My friend and I had an errand out in this area and decided to see what else there was to see while…read morewe were here. This museum (the home of the Hegeler and Carus families, who were involved in a local zinc company and also a publishing house, Open Court Press) is a national historic landmark and is unique because it was owned by the same family the whole time, & they never made any fundamental updates to the house so it's largely as it was when designed by WW Boyington (who also designed Chicago's Water Tower and the old Joliet prison) in the 1870s. Several rooms have been restored, but you can see in areas where it hasn't where time is taking its toll (for example, the main hall was painted with egg tempera paint, and that organic element [the egg] is now degrading after 150 years). Still, the parquet floors are amazing, and details like pocket doors, carved wooden decorations and historical elements like the speaker tube system in the walls for speaking through the house are unusual! The house also contains the only German-style turnhalle (gymnasium) in a historic home in the US. Other interesting details include an ornate butsudan (buddhist cabinet shrine) due to Hegeler's interest in Eastern religions. We just took the general tour ($15), but you can do half house (upper or lower half for $50 each) or whole house tours ($100). The longest one is apparently 3.5 hours with two breaks and children are discouraged since it is long. You must register for the tours as they max out at 6 people. Despite it saying "masks are required" and our temperatures taken at the door, our guide was initially trying to take his mask off to talk and the other couple on the tour followed suit. When my friend and I left ours on, they all put them back on at some point. The rooms do have 6 foot markers on the floors, but since some of the rooms aren't big, if you had a full tour group this would be an issue. There is an elevator so the Mansion is handicap accessible. Overall, this seems to be one of the bigger attractions in LaSalle, so take a tour if you're in town.

This mansion is beautiful and a amazing historic site to see!! The house tour is incredible! I…read morehighly recommend going here and learning about this incredible family!

The heart of the city. Better and less crowded than the Bean…read more This fecal fountain is a fun little photo op when you're in the city, and it's right down the street from Kasama, making them an unlikely but excellent pair.

Exactly what you'd expect: a statue that looks like poop. There was also a super friendly outdoor…read moreorange cat nearby named Mister that made my entire day. He was so cute and so worth the visit to the Shit Fountain. It's also near Kasama, so you can definitely make a trip out of this or take a quick detour if you're in the area.

It's quirky, creative, a bit creepy, and oddly moving. Worth a detour through scenic backroads…read more A visit to nearby Norway, Illinois is also worth your while. Never seem to get there in-season to see the museum, but the general store does sell some lovely Scandahoovian kitsch, and about the widest selection of locally sourced preserves as I've seen.

The Agricultural Crash Monument is a hysterical historical site!…read more You'll find it along Route 71 a few miles south of the village of Norway, IL. It's a local monument that dramatically illustrates the fatal crash of American agriculture in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Be prepared! When you're zipping along Rte 71 and come upon the monument, your first thought will be, "QUICK! CALL 9-1-1!"

Advertised pallbearers, flowers to put on casket before burial, taps, gun salute, service. Arrived…read more35 mins before meeting time they already gone & service almost over without son & other family. Directed to permanent tent for services, no graveside burial or site seen, nothing as advertized. Someone read couple bible readings. Told that other groups waiting, to leave fast & come back (over 2 hours away) in couple weeks & should be buried. Body & flowers went where? Hideous experience. Tempted to retrieve & go elsewhere. Could not get real answers before choosing.

I found this on the old Route 66 mini road trip and I had no idea that this was even on my drive…read moreafter looking and planning my road trip so I had to stop. The ALNC is almost a 1000 acres with nice uniform tomb stones from any angle that is so cool and perfect with all the contours of the small hills and dips of the land. I stopped by on a Sunday and although the property was open for visitors the building were closed but it was still a cool place to visit. ALNC is a national cemetery available to all armed service members and family depending on eligibility and requirements and for the full experience you have to go Monday to Friday 8 to 4:30 except on federal holidays.

No tour was available. Looks well maintained. Not worth the trip unless you are in the immediate…read morevicinity.

