The Best 15 Things to Do in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois

Nestled in Central Illinois, the towns of Bloomington and Normal are full of hidden gems. Blo-No is 2 hours from Chicago, and accessible by Amtrak, making it the perfect day trip destination. They are most well-known for being the home of Illinois State University, but there is so much more to explore. We’re sharing our 15 favorite things to do in Bloomington-Normal so that you can get the most out of your visit!

1. Ropp Jersey Cheese Store

https://roppcheese.com/
2676 Ropp Road, Normal, IL 61761
Monday-Saturday 9:00am-5:30pm

If you’re looking for a delicious thing to do in Bloomington-Normal, the Ropp family has had 7 generations of dairy farmers devoted to making the best cheese. They raise Jersey cows, whose milk contains more butterfat, and more nutrition, than other cow breeds. You can visit the Ropp farm to see the cow barn, cheese manufacturing plant, and of course shop for a variety of cheeses and other local products in the farm shop!

2. Bronze Giraffe Antiques

https://bronze-giraffe-antiques.business.site/
1720 Bradford Lane, Normal, IL 61761
Monday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 12:00-5:00pm

Antique lovers should check out the Bronze Giraffe for a wide variety of booths. The shop itself looks unassuming from the outside (it’s set in a strip mall), but is quite large with a lot of different types of items to peruse, making it one of the best antique malls in Bloomington-Normal.

3. Children’s Discovery Museum

https://www.childrensdiscoverymuseum.net/
101 E Beaufort Street, Normal, IL 61761
Tuesday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 1:00-5:00pm
Adults & Children $10, Children Under 2 Free

One of the best things to do with kids in Bloomington-Normal is the Children’s Discovery Museum, which is full of hands-on fun exhibits that encourage play. Kids can learn about farming in the AgMazing exhibit, paint and put on a show in Artsink!, test out a windmill in Energy Challenge, play in the sand and learn about nutrition in Healthy Kids- Healthy Future, explore the Luckey Climber climbing structure, try out the air maze and ball machine in Imagine Air, and explore water, trains, and more in My World. Expect to spend 2-3 hours at the museum, and be sure to check before going for special events and programs.

4. University Galleries

https://galleries.illinoisstate.edu/
11 Uptown Circle #103, Normal, IL 61761
Monday-Thursday 9:30am-5:00pm, Friday 9:30am-8:00pm, Saturday/Sunday 12:00-4:00pm
Free Admission

One of the best free things to do in Bloomington-Normal is to visit the ISU University Galleries. The Galleries often exhibit new and emerging artists, in addition to student work. We’ve seen more traditional photography and painting exhibits, as well as large-scale installation exhibits. There are multiple gallery spaces, so there is always a variety of work to see when you visit. Exhibits change fairly regularly so it is always worth a repeat visit.

Bonus Fact: You might be wondering why it’s called Normal. No, it’s not because it’s decidedly Not Weird. “Normal schools” was the 19th century name for teaching schools and ISU was Illinois’s first one.

5. 316 Antique Mall

2243 Westgate Drive, Bloomington, IL 61705
Monday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

316 Antique Mall is another large antique mall to check out while in the area. It has a wide variety of booths and plenty of different things to look through, making it another of Bloomington-Normal’s great antique malls.

6. Keg Grove Brewing Company

https://keggrovebrewing.com/
712 E Empire St, Bloomington, Illinois 61701
Monday-Tuesday 3:00pm-9:00pm
Wednesday-Thursday 3:00pm-9:00pm
Friday 12:00pm-11:00pm
Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm-8:00pm

Keg Brewing Company is a small craft brewery with an on-site taproom. You can try a wide variety of beers on tap, while seeing how it’s made too. Make sure to check their website before planning a visit because there’s often special events going on too.

7. David Davis Mansion

https://daviddavismansion.org/
1000 Monroe Drive Bloomington, IL 61701
Wednesday-Saturday 9:00am-3:30pm
Tours 10 minutes past the hour
Suggested Donation of Adults $10 Children $5

US Senator and Supreme Court Justice David Davis was a friend and campaign manager of Abraham Lincoln. His 1872 Second Empire home is now a museum offering house tours. Start at the Visitors Center for the 45 minute docent-led tour of the mansion. One of my favorite parts of the grounds is Sarah’s Garden. Not only is it full of era-appropriate plants, some are marked as her original plants. The mansion hosts events frequently as well- we’ve attended a European car show and a garden festival before.

