If "spooky" is your idea of a good time then the unearthly spirits in Illinois aim to please. The Land of Lincoln has plenty of haunted locales, ghostly gatherings and supernatural adventures you won't want to miss.  Here is your guide to Illinois' spookiest places.   Chicago's spooky adventures The Ghosts of Prairie Avenue, Chicago More than a few homes on Prairie Avenue are haunted. You’ll find a famous architect, a music magnate’s wife, a prominent local hatter, carriage horses, and the son of a department store mogul still roaming around. The Golden Dagger, Chicago Formerly kn ..read more

One year after Illinois became the first state in the nation to abolish cash bail, the consequences are clear—public safety is being compromised, and the system is failing the very people it was supposed to protect. The implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act, which went into effect on September 18, 2023, has sparked significant concern among citizens and law enforcement. The act has left communities vulnerable and undermined the authority of the courts to hold dangerous criminals accountable for their crimes. The SAFE-T Act, passed in January 2021 and later signed by Governor J.B. Pritz ..read more

Welcome to our "3 Things You Didn't Know About" series. Our aim is to help you get to know your legislators a little better.  ________________________________________________________ Here are three things you didn't know about Illinois State Representative Dennis Tipsword:  1. Family Lineage Runs Deep Rep. Tipsword has been married to his wife Betsy for more than 30 years and resided in Woodford County his entire life. The Tipsword family continues to grow, with seven grandchildren currently. The Tipsword name originated with his seventh great-grandfather and continues with his ..read more

CORRUPTION ‘Everyone in the system is beholden to the speaker’: Opening statements kick off trial of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan. AT&T Illinois had tried for years to win powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan’s support for a bill ending mandated landline service, but it wasn’t until the company’s president agreed to secretly pay thousands of dollars to a Madigan associate for a do-nothing contract that the deal got done, federal prosecutors told a jury Wednesday. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a case about a corporate executive paying off the most powerful politician in ..read more

Illinois is home to an array of apple orchards that offer a delicious harvest and fun-filled adventures for the whole family. Across the state, orchards open their gates to visitors eager to enjoy crisp autumn days filled with apple picking, hayrides, and tasty treats. Illinois’ apple orchards are a significant part of the state’s agricultural landscape. With over 1,000 acres dedicated to apple orchards, Illinois ranks among the top 25 apple-producing states in the country. Popular varieties grown across the state include Honeycrisp, Gala, and Jonathan, which thrive in the state’s fertile so ..read more

Last month, in a special dedication ceremony, the Peoria Riverfront Museum unveiled display cases that would ultimately feature duck decoys. But it wasn’t the decoys that were the subject of the celebration. It was unprecedented collaboration that resulted in the first business deal in generations between a central Illinois entity and the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. Members of The Peoria Tribe hand-crafted the 14 state-of-the-art display cases to house some of the finest museum-quality duck decoys in the world, including those on loan from New York’s American Folk Art Museum. Chief ..read more

23 years ago, on a September morning that seemed like any other, America was forever changed. It’s a day etched into the collective memory of all of us, a day when the world stood still, watching as the unthinkable unfolded. The events of September 11, 2001, shook us to our core, but they also revealed the indomitable spirit of a nation bound together by resilience, courage, and unity.As we reflect on that day, we honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost—innocent men, women, and children who had no idea their lives would be cut short. They came from all walks of life—business professionals, first re ..read more

Anyone who has visited the Illinois State Capitol in the past couple of years has noticed a lot of construction. The north wing of the Capitol is currently in the midst of a three-year renovation project which will bring the historic building into the 21st century while preserving its 19th century atmosphere and décor. The current round of renovations follows a complete revamp of the House and Senate chambers back in 2006-2007 and a large-scale rebuild of the west wing of the building in 2011-2012. It was that west wing renovation which led to the installation of the last part of the archit ..read more

Route 66 was an iconic highway that captured the imagination of the American traveler and made for the quintessential road trip.  U.S. Highway 66 operated as a federal highway from 1926 until its decommissioning in 1985. In celebration of the historic highway's 100th anniversary in 2026,  the Illinois State Museum is collecting stories from individuals who experienced the Illinois leg of the original Route 66.  For nearly 60 years, Route 66 took travelers seamlessly through eight states and was touted as the shortest year-round route linking the Midwest to the Pacific ..read more

FLAG OF ILLINOIS Process begins to accept public suggestions for possible new Illinois state flag. The Flag of Illinois, which is the State seal on a white background (“field”) with the name “Illinois” under the seal, has bene in place since 1970. A key element of the flag, the State seal, was adopted in 1869. This 1869 state seal is an old-fashioned emblem, influence by the heraldic tradition of European aristocracy, which was adopted after the successful end of America’s Civil War. The seal draws a complicated picture that includes a triumphant eagle with an American shield, the State motto ..read more