FAMILY VACATIONS IN ILLINOIS WITH CHILREN -WHAT TO DO IN ILLINOIS WITH KIDS
FUN THINGS TO DO ON VACATION WITH KIDS - ILLINOIS
FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - NORTH ILLINOIS (For example - Chicago, IL - Rockford, IL - Aurora, IL)
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Anderson Japanese Gardens - Authentic Japanese garden, with 8 1/2 acres of waterfalls, ponds, paths, koi, Sukiya-style buildings, moon bridge, stone pagoda, water basins.
Location: 318 Spring Creek Road Rockford, Illinois 61107 Tel: (815) 229-9390
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Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum - The stunning twenty-room Swiss cottage that Robert H. Tinker built on a limestone bluff in 1865 was the brainchild of a nine-month world tour. Tinker, a prominent Rockford industrialist, philanthropist and artist, incorporated stone and wood to create the flowing eaves, beautiful woodwork and painted murals that he saw while travelling through Switzerland, The Netherlands, and other countries. The Tinker library alone, with its unique octagonal shape and Walnut spiral staircase, was built with seven kinds of wood and remains a fine example of Tinker's personal vision.
Location: 411 Kent St., Rockford, Illinois 61102 Tel: 815 964 2424
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Burpee Museum of Natural History - Burpee Museum is a natural history museum specializing in paleontology, geology, biology, and Native American life. We have three floors of exhibits and a lower level viewing lab.
Location: 737 North Main Street Rockford, IL 61103 Tel: 815.965.3433
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Discovery Center Museum - The amazing Discovery Center Museum is full of over 250 exciting hands-on exhibits spread over a two-floor area. Out in the museum's backyard, visitors can explore Rock River Discovery Park, a giant, multi-level playground with a hands-on twist! Throughout the year, Discovery Center displays an array of special traveling exhibitions. The museum also hosts a variety of special events and programs throughout the year.
Location: 711 North Main Street, Rockford, IL 61103 Tel: (815) 963-6769
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Donley's Wild West Town - The excitement and charm of the Old West come alive at Donley's Wild West Town in Union, Illinois. Here you can experience life in the style of the Wild West where gunslingers have showdowns, and a narrow gauge train whistles past the Blacksmith's Shop, Print Shop, Jail, Saloon and Sweet Phyllis Gold Mine.
Location: 8512 South Union Road Union, Illinois 60180 Tel: 815-923-9000
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Illinois Railway Museum - The Illinois Railway Museum is the result of decades of effort by a dynamic group of dedicated volunteers. All of the buildings, track, locomotives and cars were assembled here at Union on what was once farmland. Main line trackage was laid on the vacant right-of-way of the Elgin & Belvidere Electric railway.
Location: Post Office Box 427 7000 Olson Road Union, IL 60180
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Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden - Explore this "living museum" every season: majestic colors of fall, hundreds of blooming crabapples in spring, butterfly gardens in summer, and snow-covered evergreens in winter.
Location: 2701 Clifton Avenue Rockford, IL 61102 Tel:(815) 965-8146
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Magic Waters Waterpark - Magic Waters Waterpark is the Midwest's largest public water park. The park features a water coaster, wave pool, body slides, tube slides, SplashMagic River, Little Lagoon, Caribbean SplashMagic Island, sand volleyball and more.
Location: Rockford Park District Tel: 1-800-373-1679
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Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum - Visit the most advanced planetarium on Earth! The Adler lets you explore the outer reaches of space without leaving Chicago. Follow astronauts into orbit and experience the beauty of starry night skies. Lear about current NASA missions, discover the Milky Way and investigate what lies beyond our world. Enjoy Galileo's Cafe' which overlooks Lake Michigan and is annually voted "Best View of Chicago."
Location: 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60605 Tel: (312) 922-STAR
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater - Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is one of the fastest-growing producing and presenting theater institutions in America today. CST has achieved its reputation for consistently high production values and artistic standards. In addition to its acclaimed productions of William Shakespeare's canon, CST presents work of the highest quality by some of the most distinguished American and international playwrights and directors.
