Soak in some small-town charm with a road trip to Casey Illinois. The town’s slogan is Big Things Small Town, and its citizens are proud to welcome visitors to admire outdoor art pieces like the World’s Largest Rocking Chair. Visitors can stand inside the World’s Largest Mailbox (and also mail a letter there!), perch in the World’s Largest Birdcage, and hear the World’s Largest Windchime. Casey’s charming collection of oversized attractions and small-town hospitality make it a fun destination for anyone on an Illinois family road trip.
Big Things Small Town – How it Got Started
After a few factory closures left the area feeling nearly deserted in the early 2000s, long time Casey resident Jim Bollin had an idea to build roadside attractions that would bring visitors to the struggling town. By 2015, the town had been awarded Guiness World Records for 7 of the World’s Largest items. And of course they didn’t stop there! The charming small town now has 12 world record holding largest items and 20 other Casey IL big things, making it a fun stop on any Illinois family road trip.
Best Time to Visit Casey Illinois
The town of Casey takes a lot of pride in their landscaping along Main Street, so visiting in the spring or summer will be the most beautiful. Several of the world’s largest items are located in little green spaces with beautiful flowers and pathways. And since the majority of the Casey IL big things are outside, visiting on a day with nice weather will be beneficial.
The town of Casey also hosts two festivals during the year: the Casey Popcorn festival at the end of the summer and Candy Canes on Main in December. Visit during one of these festivals to experience some of the best things to do in Casey Illinois.
The World’s Largest Teeter Totter is one of the best Casey Illinois things to do, but it’s not always open. If you’re hoping the World’s Largest Teeter Totter will be operational during your visit, plan to stop by midday on a Saturday, as that’s the most likely time for the teeter totter to have an attendant. Otherwise, visitors are welcome to walk on the teeter totter, but it is chained in place so it wobbles a bit but doesn’t move up and down.
On the other hand, visiting on a week day during the spring like we did will be very peaceful and leisurely. There were a couple dozen people meandering Main Street, so everyone had plenty of room to take their photos without the need for queuing in line at each stop.
RV Trips & Tricks for 1 Day Casey Illinois Travel Itinerary
If you’re visiting Casey Illinois as part of a midwest RV road trip, here are a few tips and tricks that will make your visit easier. A couple of larger parking lots are located near Main Street, so if you’re only planning to spend a few hours in Casey, you can park in one of those lots and wander on foot. We stayed in town overnight, but decided not to unhitch, so we took advantage of the free parking lots near Main Street and then moved to the campsites at Fairview Park after we had done our sightseeing and shopping. You can find maps of the Casey IL big things and nearby parking lots at the Big Things Small Town website.
What To Do on a Day Trip to Casey Illinois
Big Things – The town of Casey IL now has 12 things currently holding the World’s Largest record title and about 20 other large items that make for fun photo ops. Taking photos with these big things is one of the best things to do in Casey Illinois.
Coffee Shops – Casey Coffee Company and The Traveling Mug both offer a variety of coffee, smoothies, and pastries.
Restaurants – Whitling Whimsy Café, Cilantros Grill & Cantina, Reflections Family Restaurant, Burger Shack, and Brownie’s Place are all highly rated local restaurants.
Snacks & Sweets – Wildflour Bakery & Candy Co and Casey’s Candy Depot will satisfy any sweet tooth. Stop for a pretzel snack at Tetzel Prime. And of course, don’t miss the ice cream shop on the corner on a hot summer day.
Shopping – Casey is home to a variety of interesting gift shops and boutiques. Shop for crystals, beautiful homegoods, ladies clothing, and more! Wander Main Street and see what catches your eye. And if you love antique shops and thrifting, check out Greathouse of Country, Casey Thrift Shop, and Deborah’s Attic just a few blocks away.
Fairview Park – Just a few blocks from Main Street, this spacious park has a lake, playground, skateboard park, baseball fields, and campground.
Softball of Illinois Hall of Fame Museum – If you’re interested in local sports history, this local museum highlights the rich tradition of softball across the state.
Casey Popcorn Festival – Held in September every year, this annual festival features live entertainment, food vendors, and family-friendly activities.
Casey Illinois Big Things with Kids:
If your kids love taking fun family photos, Casey Illinois Big Things are going to be a home run with them! (That’s a sneaky pun, because one of the Casey Illinois attractions is a Big Baseball Bat!) If your kids are like mine and aren’t really into posing for photos or you aren’t sure they’ll understand the hype of this fun little town, check out the video media links on the Big Things Small Town website. After watching a few of the short news clips about the town, my kids were so excited to go see everything!
Give your kids a souvenir budget to do some of their own shopping. The shops in Casey have a fun mix of items. Wildflour Bakery & Candy Co has an extensive novelty candy selection and a bunch of fun taffy flavors (as well as the World’s Largest Wooden Shoes). Rock Hound Rocks offers free rocks for kids (as well as many for sale) and houses a Big Rocking Horse. Model Tees, a local gift shop, offers a variety of Pokemon related products since you’ll find a Big Pokemon Ball there. You can even sit inside of it for a photo. These are just a few of the stores we enjoyed going into and that’s not even mentioning the ice cream shop or pastry case at the coffee shops.
Bring a letter to mail. I can’t believe we missed out on this! One of the Casey Illinois attractions, the World’s Largest Mailbox is a fully functioning mailbox. In fact, I think it’s required to be a fully functioning mailbox in order to hold the title! When you drop a letter in the box, the red flag temporarily raises, so be sure to have someone stationed outside to catch your letter mailing on video!
1 Day Casey Illinois Travel Itinerary
Building a travel itinerary for a day trip to see the big Casey Illinois attractions is easy and flexible. You might like to start at the Visitor Center on Main Street, but you can also pick up maps at some of the biggest item locations. Or you can open the map on the Big Things Small Town website. You can probably accomplish the entire downtown walking tour in an hour or so if you’re in a hurry, as you’ll only need to walk a block or two between items. But if you’re planning to really soak in the small town feel, you’ll want to plan 2-3 hours so you have time to stop for coffee or sit down for lunch before heading back out on the road.
After visiting all the Casey Illinois big things within walking distance of Main Street, hop back in your car to check out items like the World’s Largest Pitchfork and the World’s Largest Golf Tee. The World’s Largest Gavel is located 20 minutes away in Marshall Illinois, so you’ll need to head there if you truly want to see the entire collection of record holding things.
If you don’t have to hop right back on the road, you might enjoy a stop at the Softball of Illinois Hall of Fame or a leisurely dinner at one of Casey’s restaurants after viewing the big Casey Illinois attractions.
What Else To Do in Illinois?
Whether you’re stopping in Casey as part of an Illinois family vacation or a larger Midwest road trip, here are some more ideas of nearby things to do in Illinois.
Spend a few days in Springfield, about a 2 hour drive away, to visit the Abraham Lincoln home and the extensive Abraham Lincoln museum.
Children’s Discovery Museum – This children’s museum in Normal has 3 floors of fun hands-on exhibits that the whole family will enjoy.
Garden of the Gods – The natural beauty of these rock formations will make for an interesting family hike. Don’t miss the nearby Jackson Falls.
Route 66 – Crossing through the entire state, the Mother Road is a great addition to any Midwest family road trip. Some nearby Route 66 stops you might want to check out include: Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center, Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, Pink Elephant Antique Mall, Soulsby Service Station, and Chain of Rocks Bridge.
Starved Rock State Park – The dramatic sandstone canyon walls in this popular state park are beautiful all year round. Matthiessen State Park is also close by and worth visiting as well.
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1 Day Casey Illinois Travel Itinerary
