Learning and Fun in Family-Friendly Illinois (continued)

15) Does it play in Peoria? – The city of Peoria, accurately or not, has long been shorthand for mainstream America – to see why, take one of the four different themed historic trolley tours of the city, or ride the stern-driven paddle wheeler “Spirit of Peoria” riverboat. There’s certainly something quintessentially American about the city’s June Steamboat Festival that celebrates everything about living on the Illinois River. Naturalists at nearby Wildlife Prairie State Park help visitors get up close and personal with bison, eagles, elk and most native animals that have called Illinois home.

16)  Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor – In 1848, the 97-mile-long I&M canal opened, finally allowing goods and people to move smoothly between Lake Michigan and Chicago down the Illinois River and onward to the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. It helped make not only Chicago a trade boomtown, but also many towns that sprouted along the Canal. Today, visit the Hands-on History Gallery in the I&M Canal Visitor Center in Lockport, especially during the Old Canal Days heritage festival in June. Romeoville’s Isle a la Cache Museum has Sunday Nature Tales and Trails for children, and ride a real horse-pulled canal boat in LaSalle, with a story-telling pioneer captain. 

17) Chicago theater – The city of Chicago has a long tradition of unique and innovative theater. The prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre Company has Young Adult Productions and the MaTEENe matinee performances for teens. The Second City comedy theater was the launch pad for much of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast, but it’s not all adult humor; there are improv workshops for K-12 and special comic revues like “Short Detention Span” geared to grades 6-12.  For just a taste of theater magic, most blockbuster Broadway in Chicago productions offer backstage tours with cast members to see props and ask questions.

18) Kohl Children’s Museum – Located in Glenview, this museum is designed to promote the value of interactive play in learning. 17 hands-on exhibits engage children from birth to age 8 – create a child-sized house, learn about musical melodies, operate a local Dominick’s grocery store and take care of (play) animals as a veterinarian.

19) McCormick Freedom Museum – Located in the same building as Chicago’s main newspaper, the Tribune, this museum tells the story of free speech, the importance of the First Amendment, the expansion of voting rights and the role of foundation documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Through interactive exhibits that pose scenarios and questions, visitors define for themselves exactly what freedom means and how it applies to our society.