There sure is plenty of natural beauty in Illinois, but there are loads of man made marvels as well. These marvels include those made thousands of years ago, those requiring advanced engineering techniques, and those created by some of the best architects in history. Read on to see these 12 Illinois marvels.
- Willis Tower
Jay Galvin/Flickr Holding the title of tallest building in the world for roughly 25 years, the Willis Tower is 1,451 feet tall. It was constructed in 1973.
- Chicago River
bradhoc/Flickr No, the river itself is thanks to nature. But the reverse flow? That was the product of ingenious engineering.
- Cahokia Mounds
Steve Moses/Flickr These mounds, located in Collinsville, were created thousands of years ago by people known as the “Mound Builders.”
- Union Station
Douglas Whitfield/Flickr Chicago-Union Station opened in 1925. It is designed in the Beaux-Arts architecture.
- Farnsworth House
jalbertgagnier/Flickr You need to drive to Plano to see this home. This modern architectural landmark was designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1951.
- Illinois State Capitol
David Wilson/Flickr The Illinois state capitol is just beautiful. It was created using a variety of styles including Greek Revival architecture, Renaissance Revival architecture, and Second Empire architecture.
- Nauvoo Illinois Temple
Brian Adams/Flickr The Nauvoo Illinois Temple is the 113th dedicated temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Bahá’í House of Worship
Adib Roy/Flickr Amazingly, this is the only Bahá’í House of Worship in the United States. You can find it in Wilmette.
- Holy Name Cathedral
Teemu008/Flickr People from all over the world visit this cathedral. It was designed by Patrick Keely in 1874.
- James R. Thompson Center
Roman Boed/Flickr This incredible building was opened in 1985. This center was designed by architect Helmut Jahn, with art in the front done by Jean Dubuffet.
- Dana-Thomas House
Patrick Emerson/Flickr The Dana-Thomas house was created by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1904. It is located in Springfield and it is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie Style.”
- The Picasso
Octavio Ruiz Cervera/Flickr This 50 foot, 160 ton masterpiece has been a part of Chicago since 1967.
What are your top Illinois man made marvels?
Jay Galvin/Flickr
Holding the title of tallest building in the world for roughly 25 years, the Willis Tower is 1,451 feet tall. It was constructed in 1973.
bradhoc/Flickr
No, the river itself is thanks to nature. But the reverse flow? That was the product of ingenious engineering.
Steve Moses/Flickr
These mounds, located in Collinsville, were created thousands of years ago by people known as the “Mound Builders.”
Douglas Whitfield/Flickr
Chicago-Union Station opened in 1925. It is designed in the Beaux-Arts architecture.
jalbertgagnier/Flickr
You need to drive to Plano to see this home. This modern architectural landmark was designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1951.
David Wilson/Flickr
The Illinois state capitol is just beautiful. It was created using a variety of styles including Greek Revival architecture, Renaissance Revival architecture, and Second Empire architecture.
Brian Adams/Flickr
The Nauvoo Illinois Temple is the 113th dedicated temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Adib Roy/Flickr
Amazingly, this is the only Bahá’í House of Worship in the United States. You can find it in Wilmette.
Teemu008/Flickr
People from all over the world visit this cathedral. It was designed by Patrick Keely in 1874.
Roman Boed/Flickr
This incredible building was opened in 1985. This center was designed by architect Helmut Jahn, with art in the front done by Jean Dubuffet.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
The Dana-Thomas house was created by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1904. It is located in Springfield and it is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie Style.”
Octavio Ruiz Cervera/Flickr
This 50 foot, 160 ton masterpiece has been a part of Chicago since 1967.
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