![The Best Midwest Attractions & Festivals to Check Out in 2026 [PHOTOS]](https://townsquare.media/site/675/files/2026/06/attachment-wonders.jpg?w=980&q=75)
The Best Midwest Attractions & Festivals to Check Out in 2026 [PHOTOS]
Zoos, beaches, theme parks, ballparks, museums, water parks, drive-ins, art festivals, and more - some of the best attractions & events in the U.S. are right here in the Midwest!
USA Today is continuing to unveil the winners of their 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for 2026, and there are all sorts of honorees from our section of the country. If you're looking for some weekend getaway ideas for the spring and summer months, here are some of the towns, festivals, and other attractions that you may want to add to your list:
*According to the Census Bureau, the Midwest includes there 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin*
Best Summer Travel Destinations
- 1st Place: Mackinac Island, Michigan
- 2nd Place: Indianapolis, Indiana
- 4th Place: Madison, Wisconsin
- 9th Place: Branson, Missouri
READ MORE: Courtlin's First Trip to Michigan's Beautiful Mackinac Island [GALLERY]
Best Lake Beaches
- 1st Place: First Street Beach (Manistee, Michigan)
- 2nd Place: Oval Beach (Saugatuck, Michigan)
- 3rd Place: Hamlin Lake Beach (Ludington, Michigan)
- 4th Place: Olbrich Beach (Madison, Wisconsin)
- 5th Place: Edgewater Beach (Cleveland, Ohio)
- 7th Place: North Beach at Deland Park (Sheboygan, Wisconsin)
- 8th Place: Silver Lake State Park (Mears, Michigan)
- 9th Place: North Avenue Beach (Chicago, Illinois)
- 10th Place: Riviera Beach (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin)
Best State Parks
- 1st Place: Gooseberry Falls State Park (Two Harbors, Minnesota)
- 2nd Place: Mohican State Park (Loudonville, Ohio)
- 3rd Place: Peninsula State Park (Fish Creek, Wisconsin)
- 4th Place: Hocking Hills State Park (Logan, Ohio)
- 7th Place: Ha Ha Tonka State Park (Camdenton, Missouri)
- 9th Place: Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (Ontonagon, Michigan)
Best Aerial Adventure Parks
- 3rd Place: Lake Geneva Ziplines & Adventures (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin)
- 5th Place: ZipZone Outdoor Adventures (Columbus, Ohio)
- 7th Place: The Forge: Lemont Quarries (Lemont, Illinois)
Best Hot Air Balloon Rides
- 7th Place: Black Hills Balloons (Custer, South Dakota)
Best Scenic Train Rides
- 4th Place: Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad (Trego, Wisconsin)
Best Place to See Fireworks
- 1st Place: Navy Pier (Chicago, Illinois - held in July)
- 2nd Place: Ford Fireworks (Detroit, Michigan - held in June)
- 5th Place: Concert in the Sky at the Amelia Earhart Festival (Atchison, Kansas - held in July)
- 8th Place: Celebrate Saint Louis (Missouri - held in July)
- 10th Place: Western & Southern/WEBN Riverfest (Cincinnati, Ohio - held in September)
Best Drive-In Theaters
- 3rd Place: Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In Theatre (Gibson City, Illinois)
- 5th Place: Skyview Drive-In (Belleville, Illinois)
READ MORE: Check Out One of Iowa’s Four Drive-In Movie Theaters This Summer
Best Theme Parks
- 1st Place: Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri)
- 3rd Place for Best Rollercoaster: Time Traveler
- 3rd Place: Lost Island Themepark (Waterloo, Iowa)
- 6th Place: Kings Island (Mason, Ohio)
- 8th Place: Holiday World (Santa Claus, Indiana)
- 6th Place for Best Rollercoaster: The Voyage
- 9th Place: Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
- 9th Place for Best Rollercoaster: Steel Vengeance
READ MORE: I Rode Cedar Point’s Terrifying New Rollercoaster [WATCH]
Best Outdoor Water Parks
- 2nd Place: Splashin' Safari (Santa Claus, Indiana)
- 7th Place for Best Water Coaster: Cheetah Chase
- 5th Place for Best Water Coaster: Mammoth
- 1st Place for Best Water Coaster: Wildebeest
- 2nd Place for Best Wave Pool: Bahari Wave Pool
- 4th Place: Lost Island Waterpark (Waterloo, Iowa)
- 2nd Place for Best Water Coaster: Wailua Kupua
- 1st Place for Best Wave Pool: Tsunami Bay
