No Overseas Travel Needed: Check Out The 7 Wonders Of Illinois

Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World (The Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus, Temple of Artemis, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria).

The other day, as I watched the umpteenth YouTube video on the topic, my wife suggested that since I write about Illinois so often, I should look into the idea and see if there are 7 Wonders of Illinois.

At least that's what I was told she said. As a typical husband, I was watching TV and not listening.

We May Not Be Ancient Here In Illinois, But We're Old Enough To Have Some Wonders Of Our Own

Maybe we're not ancient throughout the state, but Cahokia Mounds dates all the way back to A.D. 700. If you have a friend or family member that has been around since A.D. 700, it would be fair to call them ancient, I guess.

Anyway, back in 2007, the Illinois Board of Tourism (EnjoyIllinois.com) announced the winners of its new "Seven Wonders of Illinois" promotion, which the public began voting on in February of that year.

The winners, one for each of seven regions, include five nature sites, one temple, and a baseball stadium.

No Matter The Topic, Lists About The Top Anything Always Prompts Some Arguments

When EnjoyIllinois.com got this promotion up and running, they wisely decided that there would be no rules on what "wonders" could be nominated. That might be why Chester, Illinois' Popeye statue was where a few votes went.

Looking at the winners of the 7 Wonders Of Illinois promotion, it sure looks like Illinois' natural wonders were on the minds of many voters.

Here are the things and places that make up the 7 Wonders Of Illinois:

Starved Rock State Park (Northern Region)

(Make sure you check out this piece on the horrifying reason behind Starved Rock's name)

Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello (Central Region)

Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island (Western Region)

Rend Lake, Benton (Southern Region)

Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Following A 33-Mile Strip Of River Through Alton, Grafton, Hartford And Elsah (Southwest Region)

Wrigley Field (Chicago Region)

Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette (Chicagoland Region)