Location: 800 East Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 Tel: 312.595.5600
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Museum of Science and Industry - There is always something to see and do at the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere! Report to work in a coal mine. Visit a real toy-making factory. See a film on our big, BIG Onmimax® screen... and more! Voted one of the country's top family attractions by Zagat Survey's, US Family Travel Guide.
Location: 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60637 Tel: (773) 684-1414
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DuSable Museum of African-American History - The DuSable Museum remains a community institution dedicated to serving the cultural and educational needs of our members. Our research, curatorial and educational divisions are committed to listening and responding to these needs, as well as the ever-increasing demands of art and cultural historians nationwide. The DuSable Museum of African-American History is the oldest museum of its type in the country and is the only major independent institution in Chicago established to preserve and interpret the historical experiences and achievements of African-Americans.
Location: 740 East 56th Place Chicago, IL 60637 Tel: 773.947.0600
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Shedd Aquarium - Shedd Aquarium, where everyday is an adventure. Shedd is home to thousands of invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.Explore one of North America's largest and most diverse shark exhibits in Wild Reef, take in a marine mammal presentation in the Oceanarium and marvel at a giant green sea turtle in the Caribbean Reef all under one roof.
Location: 1200 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60605 Tel: (312) 939-2438
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Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum - The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum is the largest Latino culture organization in the country and the only Latino museum accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Location: 1852 West 19th Street Chicago IL 60608 Tel: 312 738 1503
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Museum of Contemporary Art - 220 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611 Tel: 312 280 2660
Location: One of the nation's largest facilities devoted to the art of our time, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) offers exhibitions of the most thought-provoking art created since 1945. The MCA documents contemporary visual culture through painting, sculpture, photography, video and film, and performance. Located in a new building near the historic Water Tower in the heart of downtown Chicago, the MCA boasts a gift store, bookstore, restaurant, 300-seat theater, and a terraced sculpture garden with a great view of Lake Michigan.
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Navy Pier - Located on Lake Michigan, just East of Chicago’s Downtown, Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916. Originally designed as both a shipping and recreational facility, the Pier also served as a military training site during two world wars, a venue for concerts and exhibitions, and the temporary home for a once-fledgling University of Illinois’ Chicago campus. As the Pier fell into disuse during much of the 1970s and 1980s, the State of Illinois and Chicago embarked on a joint plan whereby, in 1989, ownership of the Pier was transferred to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the same body which oversees Chicago’s McCormick Place. The Authority moved swiftly to redesign Navy Pier into one of the country’s most unique recreation and exposition facilities. avy Pier now showcases a unique collection of restaurants and shops in addition to unequaled recreational and exhibition facilities -- in a setting like no other.
Location: 600 East Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 Tel: (312) 595-PIER
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Lincoln Park Zoo - What Lincoln Park Zoo hopes to do is help millions of people experience that moment and many more. At the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, it will be possible to walk in the woods every day of the year right here in the city. The exhibit features more than a dozen North American species, including the red wolf, the American black bear, the North American beaver and the river otter.
Location: 2001 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614 Tel: 312/742-2000
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Lyric Opera of Chicago - Lyric Opera Center for American Artists (LOCAA) was established in 1974 as the professional artist-development program for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Since its inception, LOCAA has been recognized as one of the premier programs of its kind in the world. That standing is maintained by providing the finest up-and-coming singers with unparalleled training and experience.
Location: 20 N. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 Tel: (312) 332-2244
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The Field Museum - The Field Museum was founded to house the biological and anthropological collections assembled for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. These objects form the core of the Museum's collections which have grown through world-wide expeditions, exchange, purchase, and gifts to more than twenty million specimens. The collections form the foundation of the Museum's exhibition, research and education programs, which are further informed by a world-class natural history library of more than 250,000 volumes.
Location: 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr Chicago, IL 60605 Tel: (312) 922-9410
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Apollo Theater - The Apollo Theater in Chicago is a lush venue with a prestigious reputation, located in Chicago's fashionable Lincoln Park theatre district. It's repertoire includes fresh blend of comedies , musicals, and special events.
