Weird Illinois: 6 Roadside Attractions To See During Summer 2022

ILLINOIS — Illinois is residence to thrilling cities like Chicago, gorgeous pure magnificence in locations like Starved Rock and loads of locations to eat, hike and street journey. It is also residence to an eclectic mixture of roadside points of interest.

In the event you’re heading out on a summer time street journey with the household, listed here are a number of the most eye-catching, spectacular and simply plain bizarre roadside points of interest the state has to supply.

1. Kaskaskia Dragon

2024 Progress West, Vandalia

Situated in Vandalia, Illinois — a few four-hour drive from Chicago — is the 35-foot-long fire-breathing Kaskaskia Dragon, “a vacationer attraction as pure as a princess in a fairy story,” the Illinois Workplace of Tourism says. Vacationers can pull off the freeway and insert a token to see the dragon “breathe” fireplace as its eyes glow purple — $1 for 10 seconds of flame-shooting enjoyable. Guests may also keep within the Kaskaskia Dragon RV Park and “purchase dragon stuff,” based on the web site.

2. Gemini Large

810 E. Baltimore St., Wilmington

These touring the historic Route 66 can cease in Wilmington for a chunk to eat and to see the Gemini Large, who, based on Launching Pad restaurant co-owner Holly Barker, is a “peace agent … come to unfold world peace.” The 28-foot-tall “Muffler Man” promoting prop is called after the Gemini house program. It initially guarded the Dari-Delight restaurant, which opened in 1956, and is now often known as the Launching Pad, specializing in burgers and scorching canines. Whilst you can see the Gemini Large anytime, the Launching Pad is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. day by day, however closed Thursdays.

3. World’s Largest Catsup Bottle

800 S. Morrison, Collinsville

Head all the way down to Collinsville, Illinois, to see the “Official World’s Largest Catsup Bottle,” first in-built 1949 by the W.E. Caldwell Firm to provide water to the “Brooks outdated authentic wealthy & tangy catsup” plant under. For greater than 70 years, the 170-foot tall water tower has wowed guests. In 1995, the landmark was saved from demolition and restored to its authentic look. In 2002, the Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower was named to the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.

4. Paul Bunyon Hotdog Statue

112 SW Arch St., Atlanta, Illinois

In the case of roadside points of interest, Illinois is large on giants. One other one of many Route 66 “Muffler Man” statues, this one is called after Paul Bunyan — however deliberately misspelled “Bunyon” to keep away from copyright points. It was put in on high of Bunyon’s scorching canine stand in Cicero in 1966, based on Atlas Obscura. At this time, it stands throughout the road from the quickly closed Palms Grill Café and tempts vacationers with a tasty scorching canine — which this model of Paul “Bunyon” holds instead of an ax — in Atlanta, Illinois.

5. Large Issues In A Small City

Casey, Illinois

We weren’t joking — Illinois actually loves its big roadside points of interest, and Casey, Illinois, is your one-stop store for all issues outsized. Simply off Interstate 70, Casey is legendary for its big objects: a 30-foot golf tee weighing in at 6,659 kilos, a pencil that is 32 toes lengthy and a 32-foot-tall mailbox the place you possibly can truly ship mail, based on the Illinois Workplace of Tourism. It is also the location of a number of Guinness World Information, together with the world’s largest wind chime, rocking chair, pitchfork, knitting/crochet hook, picket footwear and largest bar/swizzle spoon, to call just a few. The large record-holders are the work of native businessman Jim Bolin.

6. House of Superman

Head to the real-life Metropolis in southern Illinois, which was licensed by DC Comics in 1972 to be often known as the “adopted residence of Superman.” Since then, town’s connection to Superman has solely grown. A 15-foot statue of Superman stands in entrance of the courthouse, and a competition celebrating the superhero is held in June. This yr it is from June 10-12. In accordance with the city’s tourism web site, “Situated on the very southern tip of Illinois on the border of Illinois and Kentucky on the intersection of Interstate 24, US Freeway 45, and IL Freeway 145, Metropolis presents the very best small-town America has to supply. “

Extra issues and locations to see

Roadside America additionally has a listing of notable locations and issues to see whereas road-tripping in Illinois, together with (however not restricted to):

• Go to the hometown of the World’s Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow, who was born in Alton in 1918. Relics from Wadlow’s life will be seen on the Alton Museum of Historical past and Artwork, 2809 Faculty Ave.
• A former Chilly Warfare missile launch website as soon as stood in what’s now Nike Park, 159 S. Rohlwing Street, in Addison. At this time, all that is still is the radar set up and management tower.
• Head to Kankakee to see the primary Dairy Queen franchise on the nook of Wall and Station streets. Notice that it is the first franchise location, not the first-ever Dairy Queen, which, based on the corporate, opened in Joliet in 1940.
• Spot Superman exterior his cellphone sales space close to the Polk-a-Dot Drive-In on Route 66 in Braidwood, 222 N. Entrance St.

Need extra?

Extra concepts for summer time journey right here within the Land of Lincoln: