Rockford is a city in Winnebago County in Northern Illinois. With a population of over 150,000 it is the third largest city in the state. When traveling in the Rockford Region, you will see the rolling hills of Northern Illinois, the Rock River and many trees and forests (Rockford is known as The Forest City). Although Rockford has the population of a larger city, it has a small-town feel. There are many original restaurants, sites, attractions and events that can only be found in Rockford. The Riverfront Museum Park houses three distinct museums: The Burpee Museum of Natural History, home to Jane, the world’s most complete juvenile T. rex skeleton; the Discovery Center Children's Museum, ranked fourth in the nation by Child magazine; and Rockford Art Museum, the largest art museum outside of Chicago. Other museums in the area include: Midway Village and Museum Center, Tinker Swiss Cottage, Historic Auto Attractions, Erlander Home Museum and Ethnic Heritage Museum. During the summer, Magic Waters Waterpark, operated by the Rockford Park District, offers families a fun way to cool down in the summer heat. The Coronado Performing Arts Center is a historic atmospheric style theatre that was built in 1927 and fully restored in 2001. The Coronado offers a full season of Broadway shows, concerts and other performances. The MetroCentre, Rockford's downtown 10,000-seat arena, is home to music, athletic and exposition events. In the summer months, Starlight Theatre on the campus of Rock Valley College features classical and contemporary musical productions. The theatre has a unique mechanical roof that opens out like a blooming flower on clear nights. Rockford also has a symphony orchestra, dance company and several theatre companies. Anderson Japanese Gardens is open May through October and was rated the finest Japanese Garden in North America, according to the Roth Journal. Rock Cut State Park is one of the largest state parks in Illinois and features camping, hiking, ...