All the United States Illinois

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Illinois

374 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Illinois

Updated August 12, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Alton
  2. Alto Pass
  3. Arcola
  4. Ashmore
  5. Atlanta
  6. Batavia
  7. Bloomington
  8. Brookfield
  9. Cairo
  10. Carbondale
  11. Chester
  12. Chicago
  13. Collinsville
  14. Des Plaines
  15. East St. Louis
  16. Elmhurst
  17. Evanston
  18. Forest Park
  19. Freeport
  20. Galena
  21. Geneva
  22. Hillside
  23. Joliet
  24. Lincoln
  25. Lombard
  26. Mattoon
  27. Maywood
  28. Oak Park
  29. Paris
  30. Park Ridge
  31. Peoria
  32. Rockford
  33. Springfield
  34. St. Charles
  35. Urbana
  36. Wilmington
  37. Woodstock

Unusual Attractions in Illinois

See All 374 Things To Do in Illinois

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Illinois

See all 23 Places to Eat in Illinois
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

A Feminist Road Trip Across the U.S.

Atlas Obscura has a tradition of exploring the stories of women who changed the world, from wildlife biologists and mountain climbers to Civil War spies and tattoo artists. To celebrate these daring women who struck out on their own, we’ve put together a cross-country road trip. Over 12 stops and more than 3,000 miles, this route will give you a front-row seat to women’s history in America.

View Itinerary

Explore Illinois

Architecture 45
Museums 33
Architectural Oddities 29
Shops 28
Statues 26
History 25
Sculptures 24
Collections 23

Illinois Leaderboard

Recent Illinois Activity

Stories About Illinois

Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower 2024

Life-Changing Trips: Olympics, Cicadas, and Once-in-a-Lifetime Concerts

Listeners to the Atlas Obscura podcsat share their stories of life-changing trips.
by The Podcast Team
Graceland Cemetery.

Prowling for Coyotes in Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery

After losing her childhood dog to a pack of coyotes, Radiolab’s Lulu Miller sets out to learn more about their true nature.
by The Podcast Team

This Arachnid in Illinois Had Armored Spikes on Its 8 Legs

The new species is too strange to be assigned a category.
by Olivia Young
Conspiracy theorists believe X marks the spot over Carbondale.

Why Doomsayers Think the Eclipse Will Bring Disaster to Illinois

The town of Carbondale sits in the middle of an astronomical crossroads.
by Leah Hudson

Podcast: Jerry’s Hat Museum

A worship of over 16,000 hats… plus 32,000 pens and pencils.
by The Podcast Team

Podcast: The Super Museum

Two father-daughter Superman fans have dedicated much of their lives to curating this tiny museum.
by The Podcast Team
Following the introduction of chemical weapons in World War I and into the World War II era, concerns about unseen dangers spread to the homefront.

Airing Out the Mystery of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon

What a strange spate of "gas attacks" tells us about what was really lurking in mid-century America.
by Colin Dickey
Red means higher than average anomalies, and blue means lower than average ones.

Uneven Gravity Makes You Weigh More in Illinois Than in Indiana

A number of factors cause you to be lighter or heavier in different parts of the world.
by Frank Jacobs

Lists Featuring Illinois

Rats of Karni Mata Temple
Paxton Gate Exterior
Albino Squirrels of Olney, Illinois

A Rat Lover's Tour of the World

15 places where rodents are celebrated, feared, preserved, and studied.

15

Including Karni Mata Temple, Nutty Narrows Bridge, and Paxton Gate

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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