Here at Only in Illinois, we like to profile small towns that you may not know about, but you totally should. These 10 small towns may not have been on your radar, but we hope they are now!
- Monticello
Katherine Johnson/Flickr Located about a half hour from Champaign-Urbana, Monticello is a town full of historic charm. You will enjoy the Monticello Railway Museum.
- Chatham
Maliwhite10/Wikimedia Pictured here is the Sugar Creek Covered Bridge, one of the few covered bridges in Illinois. Chatham is also home to Interurban Trail, a fantastic Rails To Trails trail that is mixed-use.
- Cary
Cosmo1976/Wikimedia Cary is a small town in McHenry County. A nice community makes this a swell place to live. There isn’t a lot going on here in the way of nightlife, but you should go to Tracks and eat some of the best burgers ever on the patio.
- Rantoul
Adam Moss/Flickr Rantoul is a charming town in central Illinois. Key things to do are Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum and Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch.
- Alton
Vicki Timman/Flickr Alton is a small town home to some big things: well, literally, it was the home to the tallest man ever. It also is home to a lot of haunted places, and you can take a haunted tour to explore them all.
- Red Bud
Nyttend/Wikimedia Red Bud gets its name from the trees that line its streets. Things to do here include the Red Bud Area Museum and the Opera House Bistro.
- Pittsfield
Mingusboodle/Wikimedia Pittsfield calls itself the “Pork Capital of the Midwest,” and it hosts an annual “Pig Days Festival.” It is home to the Pike County Courthouse, made of Cleveland sandstone, which is noted as one of the prettiest courthouses in the state.
- Pinckneyville
Nyttend/Flickr This town has history dating back to the American Revolutionary War. You can learn all about the history at the Illinois Rural Heritage museum.
- Paxton
Dual Freq/Wikimedia Paxton was founded in 1859, making it over 150 years old. This town might make you want to take a leap…from a plane, that is. Check out the Illinois Skydiving Center.
- Beardstown
ryan griffis/Flickr This town was home to the famous Lincoln/Douglas debate at the Beardstown Courthouse. It offers some stunning views of the Illinois River.
Are you from any of these towns?
Katherine Johnson/Flickr
Located about a half hour from Champaign-Urbana, Monticello is a town full of historic charm. You will enjoy the Monticello Railway Museum.
Maliwhite10/Wikimedia
Pictured here is the Sugar Creek Covered Bridge, one of the few covered bridges in Illinois. Chatham is also home to Interurban Trail, a fantastic Rails To Trails trail that is mixed-use.
Cosmo1976/Wikimedia
Cary is a small town in McHenry County. A nice community makes this a swell place to live. There isn’t a lot going on here in the way of nightlife, but you should go to Tracks and eat some of the best burgers ever on the patio.
Adam Moss/Flickr
Rantoul is a charming town in central Illinois. Key things to do are Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum and Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch.
Vicki Timman/Flickr
Alton is a small town home to some big things: well, literally, it was the home to the tallest man ever. It also is home to a lot of haunted places, and you can take a haunted tour to explore them all.
Nyttend/Wikimedia
Red Bud gets its name from the trees that line its streets. Things to do here include the Red Bud Area Museum and the Opera House Bistro.
Mingusboodle/Wikimedia
Pittsfield calls itself the “Pork Capital of the Midwest,” and it hosts an annual “Pig Days Festival.” It is home to the Pike County Courthouse, made of Cleveland sandstone, which is noted as one of the prettiest courthouses in the state.
Nyttend/Flickr
This town has history dating back to the American Revolutionary War. You can learn all about the history at the Illinois Rural Heritage museum.
Dual Freq/Wikimedia
Paxton was founded in 1859, making it over 150 years old. This town might make you want to take a leap…from a plane, that is. Check out the Illinois Skydiving Center.
ryan griffis/Flickr
This town was home to the famous Lincoln/Douglas debate at the Beardstown Courthouse. It offers some stunning views of the Illinois River.
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