Two Rockford Area Buildings Make the List of the 25 ‘Must-See’ Buildings in Illinois

It takes some mighty fine architecture to make it on this list, and two Rockford area buildings did it! they made the list of the 25 must-see buildings in Illinois.

Some of the most amazing structures in all of Illinois are right in our backyard.In photo above, you can see construction workers working on the expansion and remodel of the DeKalb Public library back in 2015. The project is now complete (see below)

USA Today contacted the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to determine the best buildings in each of the 50 states. In the Stateline, one building from Rockford and one from DeKalb made the Top 25 list.

The DeKalb Public Library (Haish Memorial Library)

The library was established in 1893 has remained for decades. Throughout the years it has been through many upgrades. On January 16, 2016 the library completed it latest renovation and expansion and opened to the public

The building is open to the public 7 days a week and has over 150,000 items including books, DVDs, compact discs, audio books, and subscriptions to over 300 periodicals.

Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford

On the grounds of Anderson Japanese Gardens you will find where Frank Lloyd Wright Meets 16th Century Japan. Visitors can visit two of Rockford’s hidden architectural gems. The facility hosts tours of the of two homes that both are filled with Japanese cultural design influences. Each has it's own unique characteristics

You can check out the entire list of the Top 25 buildings in Illinois HERE.