21 Sep 2012

Experience Fall in Illinois

By Illinois Office of Tourism

Find everything from family fun to romantic retreats set against the fall colors of Illinois. Savor sweeping vistas and local wines of a scenic vineyard. Discover thrills?and fall colors?on a roller coaster. Tour a haunted town. Or take a scenic journey back in time along Route 66. Along the way, save on everything from hotels to local attractions with fall deals that make getting away even easier.

			Wine Fests Savor Illinois Wine Country at the Annual Wine & Art Festival (10/6-7), Mackinaw Valley Vineyard Wine and Chocolate Tasting (10/14) and Wine Dine Jazz (10/19-20).				Ghost Tours Experience the spooky side of fall at the Savanna Haunted Forest Festival (10/6-27), Haunted Decatur, Terror on the Railroad, Springfield Walks and Trail of Terror.

			Fall Color Tours Enjoy the fall colors during a scenic drive, hike, or festival at Starved Rock State Park, Union Country Colorfest, or the Great River Road, McHenry County Autumn Drive, or Pike County Color Drive.				Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit (Opening 10/25) Visit Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry for a playful look at the inspiration behind Peanuts and its unique cast of characters.

			Corn Mazes Twist and turn your way through The World's Largest Corn Maze, The Great Godfrey Maze, and Bandy's Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze.				Find plenty of ways to save this fall with deals on everything from hotels to local attractions.

Medinah plays host to The Ryder Cup, golf's most patriotic and prestigious international team competition, September 25-30.

Enjoy the spooky fun of Six Flags Great America Fright Fest, September 29-October 30.

Tour log homes after dark alongside interpreters in period clothing during Lincoln's New Salem Candlelight Tour,
October 5-6.

Visit 18th century Illinois during the Fort Massac Encampment with two days full of costumed battle re-enactments, craftsman demonstrations and more,
October 20-21.

Plan the most colorful time to get away in Illinois with our weekly fall color reports.

Download the 2012 Illinois Travel Guide to your iPad.

Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen owns over 2,000 guitars. See the best of his collection and more during the Rick's Picks exhibit at Rockford's Burpee Nature Museum, now through 4/13.

More than 80 percent of the world's canned pumpkins are processed in Morton, Illinois.

Now is the perfect time to discover why Alton, Illinois, is known as the most haunted town in America.

Photo by John Smith, courtesy of National Scenic Byways Online

Explore mile after magnificent mile of brilliant fall colors statewide as you travel Illinois' scenic byways.

Route 66 Take a trip down the Mother Road for a nostalgic, and often quirky, look at America.		Illinois River Road Over 100 nature-based destinations dot this byway that hugs the Illinois River.
Illinois Lincoln Highway Discover notable presidential sites and a unique park for railroad buffs.		Illinois National Road See everything from a landmark train depot to an ancient Native American city.
Great River Road Take in charming river towns as you wind along the Mighty Mississippi.		Meeting of the Great Rivers See views of chiseled limestone bluffs and the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers.
Ohio River Scenic Byway Roll through the Ohio River Valley and skirt along the Shawnee National Forest.

Travel & Tourism

Author

Rick Martin

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