Lakeview Museum
(http://www.lakeview-museu...) is Peoria's regional museum, with emphasis on art and science, with rotating galleries that change every few months. The regional folk art collection is particularly nice. Lakeview is a Smithsonian Member Institution with reciprocal admission discounts/waivers for members of other Member Institutions. Recent visiting exhibits have included the pottery of Picasso and a large Ansel Adams exhibit. Exhibits are well-curated. The museum is also a teaching institution, with its own classes and with sponsored activities in local schools. For example, the Ansel Adams exhibit had an ancillary exhibit of high school photography in the style of Ansel Adams. Daily Planetarium shows not included in general admission. Gift shop. Lakeview is currently located on Lake Street, north of downtown, but will be moving to a new, larger facility in the downtown in the next couple years.The Glen Oak Zoo in Glen Oak Park (http://peoriaparks.org/zo...), which is currently expanding and changing its name to the Peoria Zoo has an excellent collection of smaller animals, including meerkats, a variety of smaller monkeys, and capybaras. Admission $5.95 adults/$3.75 kids. Open 10AM to 5PM daily.
The Luthy Botanical Gardens (http://peoriaparks.org/lu...), also located in Glen Oak Park, features both traditional ornamental collections and increasingly native plantings on five acres. Admission free; 8:30AM to dusk daily. During holiday seasons, the Gardens host special events.
Minor League baseball
in the summer and minor league hockey in the winter keeps sports fans happy. The Peoria Chiefs (http://www.peoriachiefs.com/), a class A Chicago Cubs affiliate, play at O'Brien Field in the downtown. There is local bad blood because the Chiefs were until recently a Cardinals affiliate, and local baseball fans are evenly split between the Cubs and Cards. In the winter, the Peoria Rivermen (http://www.rivermen.net), the oldest active minor league hockey team, play at the Civic Center.Caterpillar
(http://www.cat.com/) also has its headquarters in the Peoria area, so Peoria is a popular destination for Cat fans. Cat is opening a visitor's center downtown within the next couple years.Tower Park
(http://www.villageofpeori...) in Peoria Heights is a popular attraction with a water tower you can ascend and see panoramic views up to 40 miles in clear weather. The river valley is quite lovely.For more spectacular river views, try Grandview Drive (http://peoriaparks.org/pa...). This road, which can be accessed from the top or bottom, features some of Peoria's grandest homes and a variety of truly spectacular views of the river. The best river views have pull-offs and small parking lots so you can take pictures and take your time looking. The Park District maintains the overlooks as well as a park at the bottom of the drive.
Wheels O' Time
(http://www.wheelsotime.org/), a quirky local museum, is definitely worth a visit. It's in the far north of the city and features a variety of things have to do with wheels and gears -- antique cars, clocks, carnival machines, old washing machines, farm equipment, a train !, and more. Most are old-fashioned or antique. It's seriously wacky and seriously enjoyable -- the mechanical "barbershop quartet" in which all of the figures bear faces of former United States Presidents! is worth the price of admission all by itself. Open May to October, noon to 5PM, $5 adults/$2.50 children.