Waterloo, Illinois
What's so great about it: You can get your history fix in Waterloo with visits to Peterstown House (275 N. Main St., Waterloo; 618-939-4222), Bellefontaine House and the History Museum of Monroe County (618-939-5008, monroecountyhistorymuseum.org). Love beer? Visit Hopskeller, a brewery located inside a remodeled, pre-Civil War home (116 E. 3rd St., Waterloo, 618-939-2337, hopskellerbrewing.com), or the Stubborn German Brewing Company (119 S. Main St., Waterloo, 618-504-2444), which serves real German beer, in a real German town, made by real Stubborn Germans. Photo of the Stubborn German Brewing Company courtesy of Instagram /
stubborngermanbrewingwaterloo.