Attractions

Wonderful for families and friends, this wooded, steeply rolling 208-acre tract, borders the Rock River in the city of Rock Island. Prehistoric Indians and 19th-Century settlers made homes here, but the area is most closely identified with the Sauk nation and its great warrior, Black Hawk. Voted one of the "7 Wonders of Illinois," this pristine park offers beautiful trails for hiking and walking only. Picnic areas are also available. While at the park be sure to visit the Watch Tower Lodge that houses the John Hauberg Indian Museum.

The museum features Sauk and Meskwaki Native American Indian artifacts and displays depicting the four seasons and life of these tribes. A new exhibit tells the story of the Sauk and Meskwaki—how they came to live in the Quad City area, why they no longer live here, and, as the piece de resistance, a four-by-eight-foot scale model of the city of Saukenuk one of the largest Native American Indian settlements in the United States.

Illinois' only United Nations World Heritage Site. This 2,200-acre site preserves the central section of the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico. An Interpretive Center presents a coherent account of this sophisticated prehistoric culture. Climb Monk's Mound, see the film and life-size village. Don't miss annual events that focus on Native American culture.

Get an intimate look at Lincoln during a tour of the Lincoln Home, the only house he ever owned. The Lincoln family lived here from 1844 until they left for Washington. The Lincoln Home is located in a historic four-block neighborhood that looks much as it did in the mid-1800s, complete with wooden sidewalks. A visitor center and restored neighboring homes display exhibits that tell the story of Lincoln’s time spent with his wife, children and friends in Springfield.

Free Outdoor Music Festival All Summer Long June 6-August 15, 2013
All shows are from 7:00 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.

Throughout June, July, and August, there will be a variety of live music including 7th Heaven, Hi Infidelity, Kashmir, Spazmatics, Arra, Libido, Funk Circus, 16 Candles, American English, Modern Day Romeos, Infinity and Breakfast Club. On June 6, July 3, and August 8, a spectacular fireworks show will directly follow the accompanying music act. Admission is free, parking is free with validation and outside coolers cannot be brought into the park.

The wonder of our galaxy is brought into focus at the Adler Planetarium. This is the perfect place to bring your son or daughter with a keen interest in astronomy. Explore the latest in space discoveries, view exciting exhibits and films, and get a chance to sit back in the Sky Theatre and watch the mapped heavens above while all the constellations and the planets are revealed in magnificent detail.

The Lions standing tall at the stairway of the Art Institute are two of the most recognized pieces of sculpture in America. And just past the stairway is one of the most recognized and acclaimed art collections on the entire planet. The finest works from the greatest of the great artists from yesterday and today are on display. The museum's collection hosts such a dazzling display of paintings, carvings, jewelry and statues that you will want to come back every day.

The Bronzeville Visitor Information Center is located at the historic gateway to the Black Metropolis Historic District and will serve as an orientation point of information access for tourists, residents and researchers. Visitors will be welcomed to Bronzeville and directed to multiple sites and attractions that make the community an internationally significant African-American heritage tourism destination.

Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain, one of the largest in the world, is located at Columbus Drive (301 East) and Congress Parkway (500 South) in Grant Park and runs from 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, typically from April to mid-October, depending on weather. Times are subject to change when large events take place in or around Grant Park.

While in operation, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the Fountain produces a major water display and the center jet shoots 150 feet into the air. The initial major display begins at 9:00 a.m. and thereafter, is every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, every hour on the hour for 20 minutes the Fountain's major water display is accompanied by a major light and music display. The final display of the evening begins at 10:35 p.m.

 Nicholas J Melas Centennial Fountain is located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court in Near North Side, Chicago.[1] It was dedicated in 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, perhaps best known for its major achievement in reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900, and in 1999, this system was named a "Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium" by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Architecture is Life, or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived."

Frank Lloyd Wright

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area (behind Lake Superior and Lake Huron), it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The word "Michigan" was originally used to refer to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning "great water."