About Rockford IL
Rockford is a city in the state of Illinois, which also serves as the county seat for the Winnebago County. The City of Rockford is situated on the shores of the Rock River, and has the distinction of being the biggest city out of the confines of the Chicago Metropolitan region, in the state of Illinois. Rockford is as well the principal city in the Rockford Metropolis that has a population of more than 348,000. Settled in the mid 19th century, the strategic location of the City of Rockford, along the river, steamrolled its economic development. In the latter part of the 19th century, Rockford was renowned for its heavy machinery, hardware, tools and equipment industries.
At the turn of the century, the City of Rockford emerged as the 2nd leading furniture manufacturer in the United States. During the latter half of the 20th century, Rockford’s economy struggled, as was the case for numerous Rust Belt cities. However, in the 1990s, it diversified its economy, which led to the emergence of its automotive, aerospace, healthcare and tourism industries. The City of Rockford is nicknamed the Forest City, and is widely acclaimed for its venues of cultural and historic import. This includes the Anderson Japanese Gardens, the Tinker Swiss Cottage, the Coronado Theater, the Klehm Arboretum, the Burpee Museum of Natural History to mention just but a few.
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Top attractions
The leading attractions in the City of Rockford are, most often than not, of architectural significance. One of the most prominent of which is the Lake-Peterson House, which was built in the late 19th century by alderman John Lake. The Lake-Peterson House was preserved by Swedish industrialist Perh Peterson, and is a good example of the Gothic Revival architectural design. This Rockford attraction is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is now utilized by the School of Medical Technology of the Swedish American Hospital. Yet another Swiss influence on Rockford’s architecture is the Victorian Era Erlander Home Museum that is currently home to the Swedish Historical Society. Another Swedish attraction in the City of Rockford is the Tinker Swiss Cottage, which was opened as a museum in the 1940s. the Tinker Swiss Cottage was featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters in the year 2012.
Rockford as well boasts of a number of modern architectural designs including Art Deco and the Prairie School. One of the most notable of these contemporary architectural designs is the Coronado Theater. The Coronado Theater is a civic and entertainment venue that was named one of the 150 Great Places in Illinois by the American Institute of Architects. This City of Rockford attraction blends the Art Deco and Spanish Baroque Revival styles, and has hosted many performers, over the years. This includes Frank Sinatra, the Marx Brothers, Bob Dylan to name just but a few. There is also the Faust Hotel, which was built in the late 1920s, and has the distinction of been the tallest building in Rockford. The City of Rockford is as well home to the Laurent House, an Usonian home designed in 1952 by the acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Laurent House was the sole building Wright designed for a person with disabilities. It was ultimately bought by a private foundation, which remodeled it into a museum in the year 2014.
On the other hand, Rockford is frequently recognized as one of the best outdoor destination in the country. To begin with, there is the Rock Cut State Park that was formerly home to Scots, New Englanders and Canadians. This City of Rockford park is sprawled on a 3092 acre parcel of land, and boasts of camping grounds, hiking trails, equestrian trails, boating and hunting grounds. Rockford is as well home to the Anderson Japanese Gardens, which was patterned after the Portland Japanese Garden, and landscaped by Hoichi Kurisu. The Anderson Japanese Gardens sits on a 10 acre piece of land, and comes complete with a teahouse and a guesthouse designed in the Sukaya Zukuri style.
The City of Rockford also boasts of the Rockford Park District that runs the Aldeen Golf Course, which was ranked among the top 50 golf courses in the United States costing under $50 to play list by Golf Magazine. Besides the Tinker Swiss Cottage, the Rockford Park District maintains 4 other notable museums. The first of which is the Burpee Museum of Natural History that holds the planet’s most complete juvenile T-Rex skeleton named Jane. There is also the Discovery Center Museum, which is a kids’ museum that showcases more than 250 hands-on exhibits, and was ranked by Forbes as one of the 12 best children’s museums in America. The Burpee Museum of Natural History, the Discovery Center Museum and the Rockford Art Museum make up the downtown Rockford Riverfront Museum Complex.
Anderson Japanese Gardens
The Anderson Japanese Gardens facilitates for a tranquil spot for reflection and relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of city living. These gardens have being meticulously designed and built using elements of stone, water, plants, pagodas, bridges, water basins to mention just but a few. All these elements work hand in hand to inspire calm and serenity in guests. The Anderson Japanese Gardens are open on a daily basis, and guest can get to tour them at their own discretion. Moreover, there are guided tours offered for groups of 8 persons or more. These gardens are also popular venues for lectures, concerts and classes that are held over the course of the year. Lastly, the Anderson Japanese Gardens come complete with an onsite restaurant, the Fresco on the Gardens, which offers breakfast and lunch on a daily basis.
Burpee Museum of Natural History
The Burpee Museum of Natural History provides 4 different floors of interactive science themed exhibits. The mission of this City of Rockford museum is to educate and inspire children and grownups to discover more on the natural world. Some of the most prominent exhibits on show here include authentic dinosaur skeletons and a replicated carboniferous coal forest. The Burpee Museum of Natural History as well showcases displays which depict the lives of the indigenous residents of North Illinois. It also hosts workshops, summer camps and special events for school groups, homeschooled students and scouts. Its various auditoriums and classrooms are also available for hire.
Discovery Center Museum
The Discovery Center Museum is universally recognized as one of the finest children’s museum in the United States. It showcases more than 300 science and art exhibits, many of which are hands-on. Here, kids can learn more on air, flight, electricity, simple machines, transportation, color and even light. They can as well explore the universe at its planetarium or play outdoors at the nearby Rock River Discovery Park playground. The Discovery Center Museum provides numerous special events including classes, teacher workshops and summer camps.
Lake-Peterson House
Constructed in the 1870s, the Lake-Peterson House is a historic home in the City of Rockford. It is a 2 story building that is widely looked upon as one of the finest instances of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in Illinois. The Lake-Peterson House is an Illinois State Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned by the Swedish American Hospital, and was preserved by the Jenny Lind Society in 1973.
Midway Village and Museum Center
The Midway Village and Museum Center is sprawled on a 146 acre campus that houses a 15,000 square feet museum center. This museum center showcases the history of the City of Rockford and its environs. The exhibits on show here are devoted to the agricultural, industrial and sports history of this Illinois city. There is also a Victorian village that houses a grand total of 26 historic structures depicting the day to day life in Rockford in the early 20th century. Over the course of the summer season, onsite interpreters garbed in period specific costumes conduct guided tours of the village.