With fall approaching, Six Flags begins plans for the next year with an announcement for a new attraction for summer of 2020 in Illinois.

Six Flags Great America announced their bid for the world’s tallest water coaster, dubbed the “Tsunami Surge.” The coaster is set to take the spotlight summer of 2020 as the ride sits at a massive 86 ft. tall. The coaster features many twists and turns through 950 feet of tunnel, roaring at speeds of 28 miles per hour.

Six Flags Illinois plans to break the current record in 2020, as the “MASSIV Monster Blaster” in Galveston, Texas, which stands 81 feet tall, is bound to fall to the new competition. The “Tsunami Surge” uses new technology in water jets that are used to propel riders upward in rafts through the ride into five breathtaking drops and views. The Water Coaster will be the first of its kind at Six Flags Great America and promises to bring a lot of fun for any family.

Six Flags Great America has more info on the fun to come, which can be found here.

­Illinois is one of the most fun states in the nation according to new rankings released by the consumer finance site WalletHub.

Illinois checked in at number 11 on the site’s Most Fun States in America list, which ranks states according to more than two dozen metrics of fun.

“There are certain states where fun is not just an option but also a way of life,” the site said. “These states offer such a variety of activities that everyone will be able to find something that excites them.”

Beyond ranking 11^th overall, the Land of Lincoln was rated 12^th in recreation and entertainment and 3^rd when it comes to nightlife.

It also ranked 5^th among states with the most restaurants per capita, 3^rd for most performing arts theaters per capita and 5^th in terms of state and local spending on parks and recreation per capita.

Among Midwest states, Illinois ranked second behind only Minnesota.

For full rankings and more information on the methodology by which the states were rated click here.

Several organizations who rank top travel destinations have recognized the city of Chicago as one of the nation’s best places to visit.

Conde Nast Traveler named Chicago the best city in America on its 2018 list of the best U.S. cities, recognizing the Windy City for its architecture, world class restaurants and friendly residents. A survey of 2,000 U.S. citizens conducted by Provision Living also ranked Chicago 16^th among bucket list travel destinations. Chicago is also the number one 2019 destination for families according to TripSavvy.

The city also rated highly in several other categories.

• TripAdvisor rated some of Chicago’s hotels among the best in the country in their Traveler’s Choice Awards.
• The digital party invitation platform Evite named Chicago its number two party city of 2018. The Windy City had over 62,000 events listed on the platform last year with over 2.4 million guests invited.
• Chicago was named the fifth most romantic city in the world by SpaSeekers. The organization also listed the city fourth for marriage proposals.

For more information about visiting the city of Chicago, click here.

With the recent inclement weather, a lot of Illinoisans are missing summer. Although there are a few more months left before the sunshine and warm weather arrive, there is still a way to enjoy one favorite summertime activity indoors.

The greater Chicagoland area has two indoor water parks: The Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee and The Water Works in Schaumburg.

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The Illinois State Museum in Springfield received recognition this week as one of the state’s top institutions in the museum field.    

The Illinois Association of Museums announced Tuesday that the State Museum has been named the 2018 recipient of the Leader Institution of the Year award, the highest honor given by the organization.

The State Museum is known for its outstanding work maintaining Illinois’ history and culture as well as its commitment to engaging with the community through popular family and youth programs that help foster an interest in the state’s history in young people.

In addition to its usual programs and events, the museum celebrated Illinois’ bicentennial in 2018 by providing an array of unique experiences, such as the production of daily “Bicentennial Minute” segments that discussed Illinois history for online listeners and by hosting an exhibition featuring rare artifacts from the 13.5 million object Illinois Legacy Collection.

The State Museum plans to continue expanding its programming in 2019 to provide an interactive and memorable experience to visitors.

“Our programming, special events, research and curation of our collections really do aim to share the story of Illinois,” said Illinois State Museum Interim Director Robert Sill. “It’s a great honor for the Illinois State Museum to receive the Illinois Association of Museums’ Leader Institution of the Year award. The re-emergence of the Museum has been a team effort by a great staff that understands and honors its legacy.”

The Illinois State Museum first opened in 1877 and has long been recognized as a leader in the museum community. The American Alliance of Museums called it “a national leader in the way it combines its unique collections, collaborative team approach, and specialized research capabilities along with its cutting-edge technology applications in support of exhibitions, public programs, and publications.”

The Illinois State Museum, at 502 S. Spring St. in Springfield, is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults ages 19-64. Admission is free for youth, seniors and veterans.