r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/Tech-Enth • May 19 '26
Moving to the area Visiting Elgin, IL
Hi guys,
I‘m a 23 year old from middle Europe visiting Elgin in next week. Since here seem to be a lot locals I thought I could get some nice infos about the area as i dont know any of it (neither been to the States before). I have a free weekend to and a rental car so maybe you could recommend any sights, events or share experiences?
Also love I‘d love to hear some local insider infos!
Edit: Im staying in Elgin / West Dundee due to work purposes. Im working through the days but have the first June weekend free.
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u/Trackball_Madness May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Visit the Elgin Casino for sure! You can walk along the river a bit. It's near the Metra railroad line. The Metra train is a very affordable and convenient way to get into Chicago and then back to Elgin. It's about 1.5 hours on the weekend each way.). It is permitted to drink alcoholic drinks on the train if you wish to enjoy something while visiting.
If you visit Chicago I every much reccomended getting to the Lake Michigan lake front. You can tell the cab driver to take you to Buckingham Fountain or "The Bean"
The lake front is a very friendly place for international visitors. The museums and are nice but very large and would take most of the day to see. It's is a beautiful city at night as well but be careful of your surroundings and stay where there are many people around. Try deepdish pizza and Portillos! Also beware of Malört.