Location: 2540 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago IL 60614 Tel: 773 935 6100
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Chicago Center for the Performing Arts - The Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) is a multi-venue entertainment complex in the city's burgeoning River West area. Boasting a 350-seat main stage, the CCPA plays host to original productions, classic plays and musicals, in addition to showcasing and educating performing artists.
Location: 777 N. Green St. Chicago, IL 60622
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The Hancock Observatory - The new Hancock Observatory, in the heart of Chicago's Magnificent Mile, gives you a one-stop tour of Chicago. Feel "The Windy City" on Skywalk, Chicago's highest open-air viewing deck. Lend an ear to Sky Tours for an outstanding overview of the city. Picture yourself as a 1968 construction worker or Big John's window washer, all through the magic of trick photography. Best of all, experience Chicago's best views, spanning 80 miles, four states and 360 degrees!
Location: John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago Tel: 312-751-3681
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Rich in tradition. Innovative in vision. The CSO is a musical force in Chicago and around the world. 200 performances and events a year. 110 talented musicians. Three internationally renowned conductors. An award-winning composer-in-residence.
Location: 220 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60604 Tel: 312.294.3000
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The Chicago Athenaeum : Museum of Architecture and Design - The Chicago Athenaeum is an International Museum of Architecture and Design, appropriately based in the world's first city of modern architecture and design - Chicago. Founded in 1988, the Museum is dedicated to the Art of Design in all areas of the discipline: architecture, industrial, and product design, graphics, and urban planning.
Location: Tel: 815/777-4444
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Museum of Broadcast Communications - The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) is one of only three broadcast museums in America and home to the nation’s only Radio Hall of Fame. The MBC opened to the public in 1987 in Chicago's South Loop. From 1992 until 2003, the MBC was located in the Chicago Cultural Center. The Museum will reopen in its new 70,000-square-foot facility on State and Kinzie Streets in 2006. Our mission is to collect, preserve, and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform, and entertain through our archives, public programs, screenings, exhibits, publications and online access to our resources.
Location: 400 North State Street, Suite 240, Chicago, IL 60610 Tel: 312-245-8200
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Chicago Academy of Sciences and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum - Nature. It’s closer than you think. In fact, it’s just steps away from Lake Shore Drive in Chicago’s chic Lincoln Park. Here, you’ll find a natural oasis, conveniently located right here in the city. Discover the mysteries of nature – up close. Bright blue butterflies brush your cheek. A praying mantis sizes you up. Water snakes enjoy a snack inches away from your face. Play leapfrog with grasshoppers in our prairie landscape. You’ll be transfixed. You’ll be amazed. You’ll be an expert on the secret world of critters, creatures, and our connections with nature.
Location: 2430 N Cannon Drive, Chicago IL, 606614 Tel: 773 755 5100
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Chicago Children's Museum - Fifteen permanent exhibits and programming spaces provide innovative learning experiences for children and their caregivers. The museum serves more than 500,000 visitors annually. CCM also reaches out beyond its walls by making a significant investment of resources in neighborhoods across Chicago, particularly to children who might not otherwise have access to the museum's rich array of resources.
Location: 700 E. Grand Avenue, #127 Chicago, IL 60611 Tel: (312) 527-1000
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Rink Side Sports and Family Entertainment Center - Rink Side Family Entertainment, is located IN GURNEE MILLS MALL, near Six Flags Great America. Facility offers Skating lessons, Hockey Programs, Figure Skating, Birthday parties, Group Packages, Team Building Packages, Bar & Bat Mitzvah's, Prom events, graduation parties, Team parties, and more!
Location: 3.2 miles west of Six Flags Great America off Rt. 132 Tel: (847) 856.1064
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Chicago Botanic Garden - The Chicago Botanic Garden features 23 spectacular gardens on 385 acres, the Garden is a place of ever-changing beauty.
Location: 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022 Tel: 847.835.5440
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Odyssey Fun World - The Odyssey Fun World is the Midwest's PREMIER Family Entertainment Facility! With Two Locations, Tinley Park, Illinois and Naperville, Illinois. Acres of fun, food, and excitement
Location: 19111 S. Oak Park Avenue Tinley Park, IL 60477 Tel: 708-429-3800
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Dinorex - DINOEX prides itself with being the number one choice for children. They work hard to maintain their atmosphere and the children love the dinosaur theme. The indoor rides and games makes for a safe place for children to visit, while conquering the boredom factor for children. DINOREX is also #1 for the greatest birthday and group packages available in the Midwest.
