The Backyard Tourist's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Arcola, Illinois
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Johnson Creek, Wisconsin

Gobbler Theater

This supper-club-turned-concert-venue still serves drinks at its original rotating bar.
lukefater Added by lukefater
Lincoln, Illinois

Railsplitter Covered Wagon

The world's largest covered wagon is piloted by a giant Lincoln lawyer.
sarahwallick Added by sarahwallick
Port Byron, Illinois

Will B. Rolling Mississippi River Statue

A 30-foot man on a penny-farthing bicycle rides along the banks of the Mississippi.
Added by clarkmaxwell
Oregon, Illinois

Black Hawk Statue

This monolithic statue was erected in honor of Chief Black Hawk (even if it wasn't made to look like him).
Added by tbrown2
Collinsville, Illinois

Illinois Woodhenge

Fresh wooden posts have been added to ancient holes to recreate a primitive henge clock.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Ashmore, Illinois

World's Tallest Lincoln Statue

This abandoned Abraham Lincoln statue has also earned the honorary of "World's Ugliest."
Added by TaunyaD
Alton, Illinois

Piasa Bird

A mythical bird etched into the face of a rock doubles as the mascot for a nearby school.
Added by MattB
Chicago, Illinois

Rosenberg Statue

A goddess-topped water fountain in Chicago was created thanks to the dreams of a thirsty newsboy.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Chester, Illinois

Popeye Character Trail

The hometown of Popeye's creator is littered with a growing collection of granite cartoon characters.
Added by thescousewife
Chicago, Illinois

Heald Square Monument's Statue of Liberty

The iconic Chicago sculpture hides a beautiful and easily overlooked plaque on the backside.
Added by rossfishman123
Maywood, Illinois

Underground Railroad Memorial at McDonald's

A plaque marks a former safe house on the secret route, now hidden next to a McDonald's.
lewblank Added by lewblank
Kewanee, Illinois

Woodland Palace

The dream home of an iconoclastic renaissance man still stands as a monument to his domestically mundane vision.
Henry County Added by Henry County
Chicago, Illinois

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Orthodox church partially financed by Tsar Nicolas II.
Dylan Added by Dylan
Springfield, Illinois

Museum of Funeral Customs

The history of funerals and funerary customs.
Added by CPilgrim
Lincoln, Illinois

Phone Booth on a Roof

Today this bizarre rooftop phone booth seems like a piece of kitsch but it was once used to spot disastrous storms.
sarahwallick Added by sarahwallick
Woodstock, Illinois

George Stickney House

This softly rounded mansion was built without corners not to avoid evil spirits, but to make them more comfortable.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Chicago, Illinois

Wicker Park

Once called the "Polish Gold Coast" it is an icon of the neighborhood that bears its same name.
Chicago, Illinois

First-Class Relic of Padre Pio

A bloodstain from "the wound of the transverberation of the heart."
treeswithknees Added by treeswithknees
Staunton, Illinois

Henry's Rabbit Ranch

This lagomorph-obsessed Route 66 emporium is home to a giant jackrabbit that sits in a bunny graveyard.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Casey, Illinois

World Records of Casey, Illinois

The world's largest collection of the world's largest objects is in one small Illinois town.
Added by tcox55
Des Plaines, Illinois

McDonald's First Store Museum

Despite its name, this fast food museum is actually a replica of the ninth McDonald's store.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Park Ridge, Illinois

Wood Library and Museum of Anesthesiology

Medical museum focused on antique anesthesiology equipment.
Added by mbison
Elsah, Illinois

The Mistake House

First known as the "Sample House," this construction mash-up was meant to be a living catalogue of building styles.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Lake Forest, Illinois

Villa Turicum

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