BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL ENTERTAINMENT / R E C R E AT I O N / DINING / ACCOMMODATIONS / M A p S 2014 OFFICIaL VISItOr guIde Yours to Discover } } Featured Image » Bloomington Jaycee Criterium WELCOME { Discover Bloomington-Normal } t he 2014 Bloomington-Normal Area Visitor Guide will provide you with pertinent information on points of interest while you are visiting our remarkable communities. 3201 CIRA Drive, Suite 201 Bloomington, IL 61704 The Bloomington-Normal area continues to be one of the most engaging in Illinois. Inside the Central Illinois Regional Airport Our central location at the interchange of Interstates 55, 39 and 74 makes us easily 800.433.8226 or 309.665.0033 accessible. The Central Illinois Regional Airport and our frequent Amtrak service make getting here effortless. We want your experience in Bloomington-Normal to be memorable. We have exceptional hotels, outstanding restaurants and unique attractions. We are proud to be a stop on the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Trail as well as historic Route 66. The Children’s BloomingtonNormalCVB.org Discovery Museum, David Davis Mansion and the McLean County Museum of History are just a few of our many attractions. Experience premier entertainment at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts or the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, or enjoy an Visitor event on the campuses of Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University. We are proud to be the headquarters for State Farm Insurance, Mitsubishi Motors Guide North America, COUNTRY Financial and the renowned BEER NUTS. Our diversity in The Bloomington-Normal Area Visitor Guide is published annually by the business, education and celebrated Midwestern hospitality continues to make Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Bloomington-Normal a charming place to live and visit. We hope you enjoy all that Visitors Bureau (BNACVB) and is distrib- Bloomington-Normal has to offer and come back soon! uted locally and nationally throughout the calendar year. For advertising information, questions or comments about the Visitor Guide, please contact our office. The BNACVB has made every attempt to verify the information contained in this guide, and assumes no liability for incorrect or outdated information. The Bureau is a publicly funded organization and does not evaluate restaurants, attractions or events listed in this guide. The BNACVB imple- ments a Hotel Standards program to provide hotel quality assurance for area visitors. All information herein is based on materi- als submitted directly from the organization or business entity or through telephone surveys. Any admission fees or rates tarI renner CHrIS KOOS CryStaL HOward quoted in this publication are effective Mayor of Bloomington Mayor of Normal Director, BNACVB through December 31, 2014. 57 Coe Nt Nts 2014 Official Visitor Guide { 2 } artS & tHeatre Art Galleries Theatre { 6 } muSeumS & HIStOry Museums Historic Landmarks { 12 } SpOrtS & entertaInment Entertainment / Recreation & Sport 38 Movie Theaters / Fitness { 16 } great OutdOOrS 39 Agritourism Nature Parks & Recreation Aquatic Centers / Camp Grounds Golf { 24 } dInIng & nIgHtLIFe American Asian, Indian & Mediterranean Bakeries & Treats 47 Barbecue / Coffee Houses / Fast Food Italian & Pizza Mexican / Subs & Delis / Steakhouses Bars & Nightlife { 34 } SHOppIng Find us Downtown Bloomington / Uptown Normal online Malls / Shopping Plazas / Antiques Like our page on { 38 } annuaL eVentS FaCebOOK.COm/BNACVB 7 Calendar of Events Follow us on twItter.COm/BNACVB 57 { 42 } area eduCatIOn Check out our videos on Universities / Colleges yOutube.COm/user/BNACVB High Schools / K-12 Offices { 46 } AccommOdatIOnS The best way to Featured Hotels Hotel Listings find out what to Bed & Breakfasts do in town is to { 54 } COmmunIty InFO O c Top 20 Major Employers L A L e s h T ask the locals... e tranSpOrtatIOn R { 56 } e g O Which is exactly what we did! each h Air / Auto / Bus / Limo / Taxi / Train section contains a quote from an w actual Mclean County resident on the } { 59 } area mapS Bloomington Normal ISU IWU places you can’t miss while you’re here. / / / © 2014 BNACVB. All Rights Reserved. | July 2014—30K 1 ARTS & THEATRE { Discover Culture } Featured Image » IWU | McPherson Theatre The Monkey Trail 2 Indicates tours are available. e H t r FO S enter C art n O ng I NGT I rm m FO LOO b per Center S rt a unty O ery LL a g Lean C r mC O reg g INSIDE OUT ACCESSIBLE Art 318 North Main Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 InsideOutArtCoop.com / 309.820.0174 MAIN GALLERy 404, INC. 404 North Main Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 MainGallery404.com / 309.828.9500 Main Gallery 404, Inc. provides a venue for more than 40 local fine artists to display and sell their work in a variety of media. Art GAlleries MCLEAN COUNTy Arts CENTER 601 North East Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 Beluga Press MCAC.org / 309.829.0011 313 North Main Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 The McLean County Arts Center encourages RheaEdge.com / 309.829.2373 and promotes the appreciation, study, cultiva- Eaton STUDIO & GALLERy tion, development, and practice of the arts in McLean County. The Center offers art classes, 411 North Center Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 artist lectures, art workshops for children and EatonStudioGallery.com / 309.828.1575 adults, art exhibitions and a gift gallery. The Downtown Bloomington gallery contains paintings, sculpture, drawings, illuminated Merwin & WAKELEy GALLERIES fable, prints and cards all hand-crafted by Illinois Wesleyan University Herb Eaton. 6 Ames Plaza West, Bloomington, IL 61702 IWU.edu/Art/Galleries / 309.556.3822 HAROLD GREGOR GALLERy 311 North Main Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 Timothy KENT GALLERy HGregor.com / 309.828.8838 & FRAMING The Harold Gregor Gallery is an appointment- 214 West Jefferson Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 based showroom featuring original works by TimothyKentGallery.com / 309.828.0611 artist Harold Gregor, consisting of acrylic-on- canvas and watercolor paintings. Harold UNIVERSITy GALLERIES Gregor's landscape images range from photo- Illinois State University realistic heartland scenes to colorful aerial farm 110 Center for the Visual Arts, Normal, IL 61790 views, to Trailscapes featuring trees, and FineArts.IllinoisState.edu/Galleries vibrant, wildly colored fantasy landscapes. 309.438.5487 3 eatre tH wu I um I r O t I ud a raden b ay pL eater n H t SIO S S a p ayer L an IC ty p I mer a mmun co Bloomington Center for the BRADEN AUDITORIUM te h Atre Performing Arts 100 North University Street, Normal, IL 61761 BoneStudentCenter.IllinoisState.edu Center AMERICAN PASSION PLAy 600 North East Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 S ArtsBlooming.org / 309.434.2777 • 866.686.9541 309.438.5444 (box office) rt 600 North East Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 a AmericanPassionPlay.org The Bloomington Center for the Performing Located inside Illinois State University’s Bone 309.829.3903 • 800.354.9640 Arts (BCPA) is the centerpiece of the city’s Student Center, Braden Auditorium serves as unty the hub of student life at ISU and a landmark O Now in its 91st season - which runs from Cultural District, which also includes a festival resource to the community. The 3,500-seat March 9-April 26, 2014 – the American Passion park and a forthcoming creativity center for auditorium has been home to Broadway musi- Play is one of the oldest continuously per- arts education. A recently renovated historic cals, pop and country stars, touring variety Lean C formed passion plays in the United States. This building with state-of-the-art lighting and shows, comedians and more. mC biblically accurate performance takes the audi- sound equipment, the BCPA features a 1,200 seat auditorium, multipurpose ballroom, and ence on a spiritual journey to Palestine in 30 A.D., COMMUNITy PLAyERS Theatre where they travel with the living Christ, meet plays host to an annual season of nationally 201 Robinhood Lane, Bloomington, IL 61701 His Apostles and follow His ministry from the acclaimed touring artists and area performing CommunityPlayers.org / 309.663.2121 Sermon on the Mount to His resurrection and arts ensembles. Led by a group of specially ascension. The play features beautiful scenery, trained docents, the fascinating history of the Community Players Theatre is celebrating its st pipe organ music and live animals. BCPA comes to life in the Behind the Curtain 91 year of theatre in 2014, making it Tours. Tour participants are able to see the Bloomington-Normal's oldest theatre group and beautiful neo-Classical interior design of the the second oldest community theatre in the BCPA and learn about the updates achieved in nation. Its current season of live theatre the building’s significant renovation. includes Lend me a Tenor, To Kill a Mockingbird and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. 4 eatre tH CONKLIN’S BARN II NORMAL SUMMER MUSIC Theatre DINNER Theatre 611 South Linden Street, Normal, IL 61761 wu I 1451 Timberline Road, Goodfield, IL 61742 NormalParks.org / 309.454.9540 Barn2.com / 309.965.2545 PRAIRIE FIRE Theatre Heartland Theatre COMPANy P.O. Box 964, Normal, IL 61761 1110 Douglas Street, Normal, IL 61761 PrairieFireTheatre.org / 309.824.3047 HeartlandTheatre.org / 309.452.8709 Timeless presentations / ISU Center for the Spirits of Bloomington Performing Arts TimelessPresentations.com / 309.846.4306 400 West Beaufort Street, Normal, IL 61761 FineArts.IllinoisState.edu USA BALLET 309.438.2535 (box office) 105 West Jefferson Street, Bloomington, IL 61701 USABallet.us / 309.820.0300 ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE Festival USA Ballet tours from coast