Things to see and do in Illinois

Attractions in Illinois

American football

The Chicago Bears (www.chicagobears.com) play from September to December at Soldier Field.

Attend a basketball game

Enjoy the fast-paced action when the Chicago Bulls (www.nba.com/bulls) take to the basketball court from January to April at the United Center, which is also home to the ice hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks (http://blackhawks.nhl.com)

Cahokia Mounds

Tour the intriguing earthen burial mounds at Cahokia Mounds (http://cahokiamounds.org), a relic of the most sophisticated prehistoric Native American community north of Mexico.

Chicago Blues Festival

International, national and local artists perform on over five stages at the largest free-admission blues festival in the world, held in June (www.chicagobluesfestival.org).

Chicago Pumping Station

Visit the handsome 19th-century Chicago Pumping Station - a landmark that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and houses a tourist information centre.

Chicago's Navy Pier

Take a walk along Chicago's Navy Pier (www.navypier.com), the largest recreational pier in the USA. Attractions include an open-air theatre, botanical gardens, the Chicago Children's Museum (www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org) plus a giant ferris wheel standing 15 storeys high and offering the best view of the famous Chicago skyline.

Chicago's observation towers

View the skyline from one of Chicago's many soaring skyscrapers' observation towers, including the Willis Tower (www.willistower.com) and the John Hancock Center (www.hancockobservatory.com).

Enjoy Illinois's theme parks

Ride one of the 12 rollercoasters at Six Flags Great America Amusement Park (www.sixflags.com) in Chicago or cool down in the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

New Salem State Park

Travel back in time at the New Salem State Park and tour a recreation of the pioneer community as it was in Lincoln's day.

Springfield

Follow history in Springfield, where Abraham Lincoln married, began his legal career and lived in the only home he ever owned. Attractions include Lincoln's Tomb (a State Historical Site), the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (www.alplm.org/home.html) and the Illinois State Museum (www.museum.state.il.us).

Take in a baseball game

Illinois's baseball teams, Chicago Cubs (http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com) and Chicago White Sox (http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com), play during the summer months at Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field.

Tee off on one of the many golf courses

Illinois has the highest number of public and championship golf courses in the USA; there are about 700 of these, 200 of which can be found in the immediate 'Chicagoland' area.

Track down Chicago's outdoor sculptures

Track down Chicago's numerous outdoor sculptures by artists such as Picasso, Miro, Moore, Chagall and Calder. Tour the Art Institute of Chicago (www.artic.edu), one of the world's leading art museums, and savour art ranging from Monet to Warhol and French impressionists.

Visit Chicago's top museums

Browse more than 2,000 exhibits at The Museum of Science & Industry (www.msichicago.org) in Chicago. Visit the Field Museum of Natural History, which spans the development of the universe from 4.5 billion years ago to the present day; the John G Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium; and the Adler Planetarium, which features the Sky Dome.

Tourist offices

Illinois Tourism Office UK

Illinois Tourism Office