There are castles in Illinois but no kings or queens.

When I was a kid for a little while I was really into Medival era type stuff including knights, wizards, royalty, and dragons. I watched movies and read books. I even had those kinds of toys.

One year, we were going to Europe for vacation. I got really excited because there were going to be castles we could visit. During the summer, there was a Renaissance Fair and my parents would take me to it. They had knights jousting and I  thought that was awesome.

I went to college at Illinois State University. In my freshman year, I had a class is Cook Hall. It looks like a castle so that was fun.

I didn't realize there were more castle-type places In Illinois. They aren't too far from Rockford either.

"We can all agree that castles are awesome. But those are things you can only see on your trip to Europe, right? WRONG. There are some great castles hiding right here in Illinois. Don’t believe me? Here’s proof:"

  • Cook Hall Castle (Normal)
  • Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center (Oregon)
  • Altgeld Hall Castle (DeKalb)
  • Wayne Dunham Castle (Wayne, IL)
  • Water Tower (Chicago)
  • Bettendorf Castle (Fox River Grove, IL)
  • Ravenstone Castle (Harvard, IL)

That sounds like a fun little adventure.


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LOOK: See inside a 'modern day' castle complete with drawbridge

 

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