- 10th Place: Noah's Ark Waterpark (Wisconsin Dells)
Best Water Slide
- 8th Place: The Rise of Icarus (Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells)
Best Indoor Water Parks
- 1st Place: Kalahari Resorts (multiple locations)
- Sandusky, Ohio
- Wisconsin Dells
- 4th Place: Bavarian Blast Waterpark (Frankenmuth, Michigan)
- 6th Place: Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin)
- 9th Place: Great Wolf Lodge Resorts (multiple locations)
- Bloomington, Minnesota
- Wisconsin Dells
- Gurnee, Illinois
- Traverse City, Michigan
- Sandusky, Ohio
- Mason, Ohio
- Kansas City, Kansas
- 10th Place: WaTiki Indoor Waterpark Resort (Rapid City, South Dakota)
Best Aquariums
- 1st Place: via Fa (Springfield, Missouri)
Best Zoos
- 1st Place: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Nebraska)
- 1st Place for Best Zoo Exhibit: Desert Dome
- 3rd Place: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Ohio)
- 3rd Place for Best Zoo Exhibit: Hippo Cove
- 6th Place: Saint Louis Zoo (Missouri)
- 4th Place for Best Zoo Exhibit: Penguin & Puffin Coast
- 10th Place: Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita, Kansas)
- 7th Place for Best Zoo Exhibit: Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley
Best Safari Park
- 1st Place: Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park (Ashland, Nebraska)
- 3rd Place: The Wilds (Cumberland, Ohio)
Best Botanical Gardens
- 1st Place: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Ohio)
- 3rd Place: Lauritzen Gardens (Omaha, Nebraska)
- 4th Place: Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis)
- 5th Place: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
- 6th Place: Botanica, The Wichita Gardens (Kansas)
Best Sculpture Parks
- 2nd Place: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
- 4th Place: Dr. Evermor's Sculpture Park (Sumpter, Wisconsin)
- 5th Place: Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park (Hamilton, Ohio)
- 6th Place: Garden of Eden (Lucas, Kansas)
- 8th Place: Laumeier Sculpture Park (St. Louis, Missouri)
Best Art Museums
- 1st Place: Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio)
- 2nd Place: Detroit Institute of Arts (Michigan)
- 3rd Place: Cincinnati Art Museum (Ohio)
- 6th Place: Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha, Nebraska)
- 8th Place: Pulitzer Arts Foundation (St. Louis, Missouri)
- 9th Place: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Best Immersive Art Experiences
- 2nd Place: Color Factory (Chicago, Illinois)
- 3rd Place: Otherworld (Columbus, Ohio)
- 6th Place: WNDR Museum (Chicago, Illinois)
Best Science Museum
- 1st Place: Center of Science and Industry - COSI (Columbus, Ohio)
- 4th Place: Michigan Science Center (Detroit, Michigan)
- 5th Place: Saint Louis Science Center (Missouri)
- 10th Place: Discovery World (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Best Planetarium
- 2nd Place: McDonnell Planetarium at Saint Louis Science Center (Missouri)
- 5th Place: Adler Planetarium (Chicago, Illinois)
- 8th Place: COSI Planetarium (Columbus, Ohio)
Best Pop Culture Museum
- 2nd Place: American Sign Museum (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- 6th Place: OZ Museum (Wamego, Kansas)
- 8th Place: National Mustard Museum (Middleton, Wisconsin)
- 10th Place: National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Best Children's Museum
- 2nd Place: The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (Indiana)
- 3rd Place: The Children's Museum (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Best Music Museums
- 3rd Place: National Music Museum (Vermillion, South Dakota)
Best Mini Golf
- 2nd Place: Smiley's Golf Complex (Lenexa, Kansas)
- 7th Place: Vitense Golfland (Madison, Wisconsin)
- 9th Place: Can Can Wonderland (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Best Public Golf Courses
- 1st Place: Payne's Valley at Big Cedar Lodge (Hollister, Missouri)
- 3rd Place: Bully Pulpit Golf Course (Medora, North Dakota)
- 5th Place: The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort (French Lick, Indiana)
