Wildlife Prairie State Park, near Peoria: You’ll see things here that you’ll likely not see anywhere else in central Illinois. While not a zoo, there’s lots of wildlife here. Open for the season to members only (get info on membership on their site).
Peoria Zoo: A medium-size zoo, there are several highlights and reasons to make a stop here; but we’ll just pick out one highlight — the giraffes.

Other attractions we love in Peoria:
Bloomington-Normal area
Imagination Grove, Funks Grove: Aptly named, Imagination Grove is a part of the Sugar Grove Nature Center and features a variety of natural playground options. (Imagination Grove is still closed but the trails at Sugar Grove are open for hiking.)
Miller Park Zoo, Bloomington: A great option for younger kids; don’t miss the otter feeding! They plan to open on June 26 for the 2020 season and will have visitors reserve spots ahead of time to visit.
Other attractions we love in Bloomington-Normal:
- Children’s Discovery Museum, Normal
- Ovation Cinema, Bloomington: Movies and food together, yes please.
Decatur area
Scovill Zoo: This zoo has a train and is located next to the museum listed below. They opened for the 2020 season on June 8 and require visitors to make reservations ahead of time on their website. Looking for a budget-friendly outing? Visit Scovill Zoo on Thursdays all summer, when admission is FREE!
Other attractions we love in Decatur:
Springfield area
Various Lincoln sites, Springfield: We’ve curated a list of Springfield sites to see, which are mostly better for school-age kids.
Other attractions we love in Springfield:
- Knight’s Action Park
- Kidzeum of Health and Science
- Illinois State Museum
- Scheel’s: Yes, really. There is plenty to do here. Trust us.
Have a day trip destination to add? We will keep going! Email us – editor@chambanamoms.com.
(updated May 29, 2020)
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