Places aerynriver Wants to Go

Collective made up of artists, musicians, and activists.

Taxidermy and miniatures come together to create this unique museum.

The world's oldest operating jazz club has been in operation since May 1934.

This enchanting forest trail leads to ethereal abodes and a giant bird's nest.

One man’s vision of living among dinosaurs credits Jesus Christ as the engine of biological evolution.

The remains of a religious colony, its amusement park, zoo, and baseball empire.

The writing studio of an American adventure author, built in the style of a medieval castle.

Island where motor vehicles are banned -- home to the only carless highway in the United States.

Largest magic museum in the United States with more than half a million pieces of memorabilia.

Strange physical sensations and optical contradictions keep visitors coming back for more.

This national park on the shore of Lake Michigan features remarkable dunes that lie at the heart of a Chippewa legend.

A wacky two-story folk-art assemblage of carved and found objects, with lights, motion, and sound now in need of financial support.

Astounding collection of coin-operated games and automata.

Legs Inn provides Polish food, a cornucopia of Odawa artwork, wood carvings, and mounted deer heads.

Located in a Civil War era building, this café is engrained with the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe.

Once a bastion of its community, this gothic cathedral now stands as a haunting ruin.

This sprawling bookstore spans four floors and has more than a million books in stock.

The remains of an abandoned dinosaur theme park litter the woods just off the highway.

This lush 12-acre site was once named the finest Japanese garden in North America.

A historic and oft-filmed prison stands in a Chicago suburb.

A small Chicago museum filled with thousands of preserved butterflies, beetles, and more.

This abandoned 19th century orphanage started as a boarding school for children of Civil War veterans.

Once known as the Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane.

The overgrown remains of a folly temple/playhouse, in an unmaintained section of a Dupage County Forest Preserve.