Road trip from Madison to Peoria

Our premier downtown multi-venue complex features four unique and versatile venues: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Exhibition Hall, the New Holland Pavilions, and Willow Island. A top choice for expositions, conventions, meetings, concerts, sporting events, ag events, and much more, the Alliant Energy Center complex is a one-stop-shop for all your events. Ample parking, mouthwatering catering, dedicated staff, and a full range of rental equipment & high speed internet make AEC an event planners delight!

KOSA Spa provides a sanctuary; a place to retreat, to nourish body, mind, and spirit, and in so doing reconnect with one’s best self. KOSA Spa blends wellness best practices from the 5,000-year-old Indian tradition of Ayurveda with seasonal, organic, Wisconsin-sourced ingredients and artisanal products. KOSA Spa’s offerings include customized wellness balancing plans; treatments, including Abhyanga, Shirodhara, Pinda Sweda, Massage, and Facials; and personal retreats that include access to our hot-stone sauna, aromatherapy hydro-steam room, meditation studio, sanctuary lounge, and organic, Ayurvedic teas and foods.

Anderson Japanese Gardens is proud of its longstanding reputation as one of the highest quality Japanese gardens in North America. Our passion, however, is how the Garden positively impacts individuals and the communities where they live. We are committed to presenting first-class programs, events, and opportunities that bring people together in this uplifting natural setting.

This year-round garden, which started as a commercial nursery, includes 155 acres of trees and 300 woody plant species mapped and labeled. The gardens include: a Rhododendron and Azalea dell, Hosta Garden, Nancy Olsen's Children's Garden, Fountain Garden, Demonstration Garden, Peony Garden, Grasses Garden,Woodland Wildflower Garden and Plant-a-Row garden. There are several signature events hosted each year also. Botanica luncheon,Garden Fair, Plant Sale, Woodsong Concert Series, Autumn in the Arboretum and Twilight in the Garden are all popular annual events.

A Peoria Park District facility, Forest Park serves as the doorway to more than 500 acres designated as part of the Illinois State Nature Preserve. The center provides visitors with more than seven miles of trails that lead through dense forest, along trickling stream beds, and over dramatic hillsides. The A-frame trail head features a small natural history museum, nature store, and a room dedicated to bird-watching. Trails and museum are free and open to the public. NO PETS ALLOWED!

Surround yourself with spectacular displays of spring blooming bulbs or the blazing color of autumn, the Garden offers a tranquil setting to enjoy the beauty of each passing season. Established in 1951, Luthy Botanical Garden encompasses five acres and offers over a dozen theme gardens, a Conservatory, a garden gift shop educational programming, numerous events, a rotating sculpture exhibit and magnificent floral displays.

The Peoria PlayHouse Children's Museum provides children with the tools and inspiration they need to be explorers and creators of the world. We do this in part through understanding, supporting, and promoting play in the fullest sense of the word, one that includes imagination and creativity.