Surroundings, Chicago

George Pullman, builder of the luxurious sleeping cars of American railroads, built the town of Pullman to house his factories and workers south of Chicago in the 1880s. He hired architect Solon Spencer Beman to study the best aspects of European towns and create rows of housing for his workers with managers living at the ends of the blocks. The housing is still lived in today, but the factory is long out of business.The workers of the town played a significant role in the great national railway strike of May 1894. Pullman had fired workers, but raised rents for the rest to keep his town profitable. The labor unrest exposed this "perfect town" as paternalistic.The town, now on the National Register of Historic Places, has some interesting architecture including the Hotel Florence, a church and the row housing, some of which is arranged in curved arcades.

Glenview was first settled in 1833 by pioneers after the Winnebago tribe gave up the last of their land in the area. The village has been called several different names including South Northfield, then North Branch as well as Oak Glen. It eventually became Glenview as it is known today.The closure of the Glenview Naval Air Station allowed for the Glen as it is now known to be redeveloped. Neighborhood parks were created, Gallery Park and Little Bear Garden, and the Kohl Children's Museum was relocated to the area.

Mooseheart is located west of Chicago and is known as the Child City. The town provides for the needs of troubled children and those in need. The original home and school was founded in 1913 by the Loyal Order of Moose for the children of Moose member families in need. Most of the young people that reside in Mooseheart have lost one or both of their parents.

Niles Historical Museum is run by the Niles Historical Society, housed in the former Cook County Sheriff's Quarters. The museum has three floors of exhibits including a replica of an early 1900's kitchen on the main floor, vintage clothing and a children's center on the second floor, and a typical living area of a 1900 farmhouse.

The mansion was designed in 1914 by architect Benjamin Marshall, John Cuneo purchased the Mansion in 1937. The Venetian style architecture features a 40 foot high great hall with arcade balconies, sky lighted ceiling and grand staircase. Old master paintings, 17th century tapestries, a custom made gilt grand piano, and an outstanding collection of oriental rugs, sculpture, and silver are on display.

Tempel Farms' is home to historic stables and an antique carriage collection. The Tempel Lipizzans began in 1958 when the Smith's imported 20 Lipizzans. Lipizzan horses are noted for their elegant gait, superior intelligence and enduring strength with more than 400 years of select breeding.Each summer between June and August, the Lipizzan stallions perform on Wednesday and Sundays.

Kline Creek Farm is a living history farm depicting 1890's farm life. In the 1830s Kline Creek Farm began as a log cabin homestead and it continued as a working family farm through the 1960s. The farm is involved in various agricultural activities such as historical farming practices using Percheron work horses and the production of corn, oats and other small grains as well as hay.

The Arlington Heights Historical Museum is located at the site of the Frederick W. Müller home and soda pop factory. The museum features the original 1882 Victorian home, the coach house, 1906 soda pop factory, the 1908 Banta house and a replica 1830's log cabin.

Garfield Farm Museum is a 281-acre farmstead and former 1840s teamster inn. When Timothy Garfield and his family built the brick inn on the family farm in 1846, it became a center for community activity. The museum brings together the farming experiences of the past 150 years.

The Round Barn was built from lumber from Chicago's Columbian World Exposition and was completed in 1898. The farm has a large selection of antique farming implements. There are walking plows, horse-drawn plows, vintage planters, buggies, sleighs and even a tractor with steel wheels.

The land that now houses Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park was a neglected area of Skokie. The village decided to create a recreational park and some local citizens offered to display large scale contemporary sculptures. Today, over 70 sculptures are presented in the 2 acre park that also has walking and cycling trails.

The Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda houses permanent exhibits on Lake County history and the history of the picture postcard. It is home to the world's largest public collection of picture postcards. The museum also hosts various special exhibitions on topics such as popular culture, art and history.

Originally the site of a Potawatomi Indian settlement, Aurora became an industrial area. Residents of the town refer to it as "The City of Lights" because it was one of the first communities to adopt all-electric street lighting in 1881.

Batavia was founded in 1833 and was incorporated as a village in 1856, then a city in 1891. Fox River flows through downtown and provides many recreational opportunities.

Gurness was settled in the 1830s and had several different names before the current names was decided on. Gurnee is home to Six Flags Great America amusement park and numerous museums.

Hillside offers many recreational opportunities including golf, hiking and biking trails. It is home to two aquatic parks - Adventure Bay Water Park and Turtle Island Water Park.

Libertyville was called Independence Grove until a post office was established in 1827. American Indians set up camp near the town and enjoyed the mineral springs that are found nearby.

Originally founded in the 1800s by German settlers, Long Grove was a farming community. The village of Long Grove is home to numerous shops and galleries along its cobblestone sidewalks.

Riverside is located southwest of Oak Park and is a historical community that was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in 1869. They are two famous landscape architects, who also designed New York's Central Park.

The Stephens Museum of Hummels houses a collection has over 1,000 Hummel figurines. Donald E. Stephens began the largest collection of Hummels in the world when he traveled to Europe in the 1960s.

Union features several historical attractions including the Illinois Railway Museum and the McHenry County Historical Society. Union was also the site of the world's first fully automatic substation.

The William L. Gregg House Museum is a two story Second Empire style architecture home that was built to showcase products of the Excelsior Brick Company. The museum also maintains an outdoor garden.

ATTRACTION IS ONLY AN OUTREACH PROGRAM, NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.Health World provides information on health education through hands-on activities.

Des Plaines began as an agricultural community and flourished with the early settlers - German farmers.

East Dundee offers many recreational opportunities including golf and swimming. There are several historical sites and parks to visit.

Elgin offers ethnic and historical diversity. Gail Borden invented the process of condensing milk here.

Joliet was mistakenly named after French-Canadian explorer Louis Joliet who traveled here in 1673. It was originally named after Shakespeare's Juliet.

Lockport was founded in 1836 when construction began on the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

Melrose Park has a diverse ethnic and cultural background. There are many annual events including Taste of Melrose Park, which takes place on Labor Day weekend.

Schiller Park has many historical attractions and is close to the O'Hare area and Oak Park. A notable fact: The Twinkie was invented in Schiller Park by Hostess.

South Holland was settled in the 1840s by Dutch farmers. The population increased after WWII.

St Charles has many restored buildings that are used as shops and restaurants. There are over 100 antique dealers and a regular flea market to visit.

Volo Bog State Natural area has the state's only open-water quaking bog. Many plants and wildlife are found in and around the bog.

Oak Brook is home to more than 60 Fortune 500 companies.