Travel

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style achieved perfection with the Frederick C. Robie House. PHOTO BY TIM LONG, COURTESY OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST   Most visitors to Chicago’s Hyde Park begin and end their visit at the Museum of Science and Industry, the popular museum on South Lake Shore Drive that enchants children and adults. […]

Not everyone can hop on a plane to see the world, but you can travel the globe and beyond at a fraction of the cost and time with a visit to the big three indoor museums in St. Louis’ Forest Park. You can pretend you are at the 1904 World’s Fair at the Missouri History […]

The Museum of Science and Industry features Christmas Around the World. PHOTO COURTESY J.B. Spector, Museum of Science and Industry. When Santa comes to town, Chicago takes on a special glow. Sparkling trees, dazzling lights and festive song and dance performances at area celebrations create holiday magic for visitors of all ages. For a merry […]

The 125-foot sandstone bluff, named Starved Rock after a Native American legend, rises above the Illinois River. The state park is open all year, and a trail from the Visitor Center takes visitors to the top of the bluff.  PHOTO BY JOLYN WISE If you are eager to eye an eagle this winter, head to […]

Completed in 1942, the First Christian Church created a dramatic impact on Columbus. Designed by architect Eliel Saarinen, it was the first contemporary building in Columbus. “Large Arch,” across the street in the library plaza, was created by English sculptor Henry Moore in 1971. Photo courtesy of the Columbus Area Visitors Center. More than 40,000 […]

Mammoth Dome at the Mammoth Cave National Park rises 192 feet from floor to ceiling. Water dripping through a sinkhole hollowed out the dome, one of the highlights of cave tours. Photo Courtesy the National Park Service Jerry Brandsford knows a thing or two about Mammoth Cave National Park. You could even say his affinity […]

Milwaukee Art Museum. PHOTO BY JOHN CAMPER For a summer getaway that combines art, culture and music, along with sunshine and cool lake breezes, head north to Milwaukee. On the shores of Lake Michigan, 280 miles from Springfield, this city of about 600,000 offers a fabulous lakefront, an art museum that’s a treasure, summer festivals […]

The free Menno-Hof Visitors Center in Shipshewana, Indiana, is a good place to learn about the history of the Anabaptist movement and modern-day Mennonite and Amish communities. The area in northeast Indiana is the third largest Amish community in the United States. PHOTO BY BRENT BOHLEN The horse’s hooves clip-clop along the pavement, pulling the […]

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, is a series of pavilions nesttled in a pond. If you had the chance to build a world-class art museum, Bentonville, a city of 38,000 in northwest Arkansas, wouldn’t be the first location you’d consider. But when you visit Crystal Bridges Museum of […]

One of two labyrinths in New Harmony, Ind., offers visitors the opportunity to meander through the shrubbery maze to a small temple in the center. The former utopian community also has a stone labyrinth modeled on the one at the Chartres Cathedral in France. PHOTO BY BRENT BOHLEN New Harmony, Ind., is a special place […]

The History of Mole Poblano from the National Museum of Mexican Art’s permanent collection. RIght: The untitled Virgen de Guadalupe, attributed to Miguel Cabrera, from the museum’s permanent collection. Photo BY Kathleen Culbert-Aguilar Right: Photo BY Michael Tropea The authentic Mexican cuisine, colorful outdoor murals, turn-of-the-century architecture and thriving art scene make Pilsen one of […]

The Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis offers a warm respite from winter’s chill. The geodesic dome houses more than 2,800 plants in a lowland tropical rain forest covering a half acre. PHOTO COURTESY OF MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN Surrounding yourself with the sight and scent of orchids can be a sure cure […]