"The Island City" of Wilmington has witnessed a lot of history and has intricate ties to The Illinois & Michigan Canal, Route 66, and even the Underground Railroad. The city’s historic downtown is an antiquarian’s dream with 20 different antiques shops to browse. A popular stop along Route 66 is The Gemini Giant, a fiberglass man sporting a space helmet and rocket ship which serves as a tribute to the country’s obsession with space travel during the 1960’s.

Wilmington is located on the banks of the Kankakee River, along the original 1926 alignment of Illinois Route 66. Wilmington has a unique geographic feature - a large island in the Kankakee River, which divides the river into a large channel and a small channel. This is why it is known as, "The Island City."