This abandoned prison castle has become an imposing gallery of graffiti art.

Twice a year, this road is closed off to allow for the migration of thousands of snakes, reptiles and amphibians between cliffs and a swamp.

Burial mounds of prehistoric Native Americans who lived along the DuPage River.

A small Chicago museum filled with thousands of preserved butterflies, beetles, and more.

This former nursery supplied plants for the creation of Chicago's largest park.

This lush 12-acre site was once named the finest Japanese garden in North America.

An exhibit of items from the mental institution where Mary Todd Lincoln lived after her son conspired to have her committed.

A collection of 11 million buttons illustrates the human toll of the Holocaust.

This lagomorph-obsessed Route 66 emporium is home to a giant jackrabbit that sits in a bunny graveyard.

A military museum and library dedicated to the citizen soldier.

A historic and oft-filmed prison stands in a Chicago suburb.

This memorial plaque remembers a strangely shallow maritime disaster known as "Chicago's Titanic."

Not to be confused with the iconic New York City skyscraper, this Chicago building is a vibrant hub for artists.

A Japanese temple, old German townhouses, and public chess tables offer a peaceful escape from the bustle of the North Side.

Tour the luxe "glass cage" that inspired and unnerved the architecture world upon its debut.

This landmark of the Chicago silent film industry may not be in the picture business anymore but it still stands proudly.

This historic-shipwreck-cum-diving-spot can still be seen poking its boiler out of the Lake Michigan waters that claimed it.

Its eclectic exhibits range from the world’s first motorcycle to Luke Skywalker’s Land Speeder.

To find the "unicorns of the deep" you've got to go downstairs.

The multinational Burger King chain is banned from operating within 20 miles of a family restaurant filed under the same name.

You have to love a museum with a truly dedicated focus. A focus on Superman, for example.

One of the last functioning antique elevators in Chicago.

The 40-year-old machine serves soda quicker than you can catch it for a mere 75 cents a pop.

Small and slightly hidden, the American Writers Museum is preserving the legacy of America's finest authors.