The Best Midwest Attractions & Festivals to Check Out in 2026 [PHOTOS]

Zoos, golf courses, ballparks, food festivals, renaissance fairs, art museums, 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 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

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 Golf Resorts

• 2nd Place: Big Cedar Lodge (Ridgedale, Missouri)
• 3rd Place: BOYNE Golf (Petoskey, Michigan)
• 9th Place: French Lick Resort (French Lick, Indiana)

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)
• 7th Place: Old Town Art Fair (Chicago, Illinois)
• 10th Place: Des Moines Arts Festival (Iowa)

Best City Food Festivals

• 6th Place: Detroit Foodie Fair (Michigan)
• 7th Place: World Food Championships (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• 8th Place: Columbus Food Truck Festival (Ohio)
• 10th Place: MN Food Truck Festival (Hopkins, Minneapolis, and Anoka)

Best Flower Festivals

• 3rd Place: Zoo Blooms at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Ohio)
• 5th Place: Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (Michigan)
• 8th Place: Tulip Time (Holland, Michigan)

Best Cultural Festivals

• 3rd Place: Dublin Irish Festival (Ohio)
• 4th Place: Fyr Bal Festival (Ephraim, Wisconsin)
• 8th Place: World Food & Music Festival (Des Moines, Iowa)

Best Beer Festivals

• 8th Place: Michigan Winter Beer Festival (Comstock Park, Michigan)
• 9th Place: Great Taste of the Midwest (Madison, Wisconsin)

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