Location: Arlington Heights Dinorex Corporate Dinorex 1227 N. Rand Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60004 Tel: 1-866 Dinorex
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Santa's Village - Santa's Village Amusement Park, located in the beautiful Fox River Valley, is the place to find traditional amusement park family fun at a price the modern family can afford. Close to home, with plenty of free parking, over 30 rides, shows, and attractions, and spacious picnic areas, all in a beautiful relaxed country setting, Santa's Village is the perfect place for quality family fun and memories. The Three Worlds of Santa's Village has been a favorite family tradition for over 40 years. With thrill and kiddie rides, live shows, and attractions, there's something for everyone.
Location: Routes 25 & 72 in East Dundee, Illinois 60118 Tel: (847) 426-6753
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Ladd Arboretum - Evanston Park District's 23-acre arboretum includes a prairie park, bird sanctuary, ecology center, nature programs and summer camp
Location: 2024 McCormick Boulevard Evanston, IL 60201 Tel: (847) 864-5181
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Challenge Park Xtreme - Challenge Park Xtreme is an extreme sports theme park where visitors can enjoy paintball, BMX, mountain biking, skateboarding and more.
Location: 2903 Schweitzer Rd. Joliet, IL 60436 Tel:815 726-2800
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Kohl Children's Museum - Our mission at the Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago has always been to integrate play & learning through an environment that encourages curiosity, creativity and self discovery. Through our fun and interactive exhibits which reflect the learning styles of children ages birth through eight, Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago provides an atmosphere in which children are able to explore and respond to a Museum made specifically for them!
Location: 165 Green Bay Road Wilmette, IL 60091 Tel: 847-512-1300
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Morton Arboretum - Beautiful gardens and landscapes are found throughout the Arboretum's 1,700 acres. More than 41,000 plants, representing 3,300 different types of plants from around the world, provide research scientists, horticulturists, arborists, teachers, students, and homeowners with a wealth of information.
Location: 4100 Illinois Route 53 · Lisle, IL 60532-1293 Te:(630)-968-0074
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Arlington Park - Arlington Park features thorough-bred racing, festivals, concerts, expos and more
Location: 2200 W. Euclid Arlington Heights, IL 60006 Tel: (847) 385-7500
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Brookfield Zoo - The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife. Our vision is to be the preeminent zoological institution working with people to achieve a more harmonious and sustainable relationship with the natural world.
Location: 3300 Golf Road Brookfield, IL 60513 Tel: (708) 485-0263
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DuPage Children's Museum - The mission of the DuPage Children’s Museum is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, thinking and problem solving in young children through: Self-directed, open-ended experiences integration of the arts, science and math, and the child-adult learning partnership.
Location: 301 N. Washington St. Naperville, IL 60540 Tel: (630) 637-8000
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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - CENTRAL ILLINOIS (For example - Springfield, IL - Decatur, IL - Taylorville, IL)
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Carthage Jail - Visit the restored Carthage Jail, where Joseph Smith, the first President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his brother Hyrum were martyred. You can also tour the visitors' center and walk through the beautiful gardens, where a life-size statue of Joseph and Hyrum pays tribute to the brothers.
Location: Carthage, Illinois
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Glen Oak Zoo - The Glen Oak Zoo is an AZA accredited facility located in Peoria, Illinois and is home to more than 175 animals from around the world.
Location: Peoria Zoological Society Tel: 309-686-3365
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Celebration Belle River Cruises - Cruise with us through the largest roller dam in the world on our Prime Rib Dinner Cruise. Take 2-1/2 hour cruise through the beautiful downtown of the Quad Cities. Your meal includes tossed salad, homemade cold salad, fresh breads, hot vegetable, steamed baby red potatoes, Hawaiian boneless breast of chicken, hot pasta dish, and the best carved prime rib on the Mississippi River, topped off with a slice of turtle cheesecake. After dinner you can dance the night away to our live entertainment, or go topside and view a scenic sunset.
