The Leaning Tower Of Niles In Illinois Just Might Be The Strangest Tourist Trap Yet
If you’ve been in Illinois for some time you’ve likely seen your fair share of strange roadside attractions. Many of them are impossible to miss. Beyond the strange attractions at the side of the road, we also have plenty of other unexpected things to see. From museums to stores to wind chimes, this is the place to be if you have an odd sense of humor. But of all of these attractions this one in Niles is the one we always find ourselves telling out-of-staters about.
Not far from Chicago O'Hare airport is one of the most unexpected roadside attractions you'll find in the midwest. And, if you know the midwest, that's saying quite a bit!
Welcome to the Leaning Tower of Niles! The structure sits in Ilgair Park, a 22-acre area built by local businessman, Robert Ilg in the 1920s. The park features two large outdoor pools which are supplied by water using a massive water tank.
Though some nostalgic people like to believe the tower was built to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Leaning Tower of Niles is mostly believed to have been built to cover the park's water tank.
At 94 feet tall, 28 feet in diameter and a lean of about 7.4 feet, the tower in Illinois is about half the size of the one in Italy. But to the naked eye it looks almost entirely the same.
The descendants of Robert Ilg donated a portion of the park to build the Leaning Tower YMCA and with it came the tower itself. The one condition was that the YMCA use at least $500 year year for upkeep of the tower and surrounding area until 2059. That amount soon became far too small to actually ensure the life of the tower.
And so, in 1991, the Village of Niles worked with the Italian town of Pisa to create a sister city agreement. In 1995, the Village undertook a $1.2 million renovation project.
Today, constant upkeep allows the tower to dazzle. And soon the public should be able to visit it up-close. Until then, the plaza and park are a beautiful place to visit. And, there might be no better photo-op in all of Illinois!
The Leaning Tower of Niles isn’t open to the public just yet, but that’s in the works. You can learn more about the history and its future by visiting the official Village of Niles website. Have you visited? If you have any tips for checking it out, let us know in the comments!
Michelle has lived in many places, but counts Maine as one of the best. In addition to the smell of ocean water in the air on rainy days in Portland, she loves puppies, photography, funny people, the Maine Red Claws, traveling, fresh tomatoes, Cambodia and filling out forms. For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
