Historic village tops list of Illinois' most scenic sites

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A historic town along the Mississippi River tops a list of Illinois' most scenic places compiled as part of the state's 200th birthday celebration.

The Illinois Top 200 lets people vote for the state's best things in 20 different categories, from top businesses to greatest books. Voters will have chosen 200 items by the bicentennial on Dec. 3.

Voters' number one choice for the most scenic place was Elsah, a village near Alton that's on the National Register of Historic Places.

Also on the list are the Great River Road, which travels along the Mississippi from Galena to Cairo, as well as Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest and the Black Hawk Statue in northern Illinois.

Voting is now open for the next category, top museums.