Location: 2501 River Drive Moline, IL 61265, Tel (309) 764-1952
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Dickson Mounds State Museum - Dickson Mounds Museum, a branch of the Illinois State Museum and a National Historic Site, is one of the major on-site archaeological museums in the United States. It offers a unique opportunity to explore the world of the American Indian in an awe inspiring journey through 12,000 years of human experience in the Illinois River Valley.
Location: Lewistown, IL 61542 Tel: 309-547-3721
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Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center - Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center Home of the museum complex, Mennonite archives, and historical and genealogical research library of the Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society on Route 116 midway between Germantown Hills and Metamora, Illinois
Location: 675 State Route 116, Metamora, IL 61548-7732 Tel: 309-367-2551
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Corn Stock Theatre - Corn Stock Theatre features musicals, comedies, dramas and 5 shows throughout the summer.
Location: Tel: (309) 676-2196 or 1-800-220-1185
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Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences - The Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences features art & science exhibitions, Children's Discovery Center, Planetarium, Illinois Folk Art Gallery, Illinois River Decoy, and Illinois Jacquard Coverlet exhibit, Museum Store and more.
Location: 1125 West Lake Avenue Peoria IL 61614-5985 Tel: 309-686-7000
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Peoria Art Guild - The Peoria Art Guild has been a visual arts leader in Central Illinois for over 125 years. Through many evolutions in its history, The Peoria Art Guild stands today as a non-profit community art center dedicated to three areas: education, exhibits, and community service. The oldest and largest resource for contemporary art in Central Illinois, we are unique to the community - one of the few galleries in Central Illinois that regularly features living artists, celebrating the present, future, and occasionally the past.
Location: 203 Harrison Street - Peoria, Illinois 61602 Tel: 309.637.2787
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The Peoria Ballet - The mission of the Peoria Ballet is to further the participation, education, and appreciation of all disciplines of dance as a cultural art form, with a particular emphasis in ballet.
Location: 8800 N Industrial Rd, Peoria IL 61615 Tel:309-690-7990
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Wheels O'Time Museum - There is something in our collection that will appeal to every interest, age or gender. Exhibits include automobiles, fire engines, railroad, clocks, vintage clothing and dolls.
Location: P O Box 9636 Peoria, IL 61612-9636 Tel: 309-243-9020
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Museum of Geology - Founded in 1975, the Museum of Geology is an arm of Western Illinois University's Department of Geology. Originally conceived as a learning resource center for students enrolled in the natural sciences, it also serves the general public and is dedicated to cultural enrichment and public understanding of Earth Sciences.
Location: 1 University Circle Tillman Hall 115 Macomb, IL 61455 Tel: 309/298-1151
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Illinois Ballet - The Illinois Ballet provides its audiences with professional quality dance by using professional dancers, who work with the company year around. Founded in 1999, Illinois Ballet exists to elevate the art of dance, expand public awareness of dance, provide increased professional opportunities for Illinois dancers, and enrich and strengthen a professional ballet company that resides in Peoria, IL and tours locally and nationally.
Location: 100 Walnut Street, 3rd Floor Peoria, IL 61602 Tel: (309) 671-1222
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Washington Park Botanical Gardens - The Conservatory is arranged in a series of display islands which represent the native tropical flora of different continents of the world. Date palms, bulbs, Dracaenas and Birds-of-Paradise typify the vegetation of the vast African continent of savannah's, deserts and rain forests.
Location: 2500 South Eleventh Street Springfield, IL 62703 Tel: (217) 544-1751
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Athens - Athens, Illinois is a pleasant stop off between Springfield and New Salem State Park. Located approximately 12 miles north of Springfield, Illinois, just off route 29, this growing city offers good food, great company and valuable historical memories from Abraham Lincoln's time. Stop by and visit the war memorial at Athens Community Park where hundreds of personal dedications are enshrined to honor the men and women of our past and present who have fought for our country. Don’t forget to stop by the Long Nine Museum while in town, hosted in the original building where Abraham Lincoln and the “Long Nine” made their decision to campaign for President of the United States of America. Just across the street from the Long Nine Museum is the Starlight Café where tasty meals await you.
