Two Rockford Spots Made the 'Best Things To Do In Illinois' List

There are a lot of options for things to do in Illinois, that is a given. (Chicago, duh.) But Rockford has a lot to offer too.

It's hard to argue Chicago landing on a "Best Things To Do In Illinois" list multiple times. It's an international tourist stop and one of the biggest cities in the United States. Restaurants, shopping, sports, adventures, concerts, museums, zoos, there is a TON to do in the Windy City.

I found a list of the top 25 things to do in Illinois and immediately wondered if Rockford made the list and, if so, how many times. Then I guessed which spots could take the lead over the hundreds of possible things to do in Illinois.

A FEW ROCKFORD ATTRACTIONS WORTH MENTION

I made a quick note of Rockford stops could make the list. Klehm Arboretum, Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, Anderson Japanese Gardens, our museums downtown, Rock Cut State Park, the possibilities can create a long guessing game.

I was pleasantly surprised to find two different Rockford attractions on the list, one of which made the top ten.

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN ILLINOIS

The #5 spot goes to a popular presidential attraction in Galena. The U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site.

#4 honors go to the spectacular Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

Honest Abe earns Springfield the #3 spot with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

For #2 you'll need to drive to Niles for their Leaning Tower of Niles.

There's no arguing about #1, Chicago's Millennium Park.

ROCKFORD'S RECOGNITION

Rockford landed on VacationIdea.com's list twice with #21 going to Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens. And, at #6, Discovery Center Museum.

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LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.