On December 5th, Walt Disney would have been 115 years old! Crazy to think he died 50 years ago at…read morejust 65. On December 5th, they did a little party type of thing outside the house to celebrate. Walt started his magical journey (ie was born) on the 2nd floor of this home. That's just crazy to think about! Walt's parents actual bought the land, then designed and built the home from the ground up! Walt's family ended up moving to Missouri when he was 4 or 5 years old...but it all started with a man born in Chicago who would make a mouse! As a Disney enthusiast, I wanted to roll by and check the place out. They are currently in the process of restoring the home to it's 1901 state when Walt was born. However it was neglected for years! The current owners are Disney people and on board with the historical significance, planning to do great things! Read more in this great Trib article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-walt-disney-house-20150807-story.html A few days ago on Walt's birthday, they unveiled the new honorary street sign Disney Family Avenue! I just love it! This home needs to be marked as an official Historical Landmark. Let's do this Chi City!

Super SUPER cool theater and great prices (if you go on Tuesday). Love that the box office is on…read moreone of the upper levels, and you have to keep going up the ramp to get to the theaters! Never seen a movie in a place like that before and it's pretty unique. Saw a movie there last Tuesday with family. We signed up for the membership and go tickets for about $7 each which is pretty good. There's a lot more space that I was expecting in each theater, and our movie was packed. Definitely going to consider getting tickets online next time so we can get better seats. I recommend this spot if you live in the area and want to see a movie!!

It has been a very long time since I've been to a movie theater. With a desire to support local…read morebusinesses, we headed to neighborhood Landmark Theater. Little did I know we were in for such a treat. There's a nice lounge area, full service bar in addition to the standard concession stand. The seats recline, the sound is great Landmark Theatre offers validated parking and several specials during the week. Great experience overall!

I learned so much today! The mansion history was very interesting and the history about Ottawa was…read morefascinating too. The tour was ten dollars and was well worth it. I was told Christmas is a really great time to visit. I didn't even know about this mansion until a few days ago. I searched for other things around Starved Rock and foind the mansion. It was the best part of the day.

Beautiful turn of the century home. The docent was very knowledgeable (maybe a bit too…read moreknowledgeable). She shared the history of the home, it's pervious uses and work being done to restore it to the time of the Reddick family's occupancy. We stopped as an activity during a road trip but had to leave a before the end of the tour to get back on the road. The home had beautiful plaster detail, original wood work, windows, doors, and fireplaces. Definitely worth visiting to appreciate the architecture of days gone by.

Its actually good , quiet , enjoyed my movie It was low-key…read moreempty but also we went late around 7 so , that kinda make sense

This movie theater's really cute. I think it's a hidden gem in the Glen. Located right next to Yard…read moreHouse in Glenview, IL. The guy was very helpful getting me a cup for water and had the whold theater to myself. Definitely coming back.

It's an awesome place to visit. There was memorabilia there from my high school teacher and also…read morefrom my cousin. I was really impressed

From the owner: Grundy County History Museum--contains exhibits depicting the history of Grundy County . Located…read morealong the historic Illinois & Michigan Canal.

I really enjoyed this stop in my trip down Route 66. When I showed ip with my Pops the place was…read moreclosed so we took some time walking around and snapping a few photos when a vehicle suddenly pulled up behind mine. Ton jumped out and introduced himself as the owner - asked our names, where we were from, gave us a bunch of history on the place and the area, all before we even went inside! Inside was something else! It's very Coca-Cola focused but it's quite a site to behold. Frankly my favorite part of the stop was getting a chance to chat with Tom and feel hos excitement and energy around the Route and its history. He provided us with some Route books that came in super helpful and gave us tips for the trip. Wonderful stop.

Very cool place I walked too after visiting the two cell jail. It's a great route 66 attraction as…read morewell as a Coke Collectors dream that I'm sure they'll drive hundreds of miles to visit. You can go inside to my knowledge which we were unable to do but it's definitely an awe inspiring building