McLean County Museum of History

Events & Programs

Looking for something new to do? Check out our upcoming events and programs.

American Legion Post 635 and 56 Tribute to the Four Chaplains on the Museum Square

Friday, February 3, 2023 11:00 AM

Join the American Legion Post #635 and #56 Honor/Color Guard for a tribute to the Four Chaplains on the Museum Square in downtown...

Tour de Chocolat 2023

Friday, February 3, 2023 5:00 PM

The Cruisin with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center and McLean County Museum of History are pleased to once again participate in this annual...

History Reads Book Club: The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America

Tuesday, February 7, 2023 7:00 PM

All avid readers are welcome to join the Museum and Bloomington Public Library on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. for the first...

Lunch and Learn - Being Innovative in Bloomington-Normal w/ Jamie Mathy and Kevin McCarthy

Thursday, February 9, 2023 12:10 PM

Join the McLean County Museum of History for the sixth Lunch & Learn of the 2022-2023 season with Jamie Mathy and Kevin McCarthy on...

Echoes of Purple and Gold with Jack Keefe

Saturday, February 11, 2023 2:00 PM

Join the McLean County Museum of History and Bloomington bread author Jack Keefe for a brief presentation, Q&A, and book signing for his...

With five exhibit galleries, a hands on Discovery Room, and four floors of Museum to explore, there's a lot of history to get caught up on. So let's cover the essentials to help you plan your Museum visit.

Admission

Admission is FREE on Tuesdays, and just $5 every other day of the week ($4 for seniors!).

Museum members, students, and SNAP recipients enjoy FREE admission every day we're open. Active-duty military personnel and families are free May 15-Sept 6!

How to Get Here

Our address is 200 N. Main Street, but our entrance is on Washington Street.

There are bicycle racks on the Washington Street plaza behind the Lincoln Bench. All city busses drop off on Front Street, one block south of the Museum. Parking around the Museum is free but you must move every 90 minutes.

Hours

We're open from 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday.

Tuesday we are open 9am-8pm and admission is FREE!

We are closed on Sundays.

Exhibits

Explore the rich history of McLean County in our five permanent exhibits and hands on Discovery Room. Our online exhibits bring McLean County history to you, wherever you are.

Abraham Lincoln in McLean County

This exhibit examines Lincoln's work as an attorney in McLean County, defines his pivotal role in the anti-slavery movement, explores the lasting connections Lincoln made with the people of this community.

Challenges, Choices, and Change

This exciting new 5,000-square-foot exhibit in four galleries explores the experience of living, working, farming, and creating community in McLean County.

Digital Exhibits

Read the rich histories featured in our Challenges, Choices, and Change as well as Abraham Lincoln in McLean County exhibits from anywhere!

Research

The Museum has thousands of online and on-site resources for researching local history topics and genealogy. These are some of our most popular resources.

Pantagraph Negative Collection

Access over 100,000 digitized images from the Pantagraph newspaper in the Illinois Digital Archives database.

Finding Aids

Detailed inventories of archival collections in the Museum, organized by subject, from the 1820s to the present.

Digitized City Directories

Search through some of our local city directories that have been digitized!

Library Catalog Search

See what books we have in our library. We are a non-circulating library so you must come to the library to see these books.

Learn

Our educational programs reach thousands of students, seniors, and community members each year.

Evergreen Cemetery Walk

The Evergreen Cemetery Walk brings the voices of McLean County's history to life. Costumed actors portray people representing all walks of life from the county's past on the grounds of Evergreen Memorial Cemetery.

Recorded Programs

Many of our education programs and historical lectures have been recorded and are available to view on YouTube. Check them out today!

School Programs

Are you looking for an interactive learning experience for your students? The Museum is an award-winning educational institution that offers FREE hands-on programming for grades pre-K through college.

Speakers Bureau

Local experts are ready to give presentations on a variety of fascinating topics. Invite them to your club, meeting, or classroom!

Senior Reminiscence

Bring museum educators directly to your facility at no cost to you. Using authentic objects, photographs, and inquiry-based facilitation, we encourage older adults to recall, share, understand, and connect.

Become a Member

Want free admission to the Museum every day of the year? Or invitations to special member-only events? Becoming a member is a meaningful contribution to the Museum's mission of preserving local history. Plus, enjoy reciprocal benefits at over 400 museums & historic sites in the U.S. through the Time Travelers Program.

Join us

Become a Volunteer

We provide rewarding opportunities for active volunteers and flexible positions for occasional volunteers too.

Explore opportunities

Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitor's Center

Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitor's Center contains a gift shop and local tourism information. We feature locally produced products, Abraham Lincoln souvenirs, and Route 66 souvenirs. When you visit the Museum, you will enter and exit through the Visitors Center!

Learn more