Whether your family prefers the outdoors or the excitement of a city amusement park, central Illinois has plenty of excitement in store for you and your kin. From bustling capital city Springfield to the pastoral Amish communities of east-central Illinois, your family will find plenty to do while smack-dab in the Prairie State.
For a variety of activities in one site, try one of Central Illinois' amusement parks. Knight's Action Park and Caribbean Water Adventure in Springfield features a driving range, batting cages, bumper boats, a wave pool and much more to keep everyone in your clan entertained. Grady's Family Fun Park in Bloomington provides mini-golf, go-karts and plenty of rides for small children.
Families can have a blast while learning at the many museums and historical sites of central Illinois. The Lincoln Trail Homestead commemorates one of Abraham Lincoln's childhood homes. The park includes spots for hiking, fishing and picnicking. The Children's Discovery Museum in Normal features loads of hands-on exhibits, including My Place, which allows children to create their own cities.
The gentle prairies of central Illinois provide plenty of old-fashioned fun for the entire family. The Prairie's Edge Farm in Rochester presents an interactive tour of a modern-day farm. The Shady Crest Orchard in Arthur is open year-round for picking fresh produce such as strawberries, sweet corn and zucchini. Every year in October, pumpkin patches such as Pumpkin Works in Paris offer a wide selection of possible jack-o'-lanterns as well as other locally grown produce, hayrides and a haunted dungeon.
Central Illinois' Amish communities in Arthur and Arcola showcase life without technology such as cars, tractors and electricity. Visitors to this rustic region can take in one-of-a-kind sights, including Amish arts and crafts, buggies and barns. Home and farm tours often feature craft and farming demonstrations that will delight the whole family.
Central Illinois is home to several lakes and recreational areas, granting abundant opportunities to enjoy the scenery of the region. Wolf Creek State Park near Windsor features Lake Shelbyville, offering plenty of chances for boating, swimming and water-skiing during the summer. In the wintertime, snow-mobile trails at sites like Weinberg-King State Park in Augusta offer miles of thrilling rides through the snowy landscape. Fox Ridge State Park in Charleston provides gentle, kid-friendly hikes through a wilderness teeming with foxes, deer and wildflowers in the spring.
