Editing Rockford, Illinois (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Rockford Il Coronado10.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Coronado Theatre]] marquee in its [[Art Deco]] styling]]
[[File:Anderson Gardens tea house.JPG|thumb|Tea house within [[Anderson Japanese Gardens]]]]
[[File:Nicholas Conservatory interior.jpg|thumb|[https://nicholasconservatory.com/ Nicholas Conservatory]]]

Compared to [[Katowice]] by writer [[Leopold Tyrmand]], Rockford possesses a wealth of notable architecture. The [[Lake-Peterson House]], constructed by alderman John Lake in 1873 and preserved by Swedish industrialist Pehr August Peterson, is a notable example of [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]]. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it is used for the School of Medical Technology of the Rockford-based [[Swedish American Hospital]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4033_Lake_Peterson_House_Rockford_Illinois|title = Lake-Peterson House|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Waymarking|publisher = Groundspeak, Inc}}</ref>

Further Swedish influence on Rockford during the [[Victorian era]] is represented in the Erlander Home Museum, the base of the Swedish Historical Society. Swiss influence can be seen in the [[Tinker Swiss Cottage]], which was opened as a museum under the park district in 1943 and was featured in an episode of [[Ghost Hunters (TV series)|Ghost Hunters]] in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.swedishhistorical.org/pages/museum|title = Erlander Museum|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Swedish Historical Society of Rockford, IL|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140614072918/http://www.swedishhistorical.org/pages/museum|archive-date = June 14, 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.rrstar.com/x887149241/Ghost-Hunters-episode-filmed-at-Tinker|title = 'Ghost Hunters' episode filmed in Rockford at Tinker Swiss Cottage|date = October 10, 2012|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Rockford Register Star|last = Curry|first = Corina}}
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Modern architectural movements, like [[Art Deco]] and [[Prairie School]], are also integral to Rockford. Most renowned is the [[Coronado Theatre]], a civic and entertainment center named one of 150 Great Places in Illinois by the [[American Institute of Architects]]. The theater is known for its blend of Art Deco with Spanish [[Baroque Revival architecture|Baroque Revival]] and has hosted numerous performers over its lifetime, including the [[Marx Brothers]], [[Frank Sinatra]], and [[Bob Dylan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.illinoisgreatplaces.com|title = Coronado Theatre|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = American Institute of Architects}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.lares-lexicon.com/installations/coronado.html|title = Coronado Theatre, Rockford, IL|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Lares Associates|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151016172236/http://www.lares-lexicon.com/installations/coronado.html|archive-date = October 16, 2015|url-status = dead|df = mdy-all}}</ref> The 186-foot tall [[Faust Hotel]] complements the Coronado; constructed in 1929, it endures as Rockford's tallest building, albeit as apartments for the elderly and disabled. The [[Laurent House]], a single-story [[Usonia]]n home constructed in 1952 by [[Frank Lloyd Wright]], is the only Wright building designed for a person with disabilities. Acquired by a private foundation from its commissioners, it was renovated into a museum in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.architectmagazine.com/architecture/frank-lloyd-wrights-laurent-house-opens-as-museum-in-june_o.aspx|title = A Grand Opening for a "Little Gem"|date = May 9, 2014|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Architect Magazine|last = Massie|first = Caroline}}</ref> The Rockford Area has two additional places named by the American Institute of Architects in the 150 Great Places, Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois and Poplar Grove United Methodist Church in Poplar Grove, Illinois.

[[Anderson Japanese Gardens]], modeled after the [[Portland Japanese Garden]] and landscaped by [[Hoichi Kurisu]], is 10 acres in size and features a teahouse and guesthouse in the [[sukiya-zukuri]] style. [[Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden]] is 155 acres in size and is noted for its selection of both indigenous and foreign plant species.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.klehm.org/about-footer/mission-and-history/#.U64mHCS0bzI|title = Mission and History|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden}}</ref>

The [[Burpee Museum of Natural History]] is home to the world's most complete juvenile ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', [[Jane (dinosaur)|Jane]], as well as a ''Triceratops'', Homer. The [[Discovery Center Museum]], a children's museum featuring over 250 hands-on exhibits including a planetarium.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/30/12-best-childrens-museums-in-the-u-s/|title = 12 Best Children's Museums In The U.S.|date = January 30, 2012|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Forbes|last = Olmsted|first = Larry}}</ref> The Burpee Museum and the Discovery Center Museum, along with the Rockford Art Museum and the bases for [[Northern Public Radio]], the Rockford Dance Company, and the [[Rockford Symphony Orchestra]] make up the downtown Riverfront Museum Park complex. The last museum under the park district's authority is [[Midway Village and Museum Center]], a recreation of a Victorian-era village. The eastern riverwalk of Rockford is maintained by the park district, featuring the [https://nicholasconservatory.com/ Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens]. Located on the bank of the Rock River, the conservatory is the third-largest in the state of Illinois. Just north of the gardens is ''Symbol'', an [[Alexander Liberman]] sculpture moved from downtown during the 1980s and now one of Rockford's most recognizable features.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/ncg|title=Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens|website=Rockford Park District|access-date=June 27, 2014}}</ref>

In 2021, artist [[Rafael Blanco (artist)|Rafael Blanco]] painted "Thinking of you Rockford" in Rockford, Illinois. The 22-foot by 77-foot piece<ref>{{cite web |title=Rafael Blanco Mural Description |url=https://www.gorockford.com/cre8iv/completed-murals/rafael-blanco/ |website=CRE8IV |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref> featured a young Black female dreaming alongside math and science illustrations.