7 Weird and Wonderful Things Illinois is Known For
Record-breaking, shriek-inducing, heart-racing, snack-munching, and walking in the footsteps of movie stars. From WTF to LOL, this is life in Illinois.
This isn't just any ordinary road trip you're about to take, it's a road trip to see some of the things that make Illinois unique.
7 Weird and Wonderful Things Illinois Is Known For
1. The Small Town of Casey, Illinois Holds 12 World Records
A tiny town in East Central Illinois, tucked between St. Louis, Missouri, and Indianapolis, Indiana with a population of just over 2,500 has quite a global reputation.
A reputation nobody would ever imagine could be true.
Guinness World Record Holders in Casey, Illinois:
- World's Largest Wind Chime
- World's Largest Golf Tee
- World's Largest Pitchfork
- World's Largest Rocking Chair
- World's Largest Wooden Shoes
- World's Largest Mailbox
- World's Largest Gavel
- World's Largest Truck Key
- World's Largest Barbershop Pole
- World's Largest Teeter Totter
- World's Largest Golf Driver
- World's Largest Swizzle Spoon
Here a some of the BIG things you'll see in Casey. You'll find some other interesting facts about Casey, including one thing that all these big items have in common when you click HERE.
RELATED: Small Town of Under 3,000 Just Dubbed IL’s Most Underrated Town
2. Illinois Has 9 Offical State Animals
There seems to be no limit to how many state animals a state can have.n New York has 10 state animals, Texas has 8, and Illinois and California have 9 state animals
The states of Iowa and Indiana have zero designated state animals. See what I mean, the 'state animal' thing is all pretty arbitrary.
Can you name all 9 of Illinois' official state animals, they're all in the photo below.
There's one official animal that is actually the official state fossil, but it once was a shriek-inducing prehistoric sea creature with a strange and jagged mouth.
If you can't name them all, you could click here for the full list of official Illinois state animals.
3. Chester, Illinois is the Home of Popeye
This little southern Illinois town just topped the list of the cheapest and safest places to live in Illinois list. Chester has an incredibly low crime rate and it's safer than 81% of cities in America.
Then there's the fun fact that Popeye's creator, Elzie C. Segar, was a resident of Chester when she created Popeye. There are more than a dozen tribute murals and monuments all over town.
RELATED: One of the Most Beautiful Drives in the U.S. is This 33 Miles of IL Road
4. One of the Best Rollercoasters in the World is In Illinois
My life was forever changed when I rode this world-record-breaking Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Great America theme park in Gurnee, Illinois.
Travel + Leisure chose the coaster Goliath, "the most extreme coaster of its kind, providing an adrenaline rush like no other." The travel site actually ranked the 19 Best Rollercoasters Around the World and Goliath is one of only six in the United States to make the list.
Goliath holds three world records, the world's fastest wooden coaster (72 mph), the world's tallest drop for a wooden coaster (180 feet), and the world's steepest drop for a wooden coaster at a near-vertical 85 degrees.
5. Twinkies were invented in Schiller Park, Illinois
Just outside Chicago, in Schiller Park, one of America's most beloved treats was created.
It turns out that it's not as loved as you'd think, as it recently made the list of the Worst Rated Desserts in the World.
6. World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois
To get to the lid of this giant bottle, you'll need to climb 170 feet. Built in 1949, this catsup bottle roadside attraction in Collinsville is dubbed one of America's Most Unusual Things.
RELATED: 5 Unspoken Rules of the Chicago Dog and Best Places in IL to Get One
7. Walk in Bill Murray's footsteps in Woodstock, Illinois
Stay at Illinois' Famous Cherry Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast which was featured in Bill Murray's 1993 movie, Groundhog Day. YOu can even stay in the same suite he did. Many parts of the movie were also filmed around the town of Woodstock, also.
The town of Woodstock, Illinois throws quite a winter festival for Groundhog Day every year.
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