a) Attraction Categories
In order to be considered for tourism attraction signs, the
attraction must fall under one of the categories listed in subsections (a)(1)
through (a)(19) of this Section. Additionally, the attraction, except as
otherwise provided, must have adequate legal parking; must be open to the
public a minimum of 100 days per year; must have drinking water and Americans
with Disabilities Act compliant restroom facilities at or near the site; and
must have minimum annual attendance consistent with the categories listed as
follows.
1) Agri-Tourism Site: An
established area where consumers can interact with Illinois agricultural
producers for the purpose of tours, education or other rural recreational
experiences or to purchase and/or pick pumpkins and other produce directly from
the producer. The facility must offer a variety of agri-tourism related
entertainment, including, but not limited to, activities such as hayrack rides,
farm animals, corn mazes, etc. The facility must offer concessions and restroom
facilities, with a minimum annual attendance of 5,000.
2) Amusement Park/Fairgrounds/Recreational
and Entertainment Complex: A park, fairground, or recreational and
entertainment complex that supplies refreshments and multiple activities of
entertainment and recreation, with a minimum annual attendance of
50,000.
3) Antique Shopping Areas:
A stand alone facility with a group of at least 40 vendors or 30,000 square
feet of space that specializes in the sale of antique items or an area
concentrated within a mile radius offering five or more individual antique
shops that specialize in the sale of antique items.
4) Arena/Performance Center: A stadium,
sports complex, auditorium, civic center, racetrack, convention center or
cultural center, with a minimum annual attendance of 50,000.
5) Botanical/Zoological Facility: A
collection of unique living plants/animals that are kept and exhibited to the
public, with a minimum annual attendance of 25,000. Zoos shall be members of,
or accredited by, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association or other similar
organization.
6) Brewery: An
establishment that manufactures and produces malt liquors, such as beer and
ale, on the premises. It must be open to the public offering tours and must
offer an organized tasting and/or sampling opportunity for the visitor with an
option to purchase. The facility must be accessible with public restrooms and a
minimum annual attendance of 5,000.
7) Entertainment/Dining/Shopping District: An
area concentrated within a half-mile radius offering a variety of
entertainment, dining and shopping venues.
8) Gambling/Wagering Facility: An off-track
wagering facility or a riverboat casino authorized and regulated by the State
of Illinois.
9) Golf Course: An
area of land laid out for golf with a minimum of 9 holes, each including tee,
fairway, and putting green, and often one or more natural or artificial hazards
and open to the public, with a minimum annual attendance of 15,000. Miniature
golf courses, driving ranges, chip-and-putt courses and indoor golf courses are
not eligible to participate in the program.
10) Historic Shopping District: A shopping
district with a minimum of seven stores in restored structures that is marketed
as a historic shopping district or area.
11) Historic Site: A structure, district, or
landmark listed by the IHPA as being of historical significance, with an annual
minimum attendance of 5,000. State sites maintained by the IHPA, the IDNR, and
the Department are exempt from the requirements of this Part. Sites promoting
the same historic event or person should be combined as one logo on a sign
(i.e., Lincoln Sites, Frank Lloyd Wright Sites).
12) Marina: A sheltered harbor adjacent to a
navigable waterway where boats are kept in the water and recreational boating
services are provided. This category is considered a seasonal
attraction.
13) Museum: An
organized and permanent institution, with professional staff, in which works of
artistic, historical or scientific value are cared for and exhibited to the
public, with a minimum annual attendance of 15,000. Museums shall be members
of, or accredited by, the American Association of Museums, the Illinois
Association of Museums, the Association of Midwest Museums, or some other
similar organization.
14) Orchard:
An established area or facility where consumers can purchase or pick fresh
Illinois food products directly from Illinois producers, with a minimum annual
attendance of 5,000. The facility shall include a general store.
15) River Excursion: A non-gaming riverboat
sightseeing excursion, with a minimum annual attendance of 5,000.
16) Shopping Center: A group of stores
arranged in one or more buildings with the stores in any one building separated
by floor to ceiling partitions and having, in Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties, a
minimum of 150 stores and, in all other counties, a minimum of 45
stores.
17) State or National
Park/Forest/Wild Life Area: An area designated by a unit of government that
provides activities such as fishing, picnicking, hiking, swimming, boating, and
sporting events, with a minimum annual attendance of 15,000.
18) Unique Attractions: Areas of special
interest that have a minimum annual attendance of 5,000, including, but not
limited to:
A) ATV Parks - a park designed to
allow visitors to drive All-Terrain Vehicles on a designated surface.
B) Comedy Clubs - open to the public with
regularly scheduled performances.
C) Disc Golf - a disc game in which
individual players throw a flying disc into a basket/target.
D) Rock Climbing - facilities open to the
public with equipment designed to allow visitors to climb rocks.
