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Discover the kooky side of Illinois

Offbeat Illinois

Quirky collections, roadside attractions, scary stories and mythical man-eating monsters.

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A Different Take on Chicago

Quirky Chicago Collections

See a different side of the city with outsider art, buttons and iron lungs.

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Woolly Mammoth Antiques
Woolly Mammoth Antiques

We are a curiosity cabinet of antiques & oddities resurrected from the past. Located in t...

Chicago Hauntings
Chicago Hauntings

The Chicago Haunting tours follow a course of history that starts with the very beginnings...

From Bohemian to Bizarre

Chicago is home to a variety of world-class museums and attractions for its visitors. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few odd ducks as well. Begin your offbeat adventures by exploring some of Chicago’s fascinating idiosyncratic collections. Visit Intuit’s extensive collection of self-taught and outsider art. The International Museum of Surgical Science has a mesmerizing collection of surgical artifacts illustrating the evolution of surgery. Finish your jaunt with the Busy Beaver Button Museum’s pins and buttons.

From Kroc to Kryptonite

Muscle Cars & Super Powers

Take in some themed collections of memorabilia near Chicago.

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Classic Cars in Volo & Des Plaines

The Volo Auto Museum is 36 acres of kitsch car-themed fun, with antique malls, a haunted trolley tour and a Betty Boop diner.

Get Close with Superman 

The Smallville Museum in Plano contains props used in the filming of the recent Superman movie Man of Steel. The museum commemorates Plano’s role as Smallville in the movie. 

If you’re an avid fan of the big guy with the cape, you might want to head south to the Super Museum in Metropolis. Home to a collection reputedly worth $2.5 billion, it’s all the Superman you could ever wish for. But be warned, Metropolis is 350 miles south from Plano, so you might need your own super powers if you’ve only got a short vacation.

Big Things in a Small Town

Guinness World Record Constructions

One man’s big dream puts a small town on the map.

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Home of the Largest Everything

When Casey fell on hard times, Jim Bolin sprang into action to help divert some of the traffic on the nearby interstate to his beloved town. Thanks to his unorthodox vision, Casey is now the home to Guinness World Record constructions, including a giant wind chime, rocking chair, knitting needles, golf tee, birdcage and a fully functional giant mailbox.

Haunted Alton

This town has a reputation

From spine-tingling ghost tours to man-eating monsters, what lies beneath the picturesque surface of this river town?

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The Most Haunted Town in America

If you’ve got a taste for the supernatural, you’re headed to the right place. The Alton Hauntings Tour, the Mineral Springs Haunted Tours and the McPike Mansion tour are spine-tingling introductions to the history and hauntings of Alton.

A Museum of Torture Devices

From super tall to super terrifying. Alton is home to a heartwarming statue commemorating the World’s Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow. It is also equally home to the Historic Museum of Torture Devices – a horrifying collection of torture devices that will warm no hearts at all.

What is That Thing?

On the Mississippi River bluffs near Alton is a mural of the Piasa Bird, a modern rendition of a Native American painting first recorded in immigrant history in 1673 by explorer Jacques Marquette. The original painting was destroyed by quarrying. The current mural was painted in the 20th-century partly based on 19th-century sketches. The story told is of a creature that attacked and devoured people in nearby villages before being killed with poison darts by the local chief. The legend is considered of dubious authenticity, but who doesn’t enjoy a mythical man-eating bird-dragon?

Quirky Places to Stay

Sweet Dreams

Who says the fun has to stop while you sleep?

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Davie School Inn
Davie School Inn

One of the most Unique Places to Stay in Illinois.

Timber Ridge Outpost & Cabins
Timber Ridge Outpost & Cabins

Tree houses, cabins and vacation homes for rent.

Unusual Places to Lay Your Head

Spend the night in a tree house. Grab a room in a strange old school. Or sleep in a caboose surrounded by wildlife.

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