The remains of a Rockefeller's lush Italianate estate hidden in the underbrush on the coast of Lake Michigan.

A onetime gangsters' hideaway where you can dine on steaks, fine wines, and cigars just like they once did.

The palatial McDonald's that inspired Wesley Willis.

What was once one of the country's largest confectionary plants is now an abandoned ruin, but is still pretty sweet.

The remnants of Peoria's proud baseball past stand slightly abandoned, but not forgotten.

Pumpkin-like gargoyles and grotesques peer down from the rooftop of this unassuming apartment building in Illinois.

The oldest house in Galena, Illinois, now is a reminder of when this city was the world's lead mining capital.

A mini Wrigley Field for mini baseball players.

Once an ornate movie theater remade by Catholic Charities.

The park that the Chicago Stockyards built.

A 19th-century horse lover's bequest led to the construction of this unique fountain in Chicago.

The only place in America where anyone who wants can shovel coal aboard an antique train.

A towering Art Deco movie palace made to look like a Mayan temple.

Roses and other fascinating flora fill this garden built to commemorate Britain's immortal Bard.

The original Garfield station is the oldest station facility on the "L", with the station house dating from 1892.

This cheerfully-named branch of the Chicago River is the fetid result of years of blood, entrails, and meatpacking waste.

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

The beloved home to all publications indie, erotic, and punky.

A beloved Chicago music venue offering cold beer and lots of “Friendly."