Cheap Car Rental Joliet

Joliet, Illinois is located about 40 miles to the southwest of Chicago and has approx. 120,000 residents.

The city was first inhabited in 1834, but at the time it was known as Juliet. In 1845 it was changed and the city was named after the Canadian explorer Louis Joliet. However, there has been speculation that the city was named after one of Shakespeare’s characters as a counterpart for the neighboring city of Romeoville.

The city has a strategic location and is an important transportation hub, because it is on both sides of the Plaines River, one of the most important water routes in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Joliet is a fun town that is very influenced by the immigrants that are here. Almost 70% of the residents have European roots.

The center piece of the city is the Rialto Square Theater, a historic theater from the twenties. Here is where Al Capone liked spending time. It was named one of the ten most beautiful theaters in the United States because of its beautiful architecture with the Greek, Roman and Byzantine styling.

Joliet is also known for its two casinos, the Empress Casino and the Harrah’s Casino. Both are on boats, because the laws on the water are different than the ones on land. Hotels are annexed to both of the casinos.  

The city also has a notorious state prison, the Joliet Prison, which is closed today. Here the opening scenes from the movie Blues Brothers were shot and the current television series, Prison Break, uses the prison as a filming location.

Highly recommended is the Joliet Historical Museum. Here you can experience the development and history of the city. The working and living areas were realistically reproduced and the visitors can experience first hand the housing and road construction and can also be a part of the building of the historic Illinois Michigan Canal.  A virtual ride in a streetcar from the twenties is offered or the visitors can walk down a street right into the forties. The visitors are welcomed in the Route 66 Welcome Center, next to that there are photos, artwork, artifacts, sculptures and temporary exhibitions to see.

For relaxing there is the Bicentennial Park. This picturesque park has fountains, historical monuments, river pathways, pavilions and a theater. Concerts, theatrical performances, festivals and fairs take place here on a regular basis. Among the annual events are, for example, the Easter Parade, cycling and running races in May, car shows in June and July, fireworks, water events on the rivers and a lot of concerts. The popular NASCAR auto racing attracts enough fans that the population of the city is doubled by the crowds.  


The Jacob Henry Mansion, a historic mansion, is now used for different events, such as concerts or weddings. It has a small chapel and in the Victorian ballroom there is enough room for up to 300 people.  

An interesting legacy left by the immigrants can be found in the Slovenian Heritage Museum, which was founded by members of the Slovenian Women’s Union of America and which preserves the inheritance of Slovenian descendants. The museum was founded in 1978 and is now run by volunteers. It offers artifacts, memorabilia, old souvenirs like photos and rare pictures.

The good connection to the many interstates and highways make it easy to reach by car the areas around Joliet, as well as Chicago.