- Plan Your Visit
Plan Your Visit
-
![]()
Things to Do
-
![]()
Places to Go
-
![]()
Places to Stay
-
![]()
Explore Our Past
-
![]()
Trip Ideas
Trip Ideas
- Eco-Friendly Hotels and Green Getaways in Illinois
- College Football in Illinois
- Journey Along the Lincoln Highway
- Illinois Shopping
- Route 66
- IL ♥ LGBTQ
- Golf Illinois
- Chicago Neighborhoods
- Family Fun in Illinois
- Everybody Outside!
- Bike Illinois
- Outdoor Adventures in Illinois
- Chicago to Alton
- Chicago to Carbondale
- Illinois Scenic Byways
- Chicago to Quincy
- Fall Road Trips in Illinois
- Fall Colors on the Great River Road
-
![]()
Events
Events
Find out what's on in Illinois and Chicago with your guide to events, festivals, markets, music, theater, sports and more.
-
![]()
Road Trip
Stories & Highlights
-
![]()
Seasonal Adventures
-
![]()
Maps & Visitor Guides
-
![]()
Getting Here & Getting Around
Getting Here & Getting Around
Find out how to get to Illinois by plane, train, bus and driving. Getting around Chicago and Illinois is easy with our guide to ways to travel around the state.
-
![]()
My Favorites
-
![]()
Around Illinois by Amtrak
Around Illinois by Amtrak
Step back in time to the golden age of train travel and settle in for a peaceful ride to discover some of Illinois’ most charming towns and hidden treasures.
-
Things to Do
Places to Go
Places to Stay
Explore Our Past
Trip Ideas
Events
Road Trip
Seasonal Adventures
Maps & Visitor Guides
Getting Here & Getting Around
My FavoritesDiscover the architectural treasures of Illinois
Illinois Architecture
Modernist masterpieces, religious architecture, spectacular skyscrapers, pre-Civil War architecture and Greek Revival grandeur.
Spectacular Skyscrapers
Explore Chicago's Famous Skyline
Chicago boasts landmark buildings from some of the finest architects in the world.
See HighlightsThings You Might Like...
Chicago Cultural Center
Chicago's acclaimed landmark home of the arts. Daily programs and exhibitions covering a w...
Glessner House Museum
H. H. Richardson designed architectural treasure. Guided tours Wed - Sun at 11:30am, 1:00 ...
Chicago Historic Water Tower
One of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire, the Historic Water Tower is an...
Take a Tour of Chicago Architecture
Destroyed by the Great Fire in 1871, the architects who rebuilt Chicago used pioneering techniques to build the first modern skyscrapers. The Chicago Architecture Foundation is the world’s largest public architecture organization. Start your architectural odyssey with one of their architecture river cruises, walking tours, trolley or bus tours. Other memorable ways to experience Chicago’s monumental cityscape are Segway tours, or take a bird’s eye view of it all with the exhilarating 360 Chicago Tilt, the Ledge at Skydeck Chicago or even a helicopter tour.
Religious Architecture
Experience culture in breathtaking temples
Around Chicago, you’ll find a variety of ornate temples and religious architecture.
See HighlightsBahá'í House of Worship
Completed in 1953, construction of the Bahá'í House of Worship took 41 years. Considered one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois, the structure – located in Wilmette – is the oldest and largest of the Bahá'í temples and the only in the United States. It features a 135-ft. white-stone dome that seats over 1,000 people and a variety of gorgeous gardens and fountains throughout the courtyard.
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago opened in 1953 as a traditional Hindu place of worship. Spreading across 27 acres, the Mandir is the largest of its kind in Illinois. The temple boasts intricate designs and patterns, hewn and chiseled into Italian marble and Turkish limestone by 2,000 craftsmen.
Frank Lloyd Wright & Mies van der Rohe
Modernist Masterpieces
Chicago pioneers of modernist architecture.
Things You Might Like...
Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio
Discover the beginning of greatness. Frank Lloyd Wright's Home & Studio in Oak Park is an ...
Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
Guided and self-guided tours of historical district containing the greatest concentration ...
Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple
A National Historic Landmark since 1970 and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019, Frank L...
Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House in Rockford, Illinois is the only building ever designe...
Frank Lloyd Wright Pettit Memorial Chapel
Pettit Memorial Chapel, located in Belvidere Cemetery, was designed by Frank Llyod Wright ...
Frank Lloyd Wright's B. Harley Bradley House
The B. Harley Bradley House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1900.
Prairie Style Architecture in Oak Park
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his career in Chicago. Here he developed the Prairie School style of architecture. Explore the cluster of Wright buildings in Oak Park, where a self-guided walking tour of the historic neighborhood begins at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Or tour Wright buildings around Chicago by bus, starting at the Light Court in The Rookery and ending at Frederick C. Robie House.
A Modernist Masterpiece in Plano
The German-American architect Mies van der Rohe moved to the U.S. in 1937 and settled in Chicago where he was appointed head of the architecture school at the now Illinois Institute of Technology. Farnsworth House in Plano was built in 1951 as a private residence and the iconic modernist building is now open as a public museum.
Illinois State Capitol
Classical Grandeur in Springfield
Immerse yourself in Greek and Renaissance Revival architecture in the Illinois State Capitol.
See HighlightsThings You Might Like...
Dana-Thomas House - Frank Lloyd Wright Design
Reputed to be one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s largest and most elaborate Prairie-style designs...
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
More than 40,000 square feet of galleries, theaters, and historic displays that combine sc...
Lincoln-Herndon Law Office State Historic Site
You’ll feel the presence of Lincoln the Lawyer in this sparse, sometimes disordered chambe...
Tour Two Capitol Buildings
The State Capitol in Springfield houses the government of Illinois. The current capitol, built in Renaissance Revival architectural style, is the sixth capitol building since Illinois was granted statehood in 1818. Nearby is the Old State Capitol State Historic Site, the fifth capitol building. Built in the Greek Revival style, it served as the state house from 1840 to 1876.
Historic Quincy
Pre-Civil War Architecture
Quincy has over 3,600 buildings on the National Historic Register.
See HighlightsThings You Might Like...
Quincy Museum
Formerly the Newcomb-Stillwell Mansion, The Quincy Museum is restored to period on the 1st...
Quincy’s Architectural Treasures
Many pre-Civil War buildings can be found in the city’s Downtown Historic District. The city is also known for the influence of German immigrants on its architecture and its large number of Craftsman bungalows. Try the self-guided architectural driving tour or the private home tours organized by the Quincy Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Stay in an Architectural Gem
Historic Homes
Experience fine Illinois architecture as a guest, with our guide to notable places to stay.
See HighlightsThings You Might Like...
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago
334 total rooms, including 18 suites. Outdoor green space with gardens, pool and spa, runn...
Sleep Stylish in these Beautiful Hotels
The beaux-arts Renaissance Blackstone in Chicago is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has hosted presidents, royalty and celebrities. Sumptuous Beall Mansion in Alton, designed by Lucas Pfeiffenberger, features ionic columns, crystal chandeliers and a statuary. The Victorian DeSoto House Hotel in Galena is Illinois’ oldest hotel. Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant slept here.
Discover top travel stories and even more reasons to #EnjoyIllinois with our free magazine.
Get Your Copy Now!
