Tour guides are wonderful! Very friendly and knowledgeable. More than happy to spend as much time…read moreas you need answering questions and adding extra interesting bits of information.

Really cool. I recently did the evening tour which ends when the sun is almost gone for the day…read more The guided tour itself is really informative, you get 90 minutes of history and walk a total of about a mile inside the old prison grounds. You get to walk inside the West cellblock and a few other buildings. Sadly, several of them were burned by morons during the period between 2003-2017 when this was totally vacant and unused. But funding comes in little by little to make repairs. The old portion of the prison was designed by the same architect who designed the famous Chicago water tower. There are some newer elements as renovations were done in the 1950s and 1990s. The docents are very knowledgeable and have good stories to tell about the infamous former inhabitants of the prison. If you want to save a little money you can do a self guided tour as well.

Loved the Growing Up Gen X exhibit! I didn't even know this branch of the Illinois museum existed…read moreuntil a post from the museum about the Gen X exhibit popped up on my Facebook feed the other day. I had missed this exhibit when it was in Springfield last year and was so happy to catch it closer to home. The entire exhibit was very well done and it was fun to show my teen things I had or used at her age. My fellow Gen X friend enjoyed it too. John was so knowledgeable about upcoming museum and town activities that I now have a list of things I want to attend in the near future. I saved the Facebook event to attend their upcoming Ferris Bueller movie showing event in a few weeks. I'm interesting in seeing the fine arts exhibit that will be replacing this one in a few weeks too.

Recently came here, what an amazing place to see a constant rotation of ever changing art every…read moremonth. There's no entry fee but donations are what keep this place going. Easy to park but it has limited hours, staff here is absolutely friendly and knowledgeable. It's very quiet and peaceful so nobody will really be bothered. If you're visiting the area too, it's great to get off at the metra stop nearby.

I ordered 2 golden passports for our Route 66 trip that was supposed to arrive in two days. It's…read morenow three days and the items have yet to ship. I emailed customer service twice and have yet to receive a reply. We needed them for our departure on Monday, and the 2-day shipping is what sold me on buying them from this place, now it appears I wasted $56.00. The Rock & Roll Museum did reach out to me and offered to give me two replacement books if I'm able to stop by on our way to California. I do appreciate that they looked into the issue and are willing to help us out. Thanks.

Can't wait to come back when they add another floor! Love our rock and roll, thank you for sharing…read morememories for us all to see!

I dig museums, and this one isn't much but it's not a bad stop if you're in the area. It's a very…read morevery small museum but it does tell some of the history of the area, and that was interesting to learn a bit more about that older history, particularly the native peoples in the area. I visited because the Journeys exhibit sounded interesting, and it was small but well done. I think the other half of the exhibit, that goes more into depth about the Potawatomi, the area pre-colonization, and the overharvesting of beavers and other animals in the area, is a permanent exhibit. That was actually more interesting overall than the Journeys exhibit for me but that's mostly because I knew less of that history and information. It was cool to see an example of a Three Sisters garden, which was method of agriculture used by native folks. There's a game I love called Three Sisters and it is based upon these concepts. Squash, corn, and beans are the "three sisters"; they're known as this because of their symbiotic relationship. The corn stalks give the beans a structure upon which to climb and grow, and the nutrients in the beans nourish the soil. The squash--specifically, the leaves--provide ground cover and keep pests at bay. It's so fascinating to learn about some of these techniques that aren't practiced as much in modern day society. Not inside the museum but outside is a longhouse, a cabin, and possibly in the growing season an example of a three sisters garden. There's also walking trails and what looked like a picnic area. There's a reasonably large parking lot as well.

We went to Isle a la Cache on the day after Thanksgiving and we were disappointed to learn that the…read moremuseum and buildings were closed! With kids off from school, it seemed odd that it was shuttered for the day. That said, we walked the trails and read the educational signage. Very clean and trails are either paved, planked, or groomed. It's a nice little nature park, and we will probably try a visit again when the buildings are open. Hopefully the star rating will improve once we are able to access the exhibits!

If you are a Blues Brothers fan, or a fan of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, you will enjoy…read moreviewing the old, no-longer-in-business Joliet Prison. It dominates the landscape! You can't go inside (too bad - I would be willing to pay for tours!) but you can park in a lot, walk around outside the imposing walls, peer into a few windows and through the fences, and read the large interpretive signs. If you are in Joliet, or "doing" Route 66, this is definitely a stop to make. It will make you ponder crime and punishment in the USA.

While this says "museum", it is two train cars sitting on a small train track. There are signs…read moreshowing fun facts about the area and a small parking lot. Overall it's a great little side quest to visit if you're in the area. Since it is all outside, there is no actual opening or closing time.

I really wouldn't call this a museum, it's more like looking at preserved history. Off of the minor…read moreroute 66 alignment you'll find this caboose and this very rare train station (it was originally placed a mile and a half from this site) and you can read all of the history that's has been beautifully preserved here. It has parking and it's welcomed for patrons too if you're going to eat at the place next door. Highly recommend for history buffs like myself!

One of the best hidden gems in Illinois! Perfect for both…read morekids and adults -- from the very first moment, you feel connected to the past. Tim is the heart of this place! His passion for classic cars and the way he shares their stories is absolutely inspiring. We had such a great time -- we'll definitely come back and highly recommend it to everyone!

We haven't been there recently but are definitely planning a return visit. Just loved it I think…read morethe gentleman giving us the tour was having as much fun as we were especially when my husband told him he was a mechanic and was building a Model-T frame and all.