Illinois

While most visitors will come to Illinois for the vibrant city life in Chicago, renowned for its architecture, cultural attractions, and culinary scene. But it’s worth exploring outsided this major city too: history buffs won’t want to miss a visit to Abraham Lincoln’s home in Springfield or the 19th-century architecture in Galena, while nature lovers should head to Illinois’ scenic Shawnee National Forest or the sandstone canyons in Starved Rock State Park.

The Best State Parks in the Midwest—and How to Visit

Photo by Shutterstock/Owen Weber

Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to Illinois.

Related Guides
Read Before You Go
Hotels
The St. Regis Chicago is big on indulgence—but tucked in a corner most tourists never reach.
Find the retreat that best matches your taste in the Windy City.
Architecture, history, and fitness star in these exclusive club hotels that let nonmembers check in.
Whether you’re after downtown luxe or an intro to a new neighborhood, we’ve got you covered.
These hotels are bringing a fresh vibe to six U.S. cities.
Whether it’s a staycation or a trip to a far destination, these hotels have activities to keep you (and your kids or travel buddies) busy during the winter season.
These top-level properties are the places to stay.
Is Chicago the Coolest Hotel City in America?
We’re living in the golden age of hotels that have craft cocktails, Instagram-ready design, and in-room turntables. These properties, ranging from West Texan motels to loft-like boutiques in the middle of city noise, are our absolute favorites of the breed.
Resources to help plan your trip
Slow down and soak up the beauty of the U.S. on these epic train trips.
Tour these U.S. cities by kayak for a fresh perspective.
Across the nation, cities like Nashville, Boston, and New York put their own regional spin on holiday festivities.
The epic rail journey will include stops in Washington, D.C., Savannah, Georgia, and Orlando, Florida.
You don’t have to go to Bilbao to see a Gehry art museum. Head to Minnesota.
A historic experience? Yes, and lots of fun.
To do: Meet the dinosaurs. Swim in the river. Gorge on ice cream.
If you are flying from, to, or through any of these massive transport hubs, you may want to give yourself a little extra time to get from point A to point B—some of America’s biggest airports are the size of a city.
The numbers are in: New data reveals how U.S. cities stack up in Resonance’s annual list of the best in the country.
Public memorials honoring figures from the LGBTQ community say a lot about a city’s culture and serve as a reminder that coming out can be its own heroic milestone.
The recreational cannabis industry is budding across the country—but the issue of where to enjoy marijuana publicly is still a work in progress.
These road-trip itineraries through the heartland offer lakefront beaches, farm-fresh cuisine, and state parks filled with history and wildlife.
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