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All the United States Illinois Des Plaines

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Des Plaines

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Des Plaines, Illinois

Updated March 26, 2021
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Unusual Attractions in Des Plaines

Wide shot of the front; around where the students got picked up from detention and said their goodbyes.

Des Plaines, Illinois

Maine North High School

Where a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse met one Saturday and changed their lives forever.
Square Deal Shoe Store

Des Plaines, Illinois

Square Deal Shoe Store

This historic store hides a museum exhibiting a shoe-sizing x-ray machine and a pair of kicks that once belonged to the world's tallest man.
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Scrabble Grave, Helen Cornelius Bowden

Park Ridge, Illinois

Scrabble Grave

A board game enthusiast's love for the game, memorialized forever.
2 miles from Des Plaines
Pickwick

Park Ridge, Illinois

Pickwick Theatre

A towering Art Deco movie palace made to look like a Mayan temple.
3 miles from Des Plaines
Fried, meat-filled khuushuur pastries with two kinds of chilled salad.

Morton Grove, Illinois

Mazalae Mongolian Restaurant

Just outside Chicago, one of the few traditional Mongolian restaurants in the U.S. serves a misunderstood cuisine.
4 miles from Des Plaines

Niles, Illinois

Leaning Tower of Niles

Half-sized replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa built to honor Galileo.
5 miles from Des Plaines
The iconic rooftop statues.

Chicago, Illinois

Superdawg Drive-In

Chicago’s last original drive-in restaurant is a family-run hot dog joint that started in 1948.
5 miles from Des Plaines
See All 3 Things To Do in Des Plaines

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Des Plaines

Permanently Closed
McDonald’s First Store Museum

Des Plaines, Illinois

McDonald's First Store Museum

Despite its name, this fast food museum is actually a replica of the ninth McDonald's store.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Des Plaines, Illinois

Film Locations 1
Museums 1
Food 1
Shops 1
Food Museums 1
Shoes 1
World's Tallest 1
Mcdonalds 1
Schools 1
Illinois Obscura Society 1
Movie Sets 1

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Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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