Set on the east bank of the Rock River, Machesney Park is a village of around 23,500 in the Rockford metro area. The village is relatively new, having been incorporated in 1981 and mostly developed in the 1980s and 1990s. For visitors there’s an enormous shopping center, a craft brewery, entertainment amenities and easy access …
Incorporated in 1895, Grayslake is an endearing village in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, 15 miles from the border with Wisconsin. Grayslake’s historic downtown and a number of local attractions are contained within the Village Center, with schools, a 40-acre park, an aquatic center and an intriguing local history museum. This was also one of the first …
An inner western suburb of Chicago, Villa Park is just under 20 miles west of the Chicago Loop. This village grew up at the start of the 20th century as a residential area serving the Ovaltine chocolate factory, which operated until 1988. The location was picked for its convenience, at the intersection of various railways …
Located in the Chicago Southland, this village was established as a fully planned community in the late 1940s, partly for returning WWII veterans. The Park Forest provided suburban comfort for the growing middle class, and you can get a taste of lifestyles from this period at the 1950s Park Forest House Museum, preserving a residence …
Founded in 1868 by the Civil War Colonel William T. Nichols, Maywood is a western suburb of Chicago, on the west bank of the Des Plaines River. The village has a large quantity of historic architecture, including 17 homes and properties on the National Register of Historic Places. At the turn of the 20th century, …
In the northwest of metro Chicago, this upscale city sits just east of the Des Plaines River. Something that distinguishes Park Ridge is its flourishing downtown, known here as “Uptown”, with restaurants, shops, idyllic parks and eye-catching architecture. The presence of the Des Plaines River gives Park Ridge a wonderful natural escape on its west …
The prosperous western suburb of Lisle is the home of the Morton Arboretum, one of the top attractions in the Chicago Area, containing a massive expanse of restored prairie. Settled in 1832, Lisle was known mainly as a railroad station, and the local history museum is an intriguing glimpse from that time, preserving the old …
Along the Golden Corridor, Huntley is one of the fastest growing communities in the northwest Chicago area, with a five-fold population increase since 2000. The village goes back to the mid-19th century, and so despite the profusion of new residential areas there’s a historic core with a clutch of old buildings and thriving independent shops …
The home of Eastern Illinois University (EIU), Charleston is a city of around 20,000 with a beautiful downtown area filled with historic architecture, restaurants and mom-and-pop stores. Charleston has strong ties to Abraham Lincoln, as the scene of his fourth debate with Stephen Douglas in 1858. Much earlier, in 1831, Abraham’s father Thomas had settled …
This village in Chicago’s west suburbs is unique as you can still visit the very first permanent building erected here. The building in question, now used as a local history and art museum, is a church from 1849, with a lot of details that have made it through to the present day. The museum is …