When searching "museums to visit in Joliet" you will come across the Original Dairy Queen. This…read moredoesn't have much going on since the business is not functioning here. So you'll visit to see two plaques. If you're nearby it's fun to come see it but don't go out of your way.

It's an awesome place to visit. There was memorabilia there from my high school teacher and also…read morefrom my cousin. I was really impressed

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.

The historical society / museum is in the old Butler School, with a wooden sign out front you'll…read moresee only after you miss the turn. So when you get close and see "Butler School," turn. It's the brick school building and you enter from the side, from what looks like the handicapped entrance. The people there seemed a bit surprised to see me, but were happy to have the archivist (90 years old, been there 25 years!) give me a tour. The archives are on the ground floor where you come in; the main displays are up two flights of steps on the top floor. There's a room on the start of white settlement in the area, with a small section on the Indians who lived here before - lots of arrowheads. There is a small schoolroom section, with a small display on the old Rabbit Hill School that Butler replaced. Then a section on local worthy Michael Butler, who produced the American version of HAIR, a couple of boards of photos of local buildings and restaurants, and then the tour went into more local worthies. At this point I started getting my local families mixed up. The Butler family was very wealthy from a paper factory and Paul Butler, who founded Oak Brook (which only dates back to 1958) pal'd around with movie stars (there's a photo album; he dated Audrey Hepburn for a while; the album includes casual snaps with folks like Rock Hudson) and there's a file on when King Hussein of Jordan visited. Butler apparently donated all his papers to the museum; there are a couple of big oil portraits, and then a whole room of polo memorabilia (you can pick up a polo ball), with photos of people getting prizes from the Queen of England, and a photo of the current King of England from when he visited. The library includes books on folks with a local connection (including, to my surprise, renowned skirt / serpentine dancer Loie Fuller); there's also a book with photos of every known Oak Brook veteran, including the docent (Korean War). Back in the main part of the schoolroom there's a vitrine on the local police; a sleigh (it was December); a display on how Oak Brook was founded (in pieces in haste as the local Oak Brook Terrace Mall was going in); and a rather charming vitrine showing some of the Christmas cards that Paul Butler sent *every single resident of Oak Brook* every year. I learned a lot, though to be honest I knew nothing about Oak Brook's history (polo??) before I came. The docent was very generous and even walked me briefly through the archives (this never happens). If you want to know about Oak Brook, like snapshots of 1950s movie stars, or just want to know about the local polo connection, stop by.

Huge property well kept historical landmark buildings. Barn type hall great for large receptions…read more Wonderful place to get married!

I can't believe I haven't been coming here for years and just discovering this place this year…read more This place is a great family farm for anybody of all ages. Most of the things here are free. Pumpkins that you can pick are at very reasonable prices. Food and drinks are at reasonable prices too as well as other merchandise and other fall related things that go on here. They had a corn maze that I did not check out at all. Visiting the animals was probably one of my favorite things at the farm. It's not jam-packed like a lot of the popular locations. The only downside I would say was that the staff is a little bit untrained especially when it comes to money handling since the one cashier when I was paying for pumpkins didn't know how to count cash even though I gave him exact change. Overall, you should not pass up on this place at all. 4.5 Stars

Dollinger Family Farm does not charge admissions. We have visited for two consecutive years and we…read morewould spend about two hours each time. They have a huge play area with wooden structures such as a school bus, fire truck, and castle. My young girls enjoyed the pretend play on the vehicles and going on the slides. There is also a section with huge stacks that are perfect for climbing and taking group pictures. Some things to take note of: 1) There is a section with plenty of port-a-potties. We were there in the morning so the port-a-potties were all relatively clean and unused. 2) The food section isn't that big but service is quick. We tried the cheese pizza, poor boy, pork chop on a stick, cheeseburger, and donuts. We would definitely order the poor boy, a cube steak sandwich, and pork chop again. They did an excellent job with grilling the meats and both had a nice sear while retaining moisture. The donuts were mini-size and came in baker's dozen so it was easy for our young girls to dig in.

