Ryan Unveils New Online Gallery so Visitors Can Watch the Illinois State Fair Come to Life

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan unveiled a new online gallery today on the State of Illinois homepage. The new gallery provides over 260 pictures highlighting Illinois historic sites, natural wonders, Abraham Lincoln, wildlife, technology, people and culture.

"This gallery allows people all over the world to see the beauty and diversity of Illinois," Governor Ryan said. "We want to share the treasures of Illinois with people that may never visit these sites. This new online gallery may also entice visitors to come see the beauty in person."

The State of Illinois homepage already offers web cams, a video postcard, virtual reality tour of the Governor's Mansion and the ability to hear the State Song. This new site greatly expands the pictorial coverage of Illinois available online. A version of the pictures is available in "HTML" format for low bandwidth users or in a "Flash" version for high bandwidth users.

For the first time, the web cams available on the gallery site enable visitors to watch pictures of the fairgrounds as it 'comes to life' for the Illinois State Fair, August 10-19. Located throughout the fairgrounds, the web cams take snapshots of progress being made to build the fair. The cams will also be operational during the fair and will be highlighted inside Tech Town.