Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World (The Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus, Temple of Artemis, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria).

The other day, as I watched the umpteenth YouTube video on the topic, my wife suggested that since I write about Illinois so often, I should look into the idea and see if there are 7 Wonders of Illinois.

Photo taken in Al Jizah, Egypt
Egyptian Pyramids at Giza, Getty Images
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Illinois Pyramid House in Wadsworth, Getty Images
Illinois Pyramid House in Wadsworth, Getty Images
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We May Not Be Ancient Here In Illinois, But We're Old Enough To Have Some Wonders Of Our Own

Maybe we're not ancient throughout the state, but Cahokia Mounds dates all the way back to A.D. 700. If you have a friend or family member that has been around since A.D. 700, it would be fair to call them ancient, I guess.

Anyway, back in 2007, the Illinois Board of Tourism (EnjoyIllinois.com) announced the winners of its new "Seven Wonders of Illinois" promotion, which the public began voting on in February of that year.

The winners, one for each of seven regions, include five nature sites, one temple, and a baseball stadium.

Word cloud in the shape of Illinois showing the cities in the state of Illinois
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Getty Images
Getty Images
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No Matter The Topic, Lists About The Top Anything Always Prompts Some Arguments

When EnjoyIllinois.com got this promotion up and running, they wisely decided that there would be no rules on what "wonders" could be nominated. That might be why Chester, Illinois' Popeye statue was where a few votes went.

Getty Images
Getty Images
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Looking at the winners of the 7 Wonders Of Illinois promotion, it sure looks like Illinois' natural wonders were on the minds of many voters.

Here are the things and places that make up the 7 Wonders Of Illinois:

Starved Rock State Park (Northern Region)

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Getty Images
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Fall in Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, USA.
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Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Monticello (Central Region)

Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Facebook
Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Facebook
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Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Facebook
Allerton Park and Retreat Center, Facebook
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Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island (Western Region)

Blackhawk State Historic Site, Facebook
Blackhawk State Historic Site, Facebook
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Blackhawk State Historic Site, Facebook
Blackhawk State Historic Site, Facebook
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Rend Lake, Benton (Southern Region)

Benton/West City Area Chamber of Commerce, Facebook
Benton/West City Area Chamber of Commerce, Facebook
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The Southern Illinoisan, Facebook
The Southern Illinoisan, Facebook
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Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, Following A 33-Mile Strip Of River Through Alton, Grafton, Hartford And Elsah (Southwest Region)

Rob Lathrop, Facebook
Rob Lathrop, Facebook
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Great Rivers & Routes, Facebook
Great Rivers & Routes, Facebook
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Wrigley Field (Chicago Region)

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Getty Images
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Getty Images
Getty Images
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Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette (Chicagoland Region)

Baha'i Temple House of Worship, in Wilmette, IL, North Shore, Chicago
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Getty Images
Getty Images
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Tiny Illinois Town is in Guinness Book of World Records 12 Times

One very small Illinois town has built themselves into a giant across the globe and I'll bet you didn't even know. Neither did I. A whole lotta wow going on.

LOOK! You or Someone You Know Might Be Visible on Google Street View!

If you've traveled through some of Illinois' big cities over the last year or so you may have been made famous by the Google Maps Car.

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