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Henson Robinson Zoo - More than 300 animals from Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America find refuge at the zoo. Come and view the naturalistic exhibits that house more than 90 species of native and exotic animals. Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the lagoons and watch mischievous spider monkeys at play on monkey island. Delight at the river otters. Marvel at the grace of the cheetahs and the deceivingly cuddly appearance of the Asiatic black bear. Then take a walk on the wild side with cougars, gibbons, lemurs, and more.
Location: 1100 East Lake Drive Springfield, IL 62707 Tel: (217) 753-6217
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Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum - The Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum opened to the public in May of 1999, in Arcola, Illinois. We are the only officially licensed Raggedy Ann & Andy museum in the world! The mission of the Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum is to preserve the life and times of the man who created the storybook characters, and to promote the inspiration, values, and spirit of imagination that has made them an American institution for so many years.
Location: P.O. Box 183 110 East Main Street Arcola, Illinois 61910 Tel: 217-268-4908
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Heartland Theatre - To provide the citizens of Central Illinois with quality professional theatre utilizing first-rate talent and provide theatre artists a meaningful experience.Heartland Productions, now known as Heartland Theatre Company, was founded in 1986 by Philip Shaw, Carol Reitan and Rita Kohn for the purpose of presenting staged readings of unpublished plays.
Location: P. O. Box 1833 Bloomington, IL 61702-1833 Tel: 309/452-8709
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Monticello Railway Museum - The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit materials and artifacts relating to railroading, with emphasis on Central Illinois, and to operate a demonstration railroad for the education and enjoyment of the public. The museum offers trains rides on weekends and Holidays from May through October.
Location: PO Box 401 Monticello IL 61856 Tel: (217) 762-901
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Illinois State University Planetarium - Established on September 1, 1964 Administered by the Department of Physics. The Facility has a Spitz A-3-P planetarium projector (modified in 1986), 30-foot diameter dome; seating 110 Automation by East Coast Control Systems. Projects 2354 stars along with Milky Way.
Location: Tel: (309)438-8756
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Rockome Gardens - For nearly half a century, Rockome Gardens' unique stonework and sprawling gardens have attracted vacationing families from all over the world. By combining a touch of whimsy with serious craftsmanship and setting the result amid the natural beauty of the Midwest, two generations of the Elvan Yoder family have created a memorable destination.
Location: East Central Illinois, Illinois Amish Country.
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Virginia Theatre - The Virginia Theatre is dedicated to creating and sustaining an environment conductive to education in the performing arts; fostering creativity in the production and presentation of the music, theatre, dance and film; and establishing the Virginia Theatre as a civic-use meeting space and center for performing arts and entertainment for Champaign-Urbana and its visitors.
Location: 203 W. Park Champaign, IL 61820 Tel: 217.356.9053
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Fox River Trolley Museum - Fall Caboose Days - Experience the Ride at Fox River Trolley Museum, a nostalgic trip back to an era when the electric trolley car was a vital part of American life. Experience EDUCATION THROUGH DEMONSTRATION the sights and sounds of this unique part of American history aboard a genuine old-time trolley car which takes you on a four mile trip along the banks of the scenic Fox River and the Blackhawk Forest Preserve. The museum operates a variety of antique trolleys, many from lines long vanished, over trackage that once connected Carpentersville, Elgin, Aurora, and Yorkville. A visit to the Fox River Trolley Museum can be educational and fun for the entire family. Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on chartered trains at the Museum.
Location: 361 South LaFox Street (Illinois Route 31) South Elgin, IL 60177 Tel: (847) 697-4676
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Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum - The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum promotes the foundations of aeropace education. The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum preserves the heritage of Illinois aviation and the Air Force Technical Training Command. The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum is sponsored and supported by the Octave Chanute Aerospace Heritage Foundation Of Illinois.
Location: 1011 Pacesetter Drive Rantoul, Illinois 61866-3672 Tel: (217) 893-1613
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Orpheum Children's Science Museum - Provides children of all ages the chance to explore and learn science at their own pace in an informal setting. Our exhibits are designed to be fun, but also to teach about science. Our home--The 1914 Orpheum Theatre--is one of the finest buildings in downstate Illinois, and our facility is one of the best examples of adaptive reuse of an historic structure in the country.
