Illinois

Best Historic Sites & Landmarks in Illinois

4 historic sites & landmarks in Illinois

Forts, landmarks, monuments and heritage attractions.

Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards

Historic Sites & Landmarks in Illinois: what to expect

Illinois has 4 historic sites & landmarks we would happily take our own kids to. 360 Chicago Observation Deck is the one most families start with. Ride the TILT and lean out over the Magnificent Mile from 1,030 feet up, where Chicago and Lake Michigan stretch out in every direction. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is the other name that comes up again and again. Walk among 72 earthen mounds of a pre-Columbian city that once rivaled London in size. Lincoln Home National Historic Site rounds out the pick of the bunch. Tour the only home Abraham Lincoln ever owned, in its preserved Springfield neighborhood. Also worth your time: Skydeck Chicago.

Published prices run from $29 at 360 Chicago Observation Deck up to $32 at Skydeck Chicago. 2 of the 4 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel.

The historic sites & landmarks on this page are spread across Chicago (2), Collinsville (1) and Springfield (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.

Historic Sites & Landmarks by city in Illinois