and literature of exciting things to do and see throughout the Heritage Corridor. The Visitor Center provides National Heritage Corridor promotional literature and I&M Canal related resources to the public. It is operated by the Civic Center Authority in partnership with Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Village of Willow Springs. The Center is staffed by volunteers recruited and managed by the Civic Center Authority. Open Saturday 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM.

CITY: Bedford Park

Porthole Barn Trail

After the Civil War, Confederate shipbuilder Joe Minch was looking for a fresh start. He made his way back to the Rockbridge area and traded his building expertise for a set of tools. That first project of building a barn set into motion a new trend in barn design. Joe placed round windows, now know as portholes, in the barn. Travel through Greene County today to view the highest concentration of Porthole Barns in the country.

CITY: Carrollton

Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Ctr John and Angeline Oremus

The FPAC presents quality cultural programs and popular entertainment in the 600-seat Dorothy Menker Theater, 150-seat Oremus Theater and the Robert F DeCaprio art gallery.

CITY: Palos Hills

Opera House of Sandwich

The Opera House functions as a community oriented facility. It brings to its stage: theatre, lectures, recitals, weddings and a wide variety of outstanding performers, ranging from country to classical.

CITY: Sandwich

Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center

Built in 1861, the house and brick barn were constructed for local farmer and barbed wire inventor Joseph Glidden. The Illinois State Historical Society has commemorated the barn as the birthplace of barbed wire.

CITY: DeKalb

Macoupin County Courthouse

The Macoupin County Courthouse, built in 1870, used to be the largest county courthouse in the United States, with the possible exception of one in New York City. It was even larger than the Illinois Statehouse. While the courthouse still serves as the seat of county government, it has also become a showplace that attracts tourists, architects and artists from across the country, as well as overseas.

CITY: Carlinville

Woodstock Opera House

Built in 1889 as City Hall, the Woodstock Opera House has long been one of the top performing arts centers in the Midwest. Its illustrious history also includes a cameo in Groundhog Day.

CITY: Woodstock

DuPage Heritage Gallery

DuPage County, Chicago’s Western Suburbs - Located in a three-story atrium, renovated in 2000, visitors learn of the stories, accomplishments and lives of famous DuPage citizens portrayed through memorabilia and photo panels.

CITY: Wheaton

Windmill Cultural Center

The Windmill Cultural Center houses an extensive collection of 21 European windmills representing ten European countries. Interpretive exhibits provide unique information on the products produced by windmills, country of origin, windmill specifications, and the cultural impact of windmills. The Education Area features video presentations of the windmill countries and an education area contains children's activities including coloring, puzzles, and toys promoting scientific concepts. The gift shop sells fresh stone-ground flour, Delft pottery, and souvenirs of Fulton, the Windmill Cultural Center and the windmill.

CITY: Fulton

Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center Dorothy Menker Theater

Founded in 1967, MVCC offers a variety of educational programs and services to residents of the southwest suburban area. This includes customized training solutions.

CITY: Palos Hills

Sports Hub

Glendale Heights Sports Hub- community activity center

CITY: Glendale Heights

Indian Treaty Site

A marker commemorates the point where two important trails intersected on the prairie: Detroit to St. Louis and Peoria to Terre Haute. In 1765, the British and the Illinois Indians signed a peace treaty here.

CITY: Paris

Hemmens Cultural Center

Home of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, this facility contains a 1200-seat theatre and an 11,340 square foot exhibition hall with fully equipped banquet kitchen. Host to many well-known artists.

CITY: Elgin

Galena Convention Center

Special events, shows and auctions are held at this convention center that features a large dance floor and antique Art Deco bar.

CITY: Galena

Noble Fool Theatricals at Pheasant Run Resort

Brand new theater includes stadium seating for 320 people with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems.

CITY: St. Charles

St. Charles Heritage Center

Rotating exhibits of St. Charles history, including Civil War artifacts, local industry and other fascinating facts. Local history research archives available by appointment. Gift shop.

CITY: St. Charles

Heritage Canyon

On the Mississippi River in an old 12-acre quarry is where you will find a restored and furnished mid-1800s settlement. Paths through the wooded hillsides lead from one home site to another.

CITY: Fulton

James J. Eldred House Historic Site

Visit the James J. Eldred House, completed in 1861, and step back in time to view one of the most elegant residential structures in the region and an important surviving example of Greek Revival architecture. The home had fallen into disrepair over the years, but with the creation of The Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Association, the Eldred House has come back to life and is being painstakingly restored. The home is open for tours during the annual Greene County Days celebration.

CITY: Eldred

The Polish Museum of America

The Paderewski and Kosciuszko memorial rooms, folk art, photos and documents all tell the fascinating history of the Polish immigration to America and Chicago, where the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw resides.

CITY: Chicago

Kane County Events and Cultural Center

This 50-acre forest preserve houses the Philip B. Elfstrom Stadium (home of the Kane County Cougars minor league baseball team), the Roberta Campbell Cultural & Conference Center (used for art exhibits and community activities) and a picnic/park area.

CITY: Geneva

Edgar County Historical Society

Compare pioneer and Victorian lifestyles when you visit the log cabin and brick Italianate home. An exhibition gallery in an adjacent building features rotating exhibits of the historical society's collection.

CITY: Paris

Elgin Community College Visual and Performing Arts Center

World class music, dance and theatre. Enjoy an evening out, entertainment for the family, or a chance to satisfy your cravings for culture.

CITY: Elgin

Evanston Arts Depot

This cultural center is a restored train station in the heart of Evanston. Home of the Piccolo Theatre and Custer’s Last Stand Festival which takes place each June.

CITY: Evanston

Trickster Gallery

Native American Art Gallery. Movies and music performed to enrich the public on Native American culture.

CITY: Schaumburg

Grayslake Heritage Center

A state of the art history museum dedicated to collecting and sharing the history of the greater Grayslake area. The Grayslake Heritage Center offers programs, exhibitions and special events all year round and includes two galleries, a community room and classroom.

CITY: Grayslake