Location: 346 N. Neil Champaign, IL 61820 3614 Tel: 217 352 5895
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Illinois State Museum - The Illinois State Museum is a system of museums and galleries serving the people of Illinois. The Museums foster an appreciation of the living world, introduce the art of Illinois, open windows to education, and protect irreplaceable state treasures. The ISM mission is fulfilled through collecting, research, exhibits, publications, and interpretive programs that enhance educational experiences, aesthetic values, and in general, the quality of life. Currently the natural history exhibits on the first floor of the State Museum in Springfield are under renovation.
Location: Springfield, IL 62703
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Knights Action Park - Knight's Action Park and Caribbean Water Adventure in Springfield is Central Illinois' favorite family fun spot. With over 62 acres of Splish-Splashin' Rip-Roarin' family fun, Knights is in a class by itself when it comes to family recreational value. Water Slides, Bumper Boats, Go Karts, Mini Golf, Pirate Ships, Giant Sea Creatures, Batting Cages, Laser Tag, a 7-Acre Lake with Peddle Boats, and a 50 tee-slot Driving Range is only the beginning of the adventures you'll find at Knights. There's four private picnic areas for large Group Outings from 50 to 3,000.
Location: 1700 Recreation Drive Springfield, Illinois 62707 Tel:217-546-8881
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Illinois Amish Country - Arthur..."The Heart of the Illinois Amish Country," is a town of 2,200 residents located 10 miles west of Interstate 57 off exit 203. the friendly, down-home atmosphere helps to back up its motto, "Where you're a stranger only once." Illinois Amish Country's surrounding Amish settlement, established in 1865 by a handful of families, has grown to over 3,000 members. The Amish work rich farmland of the area with teams of six to eight horse hitches, and the Amish ' horse-drawn, black buggies are a common sight around the Amish country.
Location: 106 E. Progress Arthur, IL 61911 (800) 722-6474
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Lincoln Log Cabin - Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, eight miles south of Charleston, preserves the last home of Abraham Lincoln's father and stepmother, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln. The 86-acre site, which includes the reconstructed Lincoln cabin and a surrounding living history farm, is managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Location: R.R. 1, Box 172A Lerna, IL 62440 Tel: 217-345-6489
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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (For example - Carbondale, IL - Metropolis, IL - Chester, IL)
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Raging Rivers Water Park - Along the scenic Great River Road in Grafton, Illinois, Raging Rivers WaterPark is cool when it's hot! From our zoomin' Cascade Body Flumes to our lazy Endless River, there's something for everyone.
Location: 100 Palisades Parkway P.O. Box 460 Grafton, Illinois 62037 Tel: (618) 786-2345
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Center for American Archeology - With more than 10,000 years of human occupation and thousands of recorded archeological sites in a 4,000 square mile area, the region surrounding the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Illinois River has often been referred to as the "Nile of North America". This predominately rural landscape is home to the Center for American Archeology, located in Kampsville, Illinois. Originally formed in 1953, the CAA's mission is to discover and disseminate the unwritten story of earlier Americans' lifeways, accomplishments, and changing natural environment.
Location: P.O. Box 366 Kampsville, IL 62053 Tel: (618) 653-4316
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University Museum - The University Museum at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, a public steward and educational resource, serves the University and the larger community by collecting, preserving, researching, and exhibiting an encyclopedic range of artifacts illuminating the arts, humanities, and sciences. As a teaching institution, the museum offers in-depth opportunities in the practice of museology and provides leadership and assistance for museums throughout Southern Illinois.
Location: Carbondale, Illinois
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Cuneo Museum & Gardens - The Cuneo mansion is now an historic house museum. The home was designed by architect Benjamin Marshall for Samuel Insull, founder of the Commonwealth Edison Company. John Cuneo, Sr. purchased the home and estate in 1937. He was the founder of The Cuneo Press and the Hawthorn Mellody Dairy. The Cuneo family lived in the home until 1990. The museum and gardens were opened to the public in 1991.
Location: Lake County, Illinois
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