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DeKalb is a city of about 40,000 people in northern Illinois, about 65 miles west of Chicago, surrounded by flat, fertile farmland along the Kishwaukee River. It became famous in the 1870s as the birthplace of commercial barbed wire: local farmer Joseph Glidden patented his design here, and businessmen such as Isaac Ellwood turned it into a fortune that helped fence the American West.
That history lives on at the grand Ellwood House Museum and at the Glidden Homestead. Today the city is home to Northern Illinois University, whose campus, with the castle-like Altgeld Hall, brings sports, museums and student life. Downtown DeKalb, along the historic Lincoln Highway, has restaurants, bars and the restored Egyptian Theatre, one of the few surviving Egyptian Revival movie palaces in the country.
Outdoors, Hopkins Park follows the Kishwaukee River, and county forest preserves such as Afton offer trails and prairie. Each summer, the DeKalb Corn Fest celebrates the area's farming roots with music and food.
The 1879 mansion of barbed wire magnate Isaac Ellwood, set on landscaped grounds with a carriage house, a water tower and a tiny playhouse. Guided tours show lavish rooms and tell the story of the barbed wire boom. Tours run seasonally, and the grounds are pleasant for a walk year-round.
NIU's anthropology museum in Cole Hall, with changing exhibitions on world cultures, archaeology and community history, drawn from collections spanning several continents. It is free and compact, taking less than an hour. Check opening hours, which follow the university calendar.
The farmhouse and brick barn of Joseph Glidden, who invented and patented a successful type of barbed wire here in 1874. The restored site has exhibits on barbed wire and farm life, plus a working blacksmith shop. It opens on limited days with volunteer guides, so check the schedule first.
A restored 1929 theater built in the Egyptian Revival style, with pharaoh statues, scarabs and a colorful painted interior, one of only a handful of such theaters left in the United States. It hosts concerts, films and comedy shows. Even the lobby is worth seeing; book tickets for popular shows.
A large public university founded in 1895, with a leafy campus anchored by Altgeld Hall, a castle-like stone building that was the first on campus. The East Lagoon and paths make a pleasant walk. Visitors can attend concerts, lectures and sporting events throughout the academic year.
The home of NIU Huskies football, a stadium on the west side of campus with about 23,000 seats and a lively game-day atmosphere with tailgating and a marching band. Tickets are usually easy to get and affordable. Fall Saturdays are the main season; dress for changeable weather.
A large city park along the Kishwaukee River with shaded picnic areas, a swimming pool, playgrounds, sports fields and a community center. It hosts concerts and events in summer. Walking paths follow the river; a good spot for a family picnic or an easy evening stroll.
The historic downtown along Lincoln Highway, the first coast-to-coast road in the United States, with brick storefronts, local restaurants, bars, coffee shops and the Egyptian Theatre. It is livelier during the NIU school year and summer events. Street parking and nearby lots are easy.
A long-running summer festival celebrating the region's farming heritage, with live music on several stages, food vendors, carnival rides and free sweet corn. It draws large crowds over a weekend in late summer. Check the dates in advance and plan to walk from parking.
A DeKalb County forest preserve a short drive south of the city, with restored prairie, wetlands, woodland and walking trails. It is a quiet spot for birding, wildflowers in summer and a peaceful picnic. Trails are mostly flat and easy; there are no fees.
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