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Break the mold with these under-the-radar, kitschy or otherwise unique trips within a few hours’ drive of Chicago.
When it comes to a much needed escape from the city, there are countless day trips from Chicago if time doesn’t allow for a full weekend getaway. And luckily for the adventurous and curious, there are plenty of opportunities to swap typical activities like kicking back with brews for hiking among bison or spelunking in an ancient cave. Many sites and experiences within driving distance of Chicago take you far beyond the norm, from year-round Christmas at an amusement park to (not so similar) replicas of some of the world’s most celebrated cultural sites. Midwesterners may love their weekend lake house tradition, but they also love the wacky, meaningful and unexpected. Here are the most unique day trips from Chicago.
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The most unique day trips from Chicago
1. Explore the country’s largest magic museum
Driving time from Chicago: About three hours
You’ll find everything from obscure conjuring tomes to equipment used in Harry Houdini’s most famous escape acts at the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, home to the biggest collection of magic ephemera in the United States. With more than 350,000 artifacts onsite, there’s more than enough magical entertainment to fill an afternoon: Take a self-guided tour through magic history, try to squeeze into a replica of Houdini’s Milk Can Escape or book an appointment at the museum’s Lund Memorial Library to pore over archival materials.
2. Spot bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Driving time from Chicago: About one hour
Want to get a firsthand look at why Illinois is nicknamed the Prairie State? Take a trip southwest of the city to Will County, where a herd of bison roam the 9,000-acre expanses of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie as part of an ongoing habitat restoration project (the area once housed the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant and bunkers still remain). Spotting the herd isn’t a sure thing—it’s a massive park, after all—so you’re best off bringing a pair of binoculars and starting at the Iron Bridge Trailhead, which puts you closest to the bison pasture area.
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