E) Sky Diving - facilities open to the public
allowing the visitor to jump from a plane using certified jumping
equipment/gear.
F) Sport Shooting
Clubs - facilities open to the public that offer the visitor an opportunity to
shoot five stand, skeet, trap or sporting clays.
G) Landmarks that have been internationally
or nationally recognized for their uniqueness.
19) Winery: A facility, open to the public
with regularly scheduled hours, that holds an Illinois
1st or 2nd Class
Winemakers License or an Illinois 1st or
2nd Class Wine Manufacturer License and ferments
more than 200 gallons per year and offers educational tours of the Illinois
winemaking process in an Illinois winery that is associated with a tasting room
and has a minimum annual attendance of 5,000.
d) Tourism Attraction Signing Priorities
1) Where there may be more tourism
attractions eligible for and desiring signing than the number of signs
permitted on specific tourism attraction panels, the following point criteria
will be used in determining priority for signing. When two or more tourism
attractions score identical points, the priority will be based on the distance
to the interchange with a closer tourism attraction having priority over a
farther tourism attraction. When the Department cannot determine which tourism
attraction is closest to the appropriate exit ramp, priority for the available
space will be determined by lottery, coin toss, or any other fair and impartial
method determined by the Department. The affected tourism attraction will be
allowed to witness such action. Because each exit at an interchange is treated
separately, a tourism attraction may be eligible to sign from only one
direction of travel along a freeway.
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Annual Attendance:
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Less than 50,000 persons
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10 points
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50,000 to 149,999 persons
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20 points
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150,000 to 249,999 persons
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30 points
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250,000 persons or more
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35 points
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Days/Hours of Operation:
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Open a minimum of 100 hours per year
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5 points
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Open a minimum of 3 days per week, 7 hours per day for
less than 6 months per year but for a total of more than 400 hours per
year
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10 points
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Open a minimum of 5 days per week, 7 hours per day for
more than 6 months of the year
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20 points
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Open year-round, except major holidays, a minimum of 7
hours per day
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30 points
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Distance from interchange:
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(Except Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties)
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25.1 to 30 miles
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5 points
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20.1 to
25 miles
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10 points
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15.1 to 20 miles
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15 points
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10.1 to 15 miles
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20 points
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5.1 to 10 miles
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23 points
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5 miles or less
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25 points
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Distance from interchange:
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(DuPage and Lake Counties Only)
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9.1 to 10 miles
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5 points
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7.1 to 9.0 miles
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10 points
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5.1 to 7.0 miles
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15 points
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1.1 to 5.0
miles
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20 points
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1 mile or less
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25 points
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Distance from interchange:
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(Cook County Only)
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4.1 to 5
miles
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10 points
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3.1 to 4 miles
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15 points
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1.1 to 3.0
miles
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20 points
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1 mile or less
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25 points
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Marketing Plan:
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Attractions not demonstrating any advertising efforts
outside a 50 mile radius of the interchange
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0 points
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Attractions that advertise outside a 50 mile radius of
the interchange on a limited basis with fewer than five advertisement
placements per year
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5 points
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Attractions that advertise on a regular basis to
markets outside a 50 mile radius of the interchange and/or conduct public
relations efforts to generate visits from persons outside that area
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10 points
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2) An
attraction will be guaranteed participation in the program for a minimum of
three years from the date of installation of its tourism attraction signs
provided it continues to meet the requirements of this Section and is not in
arrears in its payments. Following the first three year period, signs for the
attraction with the lowest priority on a panel may be removed at the beginning
of the billing cycle in favor of another attraction with at least 30% higher
priority based on subsection (d)(1) of this Section. This will only apply where
the sign panel in question has the maximum number of attraction signs allowed
in Section
543.600(a)(2).
3) When a tourism attraction closes
temporarily due to remodeling, or due to an act of God, including, but not
limited to, fire or flood, the tourism attraction shall notify the Department
in writing of the closure. Notification shall be sent to the:
LOGO/Tourism Signing Coordinator
Illinois Department of Transportation
Bureau of Operations
2300 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, Illinois 62764
Following the closure, the tourism attraction signs will be
removed and returned to the tourism attraction. If the tourism attraction
remains closed after six months, the closure shall be considered as permanent
and the space will be declared available. In any event, if the allowable
closure period extends to the subsequent fiscal year, the annual rental fee for
the tourism attraction must be paid for that year or the space will be declared
available. If the tourism attraction does not notify the Department in writing
of the closure and the Department becomes aware of the closure, the closure
shall be considered permanent and the space will be declared available.
4) When a tourism attraction
closes permanently, the tourism attraction will lose its signing priority and
the space will be declared available. If the tourism attraction reopens and
wishes to again take part in the program if a space is available, a new
application must be submitted as specified in Section
543.600(a).
If the tourism attraction is still eligible for signing under this program,
priority will be evaluated among all other eligible tourism attractions
desiring signing at the interchange in question.
