Quirky Quarters: Offbeat Places to Stay in Illinois

If you're looking for offbeat places to stay, Illinois has you covered. Get adventurous in your accommodations with these unexpected rentals, including a luxury tree house, a sleek urban mansion, and rustic rural digs.

The Ultimate Treehouse

NAUVOO

(Pictured Above) Spend a night in a nest with surprising amenities, including a queen-size bed, running water, electricity, heat and air conditioning, a half-bath, and an outdoor shower. One of the newest additions to the Ten Acre Treehouse village, the 400-square-foot Captain’s Quarters sleeps four to six and sports a nautical theme. Click here for booking information.

Hobbit-Style Habitat

MAKANDA

At Rocky Comfort Cabins, Middle Earth comes to southern Illinois at these whimsical yet well-appointed cabins with a round door, grass roof and trail to Blue Sky Vineyard winery. Click here for booking information.

Recycled Bins

ALBERT AND WEST POINT

Find bucolic bliss at a converted grain bin secluded deep in farm country. Both The Has Bin in Alvin and the Unique Grain Bin Cottage in West Point offer cozy comforts, including sleeping lofts, baths and a prepared breakfast.

Urbane Urban Escape

CHICAGO

Fans of modern art and architecture will love the Florsheim Mansion, which Chicago magazine calls one of the city’s sexiest homes for its flirty shape, seductive curves, shiny surfaces and glamorous history. The Art Moderne escape in the Gold Coast is actually two buildings connected by a sleek “bridge kitchen.” Shoe empire heiress (and sculptor) Lillian Florsheim owned the place for years, using it to host artist friends. Works of art decorate the home, as does a Steinway grand piano.

Born From a Barn

POMONA

Multiple couples or families can stay at an old barn that’s now a stylish, 3,100-square-foot home with a long galley kitchen and a big yard. It’s on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and close to Shawnee National Forest. Click here for booking information.

Yurt Village

NEAR BENTON

Bunk in a surprisingly roomy round tent with a domed roof and wood frame. The Camp Manitowa setting includes a lake for canoeing and fishing. Click here for booking information.

Wine Country Loft

ALTO PASS

The exposed brick and knotty pine in this rental work with contemporary furnishings to create a comforting place to relax after a day of tasting on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail or hiking in Giant City State Park. With two bedrooms, one bath, a large living room and a well-stocked kitchen, the home is perfect for two couples or a family. Click here for booking information.

Friendly Farmhouse

ROCKTON

Escape to a genuine family farmhouse, about 90 minutes from Chicago. Hike nearby trails and hang out on the porch with Boots the cat. Click here for booking information.

Field Trip

GOLCONDA

Sleep close to nature in a school bus-turned-solar-powered home in the Shawnee National Forest. Click here for booking information.