8 Weird Things to Do in Illinois This Summer

Illinois gets, well, strange! Here are eight weird things you can do with your family this summer.

I thought I was weird. I like to eat white rice with cinnamon and sugar. I hate ketchup and mayonnaise. Beans are disgusting little flavor pockets that squish in your mouth and I would rather eat spiders than beans. Some day I still want to be an astronaut because I want to invent time travel. You may think that makes me weird. I think it's all part of my charm.

Illinois is weird. There are quite a few different very weird and different things you can do in Illinois. Do I smell a road trip this summer!? I think so! Thrillist.com dives deep into some of the strangest things you can do in Illinois. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Underwater Petting Zoo and Submerged Airplane

At Mermet Springs in Belknap, you can check out an underwater lion and skunk in the underwater petting zoo. Plus, see the submerged airplane used in the movie U.S. Marshals.

Petting Zoo ContestWe are re-vamping our 'petting zoo' and would like your help! Want to add your very own...
Posted by Mermet Springs - Dive in 1st Class on Wednesday, May 22, 2013

2. Historic Museum of Torture Devices

This is so strange! In Alton, you can see the torture contraptions on display that were used to kill, punish and traumatize others. Seriously, check out their Facebook page.

Posted by Historic Museum of Torture Devices on Friday, February 8, 2013

3. Strange Carving of The Piasa Bird

The Piasa Bird is a mythical monster which was killed with poison darts by Chief Ouatoga and his 20 warriors. It was first seen by Marquette and Joliet on the side of a cliff. Now you can see it and take a selfie with it.

4. Watch a Baseball Game in a Hot Tub

The Gateway Grizzlies in Sauget are a professional baseball team that has a group hot tub in their ballpark. Nothing says baseball more than a burger between two Krispy Kreme donuts in a hot tub.

5. World's Largest Catsup Bottle If you can get over the fact that Catsup and Ketchup are the same word (kinda), than you can stop in Collinsville to see the

world's largest bottle. Have I mentioned I HATE ketchup/catsup.

6. Superman Museum I've been here! It's in Metropolis, duh, and is home to $2.5 billion collection of

Superman stuff. Plus, you can take your picture in front of Superman just like I did.

7. McDonald's First Store

McDonald's store is there! The store is a museum dedicated to the very beginning of McD's. Sorry, can't get fries and a shake there, but worth the stop.

8. Testicle Festival

I'm sure you have been to this one in Byron! All the fried turkey balls you could ever ask for. Yum.

Go home Illinois, you are drunk.

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