- 6th Place: The Cardinal Course at Saint John's Resort (Plymouth, Michigan)
- 7th Place: Black Lake Golf Club (Onaway, Michigan)
Best Public Playgrounds
- 4th Place: Variety Wonderland Playground at Forest Park (St. Louis, Missouri)
- 5th Place: Discovery Playground at Lewis & Clark Landing (Omaha, Nebraska)
Best MLB Stadiums
- 2nd Place: Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio)
- 4th Place: Best Baseball Stadium Food
- 3rd Place: Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati, Ohio)
- 6th Place: Best Baseball Stadium Food
- 4th Place: Busch Stadium (St. Louis, Missouri)
- 10th Place: Wrigley Field (Chicago, Illinois)
Additional Best Baseball Stadium Food Winners
- 7th Place: American Family Field (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- 10th Place: Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
Best Minor League Ballparks
- 2nd Place: Modern Woodmen Park (Davenport, Iowa)
Best Renaissance Fairs
- 1st Place: Ohio Renaissance Festival (Waynesville, Ohio)
- 10th Place: Minnesota Renaissance Festival (Shakopee, Minnesota)
Best Art Festivals
- 5th Place: Columbus Arts Festival (Ohio - held in June)
- 7th Place: Old Town Art Fair (Chicago, Illinois - held in June)
- 10th Place: Des Moines Arts Festival (Iowa - held in June)
Best City Food Festivals
- 6th Place: Detroit Foodie Fair (Michigan - held in August)
- 7th Place: World Food Championships (Indianapolis, Indiana - held in October)
- 8th Place: Columbus Food Truck Festival (Ohio - held in August)
- 10th Place: MN Food Truck Festival (Hopkins, Minneapolis, and Anoka - held in May & August)
Best Flower Festivals
- 3rd Place: Zoo Blooms at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Ohio - held in April)
- 5th Place: Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (Michigan - held in June)
- 8th Place: Tulip Time (Holland, Michigan - held in May)
Best Cultural Festivals
- 3rd Place: Dublin Irish Festival (Ohio - held in July/August)
- 4th Place: Fyr Bal Festival (Ephraim, Wisconsin - held in June)
- 8th Place: World Food & Music Festival (Des Moines, Iowa - held in August)
Best Beer Festivals
- 8th Place: Michigan Winter Beer Festival (Comstock Park, Michigan - held in February)
- 9th Place: Great Taste of the Midwest (Madison, Wisconsin - held in August)
Best Car Shows
- 2nd Place: MSRA Back to the 50's Weekend (St. Paul, Minnesota - held in June)
- 10th Place: Woodward Dream Cruise (Detroit, Michigan - held in August)
Best Air Shows
- 1st Place: EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (Wisconsin - held in July)
- 5th Place: Cleveland National Air Show (Ohio - held in September)
- 6th Place: Battle Creek Field of Flight (Battle Creek, Michigan - held in July)
- 9th Place: TBM Avenger Reunion (Peru, Illinois - held in May)
Best Boat Tours
- 1st Place: Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard First Lady (Illinois)
- 4th Place: Sister Bay Scenic Boat Tours (Sister Bay, Wisconsin)
Best Glass Bottom Boat Tours
- 1st Place: Nautical North Family Adventures (Cheboygan, Michigan)
- 2nd Place: Shipwreck Tours (Munising, Michigan)
Best Outlet Malls
- 1st Place: Fashion Outlets of Chicago (Rosemont, Illinois)
- 10th Place: Destination Outlets (Jeffersonville, Ohio)
Best Malls
- 2nd Place: Mall of America (Bloomington, Minnesota)
Best Small Towns in the Midwest
- 1st Place: Vevay, Indiana
- 2nd Place: Madison, Indiana
- 3rd Place: Sister Bay, Wisconsin
- 4th Place: Winona, Minnesota
- 5th Place: Mackinac Island, Michigan
- 6th Place: Middlebury, Indiana
- 7th Place: Council Grove, Kansas
- 8th Place: Worthington, Ohio
- 9th Place: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
- 10th Place: La Porte, Indiana
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1956 to 2026 - All the Acts That Have Played the Great Jones County Fair
The Great Jones County Fair has a long history of bringing big names to Monticello! Here's a look at all of the artists who have graced the grandstand stage since 1956:
Gallery Credit: Courtlin