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Explore Illinois with Jane Lynch

Discover the Middle of Everything with Illinois native and unofficial tour guide Jane Lynch as she takes in all of the wonders of the middle. Modern skyscrapers meeting ancient rock formations. The heart of Michelin stars & dive bars, nestled between iconic art & state parks & the start of America’s most famous highway.

Check out Jane's guide to her favorite places in Illinois.

Enjoy Illinois Magazine

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Rocky Comfort Cabins

Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch

17th Street BBQ

Walkers Bluff

Welcome to the middle of epic trails and vintage adventures. You’ll find soaring cliffs and epic rock formations in Shawnee National Forest and can canoe the cypress tree-lined Cache River. Dwell in Middle Earth at Rocky Comfort Cabins and frolic with furry friends at Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch. Sauce up the evening at 17th Street BBQ and toast to a day well done at Walker’s Bluff Winery.

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Destination Shawnee

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The Wild Side of Illinois

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Mississippi Palisades State Park

Downtown Savanna

Celebration Belle

Harpole’s Heartland Lodge

Unforgettable moments await you in the Middle! Cruise along The Great River Road and its 550 miles of riverboats, skytours, and the scenic Pere Marquette State Park. Stroll down the historical downtown streets of Savanna, float the day away on the Celebration Belle and make some new four-legged friends on the Trail at Hoof-It Goat Treks. Grab a bite at Fritz and Frites and then enjoy a perfect stay awaits you at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge. In the Middle of Everything, there’s everything to do!

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Over the River and Through the Leaves

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Where the River Meets the Road

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Lincoln Park Zoo

Virtue Restaurant

Great Wolf Lodge

Six Flags Great America

You’ll find yourself in the company of world class masterpieces & futuristic architecture at Millennium Park. The stars have aligned to bring you to the Middle! Explore the universe at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium and roar with the lions at Lincoln Park Zoo before grabbing a southern inspired family dinner at Virtue Restaurant. Make a splash at Great Wolf Lodge’s indoor water park and seek the thrill of a lifetime at Six Flags Great America. It’s all happening in the middle.

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Family Field Trip to Chicago

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Romantic Getaway in Chicago

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Art Institute of Chicago

Illinois is at the meeting point of humanity and history. See that history come to life (literally) at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. Its interactive exhibits—like Ghosts of the Library, a hologram show featuring Abe—immerse you in his legacy. If you want more museum time, you can view the largest Impressionist painting collection outside Paris at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can also see architectural masterpieces on the Chicago Architecture Cruise. Speaking of architecture, get away for a weekend to Galena’s Historic District where 85 percent of buildings date back to before 1859.

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Chicago's Greatest Hits

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Best of Springfield

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