279 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Illinois - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Oz Park

This whimsical Oz-themed park had a wonderful impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

Chicago, Illinois

Tiffany Dome

This massive stained-glass masterpiece is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence.

Chicago, Illinois

Woolly Mammoth Antiques and Oddities

This morbid, delightful curiosity shop offers everything from animal bones to human teeth.

Chicago, Illinois

Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.

This shop for all your super spy needs hides an educational secret.

Chicago, Illinois

Willis Tower Glass Platform

Four glass boxes hover over 1,000 feet in the air to give visitors an unparalleled view of Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois

The Violet Hour

A speakeasy takes on Chicago's drinking culture.

Chicago, Illinois

International Museum of Surgical Science

A monument to the art of slicing people open.

Chicago, Illinois

Shit Fountain

A giant bronze coil of feces is both a tribute to doggie defecation and a reminder to pick it up.

See All 279 Things to Do in Illinois See All 279 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Illinois

Superman Ice Cream

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a classic Midwestern treat!

Atomic Cake

This Chicago specialty stacks three cakes into one monster dessert.

Gym Shoe Sandwich

The South Side favorite is a cross between a meat-lover's sub and a gyro.

Tom and Jerry

A small industry of themed glassware was launched solely for the enjoyment of this hot winter punch.

See all 13 things to eat in Illinois See all 13 things to eat in Illinois

Upcoming Illinois Experiences

The Chicago Underground Scavenger Hunt

Chicago, Illinois

Riverside, What the Burbs Could've Been

Riverside, Illinois

The World of Beekeeping & Native Bees

Chicago, Illinois

Hyde Park, Antiquity to the Atomic Age

Chicago, Illinois

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Chicago

Just when you thought you knew the Windy City, it finds new ways to surprise you.

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Just when you thought you knew the Windy City, it finds new ways to surprise you.

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Post	Replies	Views	Activity
7-10 day July 2019 Holiday in Chicago	13 May 31, 2019	1131	May 31, 2019
Shaker Lemon Pie	10 April 26, 2019	1896	April 26, 2019
The Archduke of Austria's Michigan Grave	10 May 2, 2019	1570	May 2, 2019
Silver Dome Ballroom	16 July 29, 2019	1940	July 29, 2019
Two-Story Outhouse	9 May 22, 2019	2646	May 22, 2019

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Stories
About Illinois

If you squint, you might just see the Kincaid Mounds shimmer.

The Glittery Legacy of Lead at a Historic Native American Site

A shiny mineral called galena, once prized by the Mississippian people, left its mark on the soil.

by Sabrina Imbler

November 7, 2019

The Masonic Temple in Aurora, pictured here in 2014, sat vacant for about a decade before it went up in flames in early October.

The Grandeur of Old Masonic Temples Also Makes Them Vulnerable to Fires

They're hard to reuse, and can be quick to burn.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

October 22, 2019

Some of the treasures found in the pilfered wallets.

Found: 15 Wallets From the 1940s, Stolen and Stashed Behind a Bathroom Wall

The cash is gone, but a lot of memories remain.

by Matthew Taub

Felicia on the job.

Why Physicists Tried to Put a Ferret in a Particle Accelerator

Felicia had a job to do.

by Jen Pinkowski

Monks Mound at Cahokia.

How Did Cahokian Farmers Feed North America’s Largest Indigenous City?

Native American farming was more sophisticated than your history textbook told you.

by Reina Gattuso

Jim Westerfield working in his Illinois garden during the summer.

The Plant Breeder Who Minted a New World of Flavor

Jim Westerfield created dozens of new culinary mints in his Illinois garden.

by Samantha Nobles-Block

The Route 66 record holder was bested by a bigger rocking chair in Illinois.

How the U.S. Lost the Title for the World's Largest Chair

After a century of states battling it out for the honor, the current record holder is in... Austria.

by Kavya Ram Mohan

A "sea devil" from Icones animalium (1553).

Where to Find the World's Best Hometown Monsters

Here are 25 places to see yetis, sea monsters, Sasquatch, and other cryptids.

by Molly McBride Jacobson

February 24, 2017

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