Illinois
The third-largest home Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed, this remarkably preserved Prairie School icon dating to 1902–04 is – dare we say it – more…
Must-see attractions in The Great Lakes
Chicago
Galerie F is exactly the type of laid-back, ubercool gallery you'd expect to find in Logan Square. It specializes in rock-and-roll gig posters,…
Chicago
This hilly, prairie-grassed park has a walking and cycling trail, bird-watching, fishing and an outdoor venue for big-name concerts. It's actually a…
Chicago
The famed firm of Burnham and Root built the Rookery – named for the site's previous building, a temporary city hall that was popular with roosting…
Michigan
Adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum (and part of its complex), outdoor Greenfield Village spreads across 80 acres and features historic buildings shipped in…
Detroit
Commissioned as a 'cathedral of finance,' this distinctive, 40-story, redbrick building with green and white accents was the world's tallest masonry…
Minneapolis
After Prince died in 2016, his family opened his 65,000-sq-ft home to the public for tours. Fans have been streaming to the mod, boxy white mansion ever…
Michigan
Fort Mackinac sits atop limestone cliffs near downtown. Built by the British in 1780, it's one of the best-preserved military forts in the country…
Chicago
Grant Park's centerpiece is one of the world's largest fountains, with a 1.5-million-gallon capacity and a 15-story-high spray. It lets loose on the hour…
Gold Coast
The forest-cloaked Manitou Islands provide an off-the-beaten-path adventure. They’re part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, hence the entrance…
Chicago
Stands of purple cabbages, red radishes, green asparagus and other bright-hued produce sprawl through Lincoln Park at Chicago's biggest farmers market…
Detroit
Renowned architect Albert Kahn designed this 3.5-million-sq-ft factory, which opened in 1905, but after years of neglect it became one of Detroit's most…
Gold Coast
The lakeside park is one of Michigan's largest and most popular playlots. Once inside, people simply pull over on the roadside and make a break for the…
Detroit
This public space in the heart of Detroit's downtown is the perfect spot to while away a sunny afternoon. A fountain dots the middle, surrounded by…
Upper Peninsula
Rugged Grand Island floats a half-mile offshore from Munising and is part of Hiawatha National Forest. Visitors can day trip over to hike and mountain…
Chicago
Attention Route 66 buffs: the Mother Road begins in downtown Chicago. Look for the 'Historic 66 Begin' sign at the northwestern corner of Adams St and…
Chicago
This exquisite, beaux-arts building began its life as the Chicago Public Library in 1897. Today the block-long structure houses terrific art exhibitions …
Upper Peninsula
Sault Ste Marie is best known for its locks that raise and lower 1000ft-long freighters between the different lake levels. The downtown visitor center…
Michigan
This huge limestone arch curves 150ft above Lake Huron and provides dramatic photo opportunities. You can get here two ways: from stairs that lead up from…
Detroit
Pretty Belle Isle floats in the Detroit River. The entire expanse is parkland where kayaking, walking trails and a glass-domed conservatory await. There's…
Michigan
See F-150 trucks roll off the assembly line where Henry Ford first perfected his self-sufficient, mass-production techniques. The self-guided tours start…
Chicago
The Newberry's public galleries are a treat for bibliophiles: those who swoon over original Thomas Paine pamphlets about the French Revolution, or get…
Chicago
The CAC is the premier keeper of Chicago’s architectural flame. Pop in to explore its excellent galleries, which feature an interactive 3-D model of…
Chicago
Take a close look when passing by this 1925 neo-Gothic edifice. Colonel Robert McCormick, eccentric owner of the Chicago Tribune in the early 1900s,…
Chicago
This small museum in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is fun for a quick browse. The best exhibits include a giant glass cube stuffed with one million …
Indiana
When Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, father of Eero Saarinen, was commissioned to build a different kind of church in Columbus in 1942, the brick-and…
Wisconsin
One of Wisconsin's busiest attractions. Alex Jordan built the structure atop a rock column in 1959 (some say as an 'up yours' to neighbor Frank Lloyd…
Chicago
Designed to challenge the imaginations of toddlers to 10-year-olds, this colorful museum near Navy Pier's main entrance gives young visitors enough hands…
Chicago
Pablo Picasso's abstract work, which everyone just calls 'the Picasso,' is the granddaddy of Chicago's public art. The artist was 82 when the work was…
Chicago
Picasso's eye-popping untitled sculpture marks the heart of Daley Plaza, which is the place to be come lunchtime, particularly when the weather warms up…
Wisconsin
Taliesin was the home of Frank Lloyd Wright for most of his life and is the site of his architectural school. It's now a major pilgrimage destination for…
Chicago
Chicago's most popular strand of sand gives off a bit of a Southern California vibe in summer. Buff teams spike volleyballs, kids build sandcastles and…
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Northern Minnesota
This is the most visited spot on the entire North Shore. The shiner itself is a state historic site with a separate admission fee. Guided tours are…
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive & Outsider Art
Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village
Behold this small museum's collection of naive and outsider art from Chicago artists, including rotating mixed-media exhibits and watercolors by famed…
Gold Coast
One of the state’s most visited parks, Holland offers a lovely huge beach on Lake Michigan that’s stellar for sunset gaping and lighthouse views. A cafe,…
Upper Peninsula
Stroll for 1.5 easy miles (one way) along a shore dotted with shipwreck skeletons to reach the 1874 lighthouse. In summer, ranger-guided tours ($3; 11am…
Chicago
If the crowds at the Bean, Crown Fountain and Pritzker Pavilion are too much, seek out the peaceful Lurie Garden, which uses native plants to form a…
SC Johnson Administration Building & Research Tower
Wisconsin
Frank Lloyd Wright designed several buildings at the company's headquarters. Free 90-minute tours take in the 1939 Admin Building, a magnificent space…
Wisconsin
The entire island is parkland, with no cars or bikes allowed. There are hiking trails, a sand beach and squat, stone Pottawatomie Lighthouse, which is a 1…
Chicago
Families love this park’s fanciful, free playgrounds in all their enchanted-forest and pirate-themed glory. There’s also a rock-climbing wall, an 18-hole…
