Location: Bloomington
Top Things to do in Bloomington
What to do and see in Bloomington, United States: The Best Places and Tips
Surrounded on all sides by rolling green farmland, Bloomington is a hub of activity offering attractions and events for all seasons. Take the kids to Grady's Family Fun Park for games, rides or a round of mini golf. Lace up your skates and glide across the rink at Pepsi Ice Center, or take to the Constitution Trail for jogging and cycling in the summer or cross-country skiing in the winter. You'll have no trouble teeing off in the Bloomington-Normal area, home to five golf courses.
Restaurants in Bloomington
1. David Davis Mansion State Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 153 reviews
Reviewed By Big_bro_1_usa - Chicago, Illinois
A true treasure of the state! Great docent (Cecilia), she was kind, patient and accommodating. We never felt rushed and learned a lot about the owner of the mansion and the history of the place . beautiful house and grounds as well as the outlying structures around the mansion. You tour 3 levels and will be impressed at the accomodations. They really did a great job of restoring this mansion to it’s former glory. It’s one of the best mansion tours in Illinois. A must see if you are in the area and love history and the area’s connection to Abraham Lincoln. We gave a donation as well as purchased a lot of items from the gifts shop to help the foundation that maintains the mansion. They even have a garden that has some of the ORIGINAL plants on it. That’s amazing! You’re talking about plants that have been around since the 1870s!
2. Children's Discovery Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 133 reviews
Reviewed By DaleSStrassheim - Hudson, Illinois
What a treasure to have a facility like this in Central Illinois. The facility is outstanding and state of the art, but more importantly, they know how to grab the interest and creativity of young children and give them a terrific chance to explore and learn.
3. Miller Park Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 227 reviews
Reviewed By Darla F - Litchfield, Illinois
seems to me they have alot of endangered animals there to see. enjoyed it alot, worth the money to go. took about an hour and a half. get up close to the animalls
4. Rader Family Farms
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 42 reviews
Reviewed By Fldachick
We love Radar Farms. My kids are 7 and 12 and still love it like they did when they were younger! They had even more fun this year than last, with the addition of a fun volleyball game where the kids hit big bouncy balls over hay bales. They didn't get rid of any of the old favorites either. This is the place my kids beg for each Fall!
5. Constitution Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By fhv_58 - Mt. Carroll
I loved the constitution while I lived in Bloomington. It weaves all over Bloomington/Normal. It makes things much more accessible on bike, walking, roller blades, etc.. it was nice because so many college students used it to get to campus. It leads right into uptown normal, isu's campus, downtown Bloomington, etc..really wherever you want to go. I definitely recommend getting a map of the trail. There are fix-it stations with tools at different spots throughout the trail if something goes wrong.
6. McLean County Museum of History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 67 reviews
The McLean County Museum of History traces its roots back to 1892, the year the McLean County Historical Society was founded. It is a nationally accredited award winning museum with five permanent exhibit galleries and two rotating galleries. The Museum is located in the historic 1903 McLean County Courthouse that includes an architectural tour throughout the building. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, and FREE for children and students with I.D. This educational institution is dedicated to telling the rich story of McLean County through programs which serve people of all ages. The Museum preserves 19,000 objects, makes available more than 11,500 rare and hard to find reference books, manages 1,700 feet of historical papers and images in its archives. It also houses the new Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center and the McLean County Genealogical Society. Tuesdays are FREE days.
Reviewed By laurelboo - Tipp City, Ohio
This museum is a must. The free visitors center is there and the museum is very much worth the small fee they charged us. We were there three hours...and I think we could have stayed all day! Lots of hands on exhibits. Lots of fun...MoreWe are pleased you enjoyed your time with us. Your admission supports the work we do as a nonprofit museum, so thank you for the kind words and helpful review. Come see us again when new exhibits open in 2018!
7. Prairie Aviation Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By bethhage - Santa Clara, California
Airplane fanatics and air museum newbies will enjoy their collection.
This is a volunteer operated museum on the main airport property and it's great for weekend visit to Bloomington.
Kids will love it and the docents are friendly and knowledgable.
If you love planes you should stop in.
8. Stave Wine Bar & Market
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By juniebjones - portland
What a gem in Uptown Normal. It's not a large establishment which makes it seem more intimate. The atmosphere is very conducive to gathering with friends. The wine section was quite good and they also offered a good selection of beers. The meat and cheese selections were varied and also very good. They offered gluten free crackers for the non- bread members of our group. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Highly recommend!
9. Evergreen Memorial Cemetery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By couponsavgirl - Bloomington, Illinois
I really enjoyed walking around this historical cemetery especially on the Evergreen Cemetery Walk! There are so many fascinating people buried here! David Davis, Ashael Gridley, Adlai Stevenson II, and Dorothy Gage who was the inspiration for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz! The cemetery is kept up very nicely and you can walk around to visit the various grave sites of these famous people. There are markers and signs to let you know where certain people are buried.
10. Normal Theater
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By Travis J - Normal, Illinois
The Normal theater shows films that you won't see anywhere else unless you go to an art theater in a large city. Tickets are moderately priced and all drinks and snacks are $1 There's usually a raffle for a prize before the movie starts. Sometimes there's a little educational exhibition before the movie starts. One time there was a foreign film about Persian rugs and a local merchant brought samples of his Persian rugs. Classic films at Halloween and Christmas are more enjoyable on the big screen.
TAGS
