Casey, Illinois is the tourist destination that I never knew I needed in my life.
As a result, this may truly be the most unintentional of all the guides here on Enter the Lens.
And it’s all a result of the combination of our unwillingness to fly economy more than 3 hours and a surprise birthday party in Ohio for Riley’s mom.
Is it my favorite place we’ve visited in all of 2022? Maybe.
The absurdity of it all makes it a definite contender!
When We Were In Casey, IL
It was a brief stop in August of 2022. (On a cloudy, moody day. – Riley)
It wasn’t a scheduled stop, just a random exit off the interstate that called to us with promises of the the World’s Largest…well, I don’t remember what was on the sign specifically.
I just knew that it was completely absurd and that I was 100% into it.
So, we took the exit despite needing to get to the airport in St. Louis to catch a flight.
Quick sidebar: We also thought we had more time before our flight than we actually did, because we had no idea that our rental car would update its clock as we drove through time zone changes. So, we didn’t really have the time to stop here… but we didn’t know that.
Planned or Not Planned
This stop was definitely not planned.
Though, to be fair, if I had known about this place before happening upon it on this random drive, then we would have already checked it out before now.
Cause sometimes when you see those signs on the interstate for attractions at the exit, they just sound so kitchsy that you have simply got to make the stop.
How We Ended Up In Casey, IL
We were making the drive from somewhere in Indiana (What? It was Indianapolis, not some random small town. – Riley) to St. Louis.
You see, we’d gotten back from our trip to Europe a few days earlier and had landed in DC.
From there, we made our way to Zanesville, Ohio to show up at a surprise party for Riley’s mom.
After the party, we needed to get back to Vegas, but didn’t like our flight options from Columbus, Ohio.
And I hate flying out of O’Hare.
So, we drove on to St. Louis to catch a flight home to Vegas.
And as our good fortune would have it, Casey was right off the interstate on our way to St. Louis.
First Impressions
I cannot convey through the text you see on your screen just how much I loved the randomness of this little town and their quest to have the World’s Largest of the most random things that you can think of.
Pizza wheel? Check
Knitting needles? Check
Rocking chair? Check
And the list goes on and on.
I kinda wanted to move there immediately and join in on the fun.
Because it is crazy fun!
Where We’ve Stayed
Let’s be serious – while I totally love this stupid little town, it’s not a destination where you need to stay the night.
It’s a road trip stop.
An awesome one, but not somewhere that you need to spend more than an hour or two.
Do they even have hotels? I dunno.
But we did stop to pee at the McDonalds by the interstate on the way out of town.
Our Favorite Things
It would not be wrong to say – EVERYTHING!
Okay, that’s not entirely true.
When we tried to see the World’s Largest Golf Tee, we were disappointed because you have to actually park and go into the Pro Club or whatever they call it at golf courses to behold what I can only imagine is a work of beauty.
But, alas, we would not know what it looks like ’cause we had zero plans of going through all that trouble for a bit of nonsense.
To be serious, what I really love about Casey, IL is how into it the businesses are when it comes to playing up this whole World’s Largest thing.
For example, the World’s Largest Pizza Wheel is just in front of a local pizza shop. And I freaking love that.
There was also this really cool old Victorian house that is bright purple, which was a site to behold. We both loved that.
The Culinary Scene
So, there was an ice cream shop by the World’s Largest Mailbox that looked pretty great, but we did not partake.
And across the street from that was a nice looking local coffee shop, but again we did not partake.
Also, as mentioned above, there is a McDonald’s by the interstate which is the perfect place for a bathroom break on the way out of town.
What Else To See
Honestly, I have no idea and I have a hard time believing there is anything else there worth noting.
You go for the over-sized nonsense throughout the town, take some pictures, have some laughs, stop in the McD’s for a pee on the way out of town, and then reminisce on how that was a great place to get out of the car and stretch your legs.
What You Should Know
Other people are just like you and me and they, too, are drawn in by the promises of giant things in the town!
There’s hardly any car traffic where these giant items are located (so it’s easy to cross the street!), but you will see other tourists snapping photos with things like the World’s Largest Bookworm.
While we didn’t manage to find all of the giant items, I think only the golf tee is not visible 24 hours a day.
How Long Do You Need in Casey, IL?
You really only need an hour or two to find all of these giant items and snap a few pictures.
If you intend on grabbing a coffee, ice cream, or bite to eat, then plan for a longer stay.
But as previously mentioned, this is really just a side trip type of destination and not a primary destination.
What To Watch Out For
I did not notice any public restrooms in the areas where you can find all these giant items. (Doesn’t mean there weren’t any, but I didn’t see them, and I was looking.)
Plenty of these items are just out in front of private businesses.
That’s why I keep telling you about that McDonald’s by the interstate that you can pop into before you get back on the road.
Casey, IL in Summation
If you happen to be driving past Casey, or it would be a brief detour for you, then I wholeheartedly recommend you pop off the interstate for it.
I love ridiculous things like this, and I was not disappointed.
In fact, I would even stop in again if I happened to be driving past it.
Though, I still wouldn’t venture into the golf course to see that stupid golf tee.