I still remember the first time I came here, shortly after the memorial had been erected, and last…read moreweek I visited again after nearly 20 years when I was in search for a nice, semi-quiet, green spot to escape from the world for thirty minutes to enjoy my ice cream in peace and serenity. Who knew that a little island under a busy bridge near downtown Aurora would be so perfect?! I'm only sad that I didn't think to check it out earlier in the summer. Located under the bridge on Illinois Avenue between Broadway (Rt. 25) and Lake Street (Rt. 31), one wouldn't think that it would be so easy to access, but he would be wrong! If you're heading west across the bridge you'll have to park on either end of the bridge, which basically gives you two opportunities to park; if you're heading east across the bridge you'll turn off into a parking lot about half-way across the bridge right down onto the island. If you parked on either end of the bridge, it's a short walk across the bridge, from which you'll be descending to the island within a few minutes of getting out of your car. The island itself is separated into two halves connected by a short tunnel (my nephew got a real kick out of the echoes in there), with the memorial on the northern half of the island, and the parking lot (and not much else beside a little green space) on the southern half. The memorial itself is nice, if not fairly plain and non-descript, and the grounds are neat and well maintained, with trees and benches all along the perimeter to provide shade and places to sit. I've been here twice recently and found myself all alone both times--which was really awesome--apart from my nephew and the geese, and it was surprising how quiet, serene, and picturesque it felt knowing what madness was taking place right above my head. The first time I came I sat in the shade and enjoyed my ice cream, just loving my surroundings and enjoying the views, but the last time (with my nephew) was a little more solemn, though ice cream was still involved. For anyone with veterans in the family, or anyone who feels the urge or wish to honor them, it's REALLY nice knowing that there's a memorial dedicated to them so close by. With several veterans in my family, this memorial was a wonderful way to begin introducing my nephew to some of his history--if not just history in general--and though still young, I was surprised by how many questions he had and how much he actually understood. I actually didn't think he would find it interesting or would become engaged in it, but I think there's something about not just the solemnity of the place, but particularly the interesting, massive, and otherwise functionless memorial that made him question where we were and what this place was all about. I think I would have rated this place four stars, simply because it was a great spot to escape, but how can I rate a memorial to veterans any less than five stars??? I don't think I could unless it was treated like crap and left to the elements, and this memorial is certainly well-tended, and I genuinely and unselfishly hope to see more people here, even if it means I have to share my quiet spot. So whether you're close by and just need a place to stop and take a break for a little while, or just feeling the need to go and think of, or 'honor' or whatever, a friend, loved one, or stranger, please come down to the island and visit. Oh and just a note, there isn't (unfortunately) a garbage can on the memorial side of the island, so please head through the tunnel and find a garbage can on the other side or take it back with you to dispose of properly--don't be a jerk. And even better, if you see some harmless piece of trash that won't hurt you or threaten your health to pick up, then at least maybe think about it; if you won't do it for the earth, then at least do it for the vets.

Remember those who were massacred. Learn the true story. It's online. The new park is lovely.read more

In a cornfield north of Joliet, Illinois in 1942, Dominic Romano was developing a subdivision he…read morehad called Stern Park. When he heard of the Nazi atrocity against the village of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, he renamed the development Lidice in honor of those who lost their lives at the hands of the Gestapo. It was the first town or part of a town to be named in honor of the obliterated village, others would follow around the world. (Lidice is pronounced, roughly, "LEE-de-seh".) On June 9, 1942 the Gestapo surrounded the village and on June 10, rounded up everyone. They shot all men over 16 and children were separated from their mothers. The women and all the children, except for a few that were selected for "Germanization" were sent to a concentration camp, where many perished. The Nazis demolished the village, plowed it under, desecrated the cemeteries, and even diverted the river that once flowed through the village. Any trace of Lidice was gone. After WWII came to an end, the surviving women and children returned to Lidice where a new village was built near the old one. Crest Hill is a sister city to Lidice in the Czech republic. Romano created a memorial to Lidice in 1942 and the exiled president of Czechoslovakia attended the dedication of the memorial. This memorial is one of only two in the United States dedicated to Lidice. It is not easy to find, located in the heart of Romano's development. Still, it is worth a visit to remember and honor those who died at the hands of the Nazi war machine.