Anderson Japanese Gardens
Anderson Japanese Gardens consists of two very different gardens — a formal Japanese garden in the style of the Kamakura period, 1185 to 1333 A.D.; and the Garden of Reflection, a contemporary international garden with a strong Japanese influence. It is open from May through October.
Burpee Museum of Natural History
Burpee Museum explores animals, rocks and minerals, fossils, and native peoples with exhibits in a new facility connected to Riverfront Museum Park, and also offers classes, workshops, and special events as well as a Gift Shop and Snack Shop. One of the museum’s most recent additions is Jane, a 65 million year old tyrannosaur.
Discovery Center Museum
Discovery Center Museum features both permanent and traveling exhibits which offer exploration and discovery through over 180 science and arts exhibits, a planetarium, and outside in the Rock River Discovery Park.
Erlander Home Museum
The cultural centerpiece of Rockford’s Swedish-ancestry community, Erlander Home Museum is located in Rockford. Built by John Erlander in 1871, its collections include Rockford-made furniture, a Charlotte Weibull doll collection and many artifacts recalling Swedish immigration to northern Illinois and Rockford’s Swedish heritage.
The Ethnic Heritage Museum
The Ethnic Heritage Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the six ethnic groups that settled in SW Rockford … the Irish, Italians, African-Americans, Polish, Lithuanians and Hispanics.
Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza
The Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza celebrates the rich and diverse ethnic history of the Rock River Valley region and the universal aspiration for tranquility and world harmony. The celebration of Rockford’s ethnic heritage and diversity is visually symbolized in the striking Court of 40 Flags, fully illuminated. The flags represent 40 different nationalities, all currently dwelling in the Rockford area in significant numbers.
Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden
The Klehm Arboretum is a 150 acre facility offering year-round enjoyment of both native plants and those from around the world. The site includes many unique species from throughout the United States that normally do not thrive in this region, plus the Midwest’s most vigorous evergreen collection. It also offers a number of unique gardens including the Fountain Garden, the Children’s Garden, a Hosta Garden, a Grass Garden, the Butterfly Garden and more.
Midway Village & Museum Center
Midway Village & Museum Center houses much Rockford’s rich history. Explore the past in the Museum Center featuring four exhibition galleries including the Rockford Peaches and the 1928 Greater Rockford Aircraft; experience life at the turn-of-the-century in picturesque Midway Village featuring 24 historic buildings.
Rock Cut State Park
Rock Cut State Park offers over 3,000 acres of outdoor entertainment including the 162 acre Pierce Lake which is ideal for fishing, small boat sailing and ice skating, and 50-acre Olsen Lake which is ideal to swimming. The park offers over 40 miles of hiking trails, 23 miles of mountain biking trails and 14 miles of equestrial trails. It has excellent camping facilities and makes an ideal picnic area.
Rockford Art Museum
Rockford Art Museum, located in Riverfront Museum Park, features up to 12 exhibits annually of national and regional artists, a permanent collection, classes and workshops, a sculpture garden, and the Museum Shop.
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum
Tinker Swiss Cottage, an historic House Museum, was built in 1865 by local businessman Robert Tinker. A rare example of Swiss-style architecture, the home still contains the worldly goods of the Tinker family, as well as exquisite woodwork and murals.