8. Camelback Bridge / Constitution Trail

https://www.bloomingtonparks.org/parks/constitution-trail

The Constitution Trail runs through Bloomington and Normal for over 37 total miles. It’s a favorite of cyclists and walkers, and has many access points along the way. Normal’s Camelback Bridge was originally built in 1870 and is a National Historic Register site. If you’re looking for a good urban walk, this is one of the best things to do in Bloomington-Normal.

9. Dimmitt’s Grove

https://dimmittsgrove.org/
512 E Taylor St, Bloomington, IL 61701

The neighborhood of Dimmit’s Grove is full of historic houses dating from the mid-1800s. There is a variety of architectural styles, and some homes even boast famous visitors such as Presidents Lincoln and Grant. Houses of significance are marked with signs and the neighborhood welcomes people to walk/drive around to learn about the history of the area. Signs have QR codes so you can take a self-guided tour of the neighborhood.

10. McLean County Museum of History

https://mchistory.org/
200 N Main St, Bloomington, IL 61701
Monday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm
Adults $4, Children Free

Housed in the former county courthouse, the McLean County Museum of History is a great place to learn about the history of the area. Learn about the homes, work, agriculture, and conflicts of the people of McLean County in the four galleries of Challenges, Choices, and Changes. There is also, of course, an Abraham Lincoln exhibit detailing his time in and connections to the area. Kids can have fun playing dress up and learning about farm chores in the Discovery Room. Bonus: In the basement of the museum is the Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center with free exhibits about historic Route 66.

11. Miller Park Zoo

https://mpzs.org
1020 S Morris Ave, Bloomington, IL 61701
Monday-Sunday 9:30am-4:30pm
Adults $6.95, Kids 3-12 $4.95, Kids Under 2 Free

Miller Park is a small, but very nice zoo. There are a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits to explore. Highlights include the walk-through tropical rainforest habitat, Wallaby Walkabout, Sumatran tiger, Galapagos tortoise, and red wolves. It is AZA accredited, so you can feel comfortable that the animals are receiving quality care. There is also a beloved carousel in the zoo- you can buy tickets at the front entrance. While there, Miller Park is also worth walking around to check out the different memorials and monuments scattered throughout.

12. Gene’s Dairy Delight

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046497795023
1019 S Main St, Bloomington, IL 61701

Gene’s is part of Bloomington’s Route 66 history and is still serving soft-serve ice-cream 7 days a week during the warm season. They typically are open March through the end of September. Gene’s is a walk-up stand with outdoor seating. 

13. Evergreen Memorial Cemetery

https://evergreenmemorialcemetery.com/
302 E Miller St, Bloomington, IL 61701

If you’re not already a cemetery fan, including one on a list of things to do might seem weird- but cemeteries are great places to learn about the history of a place. Evergreen Memorial Cemetery has informational signs throughout the cemetery highlighting notable and interesting people interred there. Probably the most famous grave is Dorothy Gage, the niece of Frank L. Baum and real-life inspiration for Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Gage’s grave is one of three that also has a tree trunk carving decorating it.

14. Lil Beaver Brewery

https://lilbeaverbrewery.com/
5 Finance Dr, Bloomington, IL 61704
Monday-Thursday 11:00am-9:00pm
Friday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm
Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm

Lil Beaver Brewery taproom and brewpub offers both indoor and outdoor seating. They have a constantly rotating selection of beers on tap and a full food menu. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and gluten-free folks on the menu even. Kids are welcome and dogs are allowed on the outdoor patio. Lil Beaver often hosts special events, so be sure to check out the calendar.

15. Prairie Aviation Museum

https://prairieaviationmuseum.org/
2929 East Empire, Bloomington, IL 61704
Open Weekends 11:00am-3:00pm April-September and limited weekends in October
$5 for adults and kids over 12, $3 for kids aged 6-11, Free for Kids 5 & Under and for Active Military

The Prairie Aviation Museum is an indoor-outdoor museum with indoor museum exhibits and aircraft outdoors in the Airpark. Also look out for the Open Cockpit Day each month when you can sit in the cockpits, talk with pilots, and see projects the museum is currently working on. The Prairie Aviation Museum is an all volunteer organization and encourages visitors to touch and interact with the aircraft. 

Camping

If you’re looking for a place to camp near Bloomington-Normal, check out our Comlara Park guide