Explore Illinois roadside attractions and other tourist traps, restaurants, stops, and detours to add to your Illinois road trip itinerary.
The Robert C. Givins Castle, also known as the “Irish Castle” or just “The Castle,” is a marvel of medieval-inspired architecture at home in the south side of Chicago, Illinois. The building, the only castle in Chicago, sits at the corner of 103rd Street and Longwood Drive in the Beverly community on Chicago’s south side. …
Chicago is a city known for its baseball. After all, we have two teams: the Cubs and the White Sox. So it’s no wonder Chicago is also home to a giant metal baseball bat titled Batcolumn (or Bat Column). Batcolumn has stood outside the Harold Washington Social Security Administration Building in downtown Chicago since 1977 …
If you drive or walk past the Big Monster Door at Big Monster Toys in Chicago, Illinois, you’ll probably do a double take. That’s what happened to me the first time I went past. “What is that?” I squealed in delight at the giant yellow door with a giant silver knob and a giant green …
There’s no better autumn activity than visiting a pumpkin patch and picking out that perfect pumpkin to transform into a Halloween jack-o-lantern. One of my favorite Illinois pumpkin patches is Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois. Richardson Adventure Farm is best known as being the home of the world’s largest corn maze, but the …
How much do you love ice cream? Enough to eat a giant cone? How about enough to eat AT a giant cone? The Twistee Treat franchise offers fast food and ice cream delights in giant ice cream shaped buildings across the US. About the Twistee Treat Franchise In 1983, Twistee Treat was founded in North …
Have you ever found a roadside attraction hidden in your own backyard? I have. Meet the giant cow statue at the Gene’s Sausage Shop rooftop beer and wine garden in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. In 1972, Polish immigrants John and Gene Luszcz, opened a small delicatessen in Chicago. John & Gene’s on …
When I think about finding a home where the buffalo roam in the United States, I think of South Dakota, North Dakota (home of the World’s Largest Buffalo and the National Buffalo Museum), or Wyoming. I don’t necessarily think of Illinois. But you can find roaming bison in Illinois at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in …
Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket is an iconic Route 66 restaurant in Illinois. In Willowbrook, just off the famous route, and present day Interstate 55 (I-55) , this chicken joint has been serving up chicken since the 1930s. In the late 1930s/early 1940s Ervin ‘Irv’ Kolarik started selling chicken sandwiches at a gas station on the …
The De Immigrant Windmill in Fulton, Illinois, is an authentic Dutch Windmill that was manufactured and prefabricated in the Netherlands before being shipped and assembled in the American midwest. It is said to be one of only two Dutch windmills in the United States. Getting this structure from The Netherlands to Illinois was no small …
Greetings from… I’m sure you’ve all seen those vintage postcards with the name of the city spelled out in big bold letters. Greetings from Austin. Greetings from New York. Greetings from Oklahoma City. But have you ever seen a depiction as big as the Greetings From Chicago mural in Logan Square? This Chicago wall mural …
Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.
The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.
Silly America is a roadside attractions blog designed to help travelers find unique stops for their next road trip. The website is a tribute to the great American road trip, devoted to all that is odd in America: roadside attractions, tourist traps, peculiar destinations, bizarre events, road food, fun festivals, and more! It’s a travel website and trip planner for those seeking an offbeat road trip.
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