Chasing Sunshine: Exploring Sunflower Fields in Illinois

If you are looking to soak in the last days of summer, there is nothing quite like a trip to a sunflower field – and Illinois has some of the best spots in the Midwest to visit. Stretching across acres of farmland, these radiant blooms typically reach their peak between late July and early September, offering the perfect backdrop for family outings, photo sessions, or a peaceful day in nature.

One of the most popular destinations is Richardson Farm in Spring Grove. While known for its corn maze that spans nearly 10 miles of trail, the farm explodes in color come late summer with 13 acres worth of sunflowers in bloom. Guests are invited to walk the fields, take photos, and even cut a few stems to bring home.

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Illinois Tourism in 2024 breaks records

• Tourism
• Grants

From big cities and road side attractions to nature and rural vineyards, Illinois has attracted record breaking tourism in 2024. Illinois’ Office of Tourism has announced over 113 million domestic and international visitors entered the state, spending a record $48.5 billion. This data represents an increase of half a million visitors and $1.3 billion more in spending than 2023.

The record follows significant investment in the travel and tourism industry in Fiscal Year 2025. Over $7 million were invested into 47 entities in the state through Route 66 grants ahead of the Route 66 centennial in 2026. Other types of grants include Tourism Private Sector, International Tourism and Tourism Attractions –  each of these funding events, festivals and attractions in their respective setting.

Here are some popular tourist highlights you can check out from across the state:

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Illinois’ Cultural Districts: An intersection of history and culture

Illinois has a rich history of agriculture, music and more, and it’s thanks to the contributions of Illinoisans over the last few centuries that the state has seen increasing economic value and opportunities available to its residents.

To uplift and highlight these unique contributions, several State-Designated Cultural Districts were announced to highlight and celebrate specific cultural identities and history while also promoting equitable growth and opportunity without generating displacement.

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Illinois Innovation – World’s First Nuclear Reactor

Did you know the world’s first sustained nuclear reaction was achieved on a squash court beneath Stagg Field at the University of Chicago? The moment sparked the controversial age of nuclear power and also nuclear weapons.

A key moment in the Manhattan Project, the experiment in Chicago was designed to prove a scalable, sustained nuclear reaction was possible. With hundreds of people working on the project the reactor ultimately took two weeks to construct and on Dec. 2, 1942, the first nuclear self-sustaining chain reaction was achieved in 28 minutes.

The 49 scientists present at the reaction celebrated with Chianti wine drank from paper cups. Following the reaction, the reactor was transported to a forest preserve outside Chicago and disassembled. The scientists and equipment involved in the project were reorganized to pursue peaceful uses of atomic energy, becoming the nation’s first national lab, the Argonne National Laboratory.

Nuclear fission went on to be used in energy, weapons systems, chemistry and biological studies and many breakthrough medicinal applications. The use of nuclear fission in all of these settings presented world altering changes to how humans interact with the world.