LongWeekends Magazine

This unique distillery in Valparaiso, Indiana, offers a beautiful space to gather, dine and experience the brand’s core and limited-release organic spirits. Built in 1866 and originally operating as the Woolen Mill Factory, this sprawling complex of buildings in Valparaiso, Indiana, now houses The American Factory by Journeyman Distillery.

Following a two-year hiatus for construction, Illinois’ DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center unveiled its all-new visitor and rehabilitation center in early 2026. It provides medical treatment and care to injured, orphaned and ailing wild animals and birds that are native to the region or passing through during migration. Serving more than 11,000 patients and caring for over 200 species each year, the center is the largest of its kind in Illinois.

Envision a snow globe with a group of friends inside enjoying food, beer, games and conversation, and you’ll get a good idea of the winter igloo experience at Hop Lot Brewing Co. in Suttons Bay, Michigan. Starting around mid-November through the first week of April, the brewery sets 18 igloos across its landscape filled with trees and often draped in snow, while a glowing communal campfire welcomes guests to step outside and roast marshmallows.

During World War II, the only people who could get their hands on a Zippo lighter were U.S. soldiers fighting for the Allies. Although George G. Blaisdell had founded the Zippo manufacturing company in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1932, it was the product’s role in the war effort that made it an American icon.

’Tis the season for eating, shopping and merry-making, and Pittsburgh’s Peoples Gas Holiday Market provides a destination for all things holiday cheer. Each year, the enticing tastes, scents and sounds of a European-style Christmas market pop up in the city’s historic Market Square beginning in late November. It’s an event that promises nostalgia and yuletide fun around every corner.

The Idema Explorers Camp, which opened in May 2025, offers overnight accommodations in Michigan’s Ottawa Sands County Park, complete with nature-inspired lodging and a wealth of amenities. Here you’ll find three treehouses and five yurts, each outfitted with beds, a kitchenette, electricity, Wi-Fi, heating and even air conditioning (for summer visitors), that are open year-round.

University of Michigan Stadium Fall in Ann Arbor means football, and on home-game weekends, that means a trip to The Big House. The University of Michigan has the largest football stadium in the country with a seating capacity of 107,601. Get there early to grab a parking spot to tailgate, or grab a bite inside the stadium, where fare ranges from Buddy’s Detroit-style pizza to barbecue.

The massive stone building measures just shy of a quartermile long. Construction on the southern end of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum began in 1858, with the northern end completed in 1881, and while the facility was intended to hold just 250 residents, it packed in more than 2,400 at its overcrowded worst.

At first glance, visitors arrive at what appears to be an ordinary research facility. But after entering as “beta testers” in a fictional sleep study, they find themselves transported into Otherworld, a 32,000-square-foot immersive art experience where glowing caves, mysterious laboratories and secret passageways invite exploration. Rather than simply viewing artwork, visitors become part of the story, uncovering clues and solving puzzles as they move from room to room.

Family camping in winter? It’s not only doable, but fun when you’re staying in a yurt at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. Situated along the shores of Lake Huron in Port Elgin, Ontario, this park has seven of these large, tent-like structures equipped with bunk beds, table and chairs, heating and even an electrical outlet. Outside the 16-foot-tall yurt, there’s a fire pit, picnic table and propane grill, with restrooms and showers nearby.