CityDays guide to
99 Things to Do in Illinois (IL) (2026)
Discover Secret Illinois: hidden places off the beaten track, historical oddities, quirky bars, sites of the unusual and the unknown.
Discover Secret Illinois: hidden places off the beaten track, historical oddities, quirky bars, sites of the unusual and the unknown.
Unique experiences to share with your partner, friends, family or colleagues. Immerse yourself in and discover it's secrets.
Featured articles to showcase the best places has to offer, no affiliate links here, just our recommendations.
A curated list of cool, hidden and unusual things to do in . Explore unique places full history, intrigure and secrecy - dive in and explore some great hidden gems.
The Baha’i Temple in Chicago is the only one of its kind in America.
Oak Street Beach: Who said the Windy City couldn’t provide the perfect beachfront destination?!
Graceland Cemetery: A daughter of the 19th century rural cemetery movement, which sought to beautify burial grounds.
Follow the yellow brick road right into the world of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at Oz Park in Chicago.
Glessner House: One of the final masterpieces of the Richardsonian pioneer.
Chicago is incredibly proud of its street art scene along the Wabash Arts Corridor.
Shit Fountain: a fountain in the shape of a shit? Yep, you guessed it!
Randolph Street Market: A treasure trove of antiques, vintage trinkets, jewellery, mouthwatering local cuisines, and ma…
All Illinois (IL)'s amazing hidden gems in one place
What have CityDays adventurers been up to?
A lot of fun, took us a while as we kept stopping for drinks enroute. Only gripe was that we got stuck on a couple of clues as didnt really understand American streets, one clue asked for a place and we wandered around for ages and it wasnt until we checked google maps and learnt that american street signs sometimes just say a name without Place, Road, Street etc after jt, so got a tad confused. Other than that pretty fun day out.
A lot of fun, took us a while as we kept stopping for drinks enroute. Only gripe was that we got stuck on a couple of clues as didnt really understand American streets, one clue asked for a place and we wandered around for ages and it wasnt until we checked google maps and learnt that american street signs sometimes just say a name without Place, Road, Street etc after jt, so got a tad confused. Other than that pretty fun day out.
The first 2 were very difficult to find, specially the one in Levi’s plaza, we couldn’t even find the answer once we had it. We had a 13 and 11 years old and they were discouraged. We eventually started getting the rest and then it was super fun
So fun!
We got lost so many times it ended up being frustrating. Still a good intro to the city and glad we made it to the end!
This was by far the best way to enjoy the city. I have visited many times and am obsessed with NYC. It never fails to leave me amazed and show me something new. The Devil in Chelsea scavenger hunt was no exception. Such a fun way to see the different sites, uncovering clues and understanding what makes the findings unique. We will definitely try out the other areas when we visit. 10 out of 10 recommend
