In 1673, Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette traveled along the Des Plaines River and set up camp in an area, a few miles south of present-day Joliet. Louis Jolliet was a French-Canadian explorer, and, together with Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit Catholic priest, explored and mapped the upper Mississippi River. Louis Jolliet mapped the area and labeled a large hill “Mont Joliet,” but it was later leveled because of mining activities. Joliet was known as “Stone City” because of the abundance of limestone in the area. In 1833, Charles Reed, settled along the west side of the Des Plaines River, and James B. Campbell settled across the river and named the area “Juliet” in 1834. “Juliet” was incorporated as a village in 1837; however, the residents petitioned the state to cancel the incorporation. In 1845, the residents agreed to change the name from “Juliet” to “Joliet.” The name “Joliet” comes from Louis Jolliet, the first explorer to visit the area in 1673. Joliet was incorporated as a city in 1852 and has continued to grow both in population and economically to this day.

Joliet has plenty of things to do. One of the things you should do is visit some of the tourist attractions in the city. Sometimes the best way to explore a city and know more about the history of your new home is to go for the touristy things. You can start by visiting the Joliet Area Historical Museum to learn about the city's history. If you love art, you can visit the Friends of Community Public Art, which has tours of public art murals across the city. Other places you should visit include the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate, Rialto Square Theatre, Pilcher Park and Bird Haven Green House, and Conservatory.

If you are a sports fan, you can watch various professional sporting events that take place in the city. Joliet is home to the Joliet Slammers, a minor-league baseball team that plays in the Frontier League. The Joliet Slammers play at the Silver Cross Field, which seats 6,000 people. Suppose you are a racing fan, head over to the Chicago Speedway or Route 66 speedway for some racing action. The Chicago Speedway usually hosts annual NASCAR events such as the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and Route 66 Speedway usually hosts the National Hot Rod Association events.

If you feel lucky, there is no need to travel to Las Vegas to play a few poker games. The casinos in Joliet have various games that you can indulge in. These casinos include Harrah’s Casino, Hollywood Casino & Hotel Joliet, Penny’s Place, and Hollywood Casino. These casinos also have resorts with amazing facilities such as spas, restaurants, and swimming pools. When you are done playing games at the casino, you can spend your winnings at the Westfield Louis Joliet Mall. This mall has various stores under its roof where you can shop for anything you like.