Events

Lunch & Learn: The Land of the Giants from Atlanta, Illinois with Bill Thomas
Thursday, July 17th
12:10pm – 1:00pm

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about the history of the American Giants and their significance in Route 66 history on Thurs...

Lunch & Learn
Online + In Person
PRIDE Fest
Saturday, July 26th
4:00pm – 10:00pm

The Bistro's seventh annual PRIDE Fest will be on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 4-10 p.m. around the Museum Square and outsid...

History Reads Book Club: Reasonable Doubt - An Evening with Steve Vogel
Tuesday, August 5th
7:00pm – 8:00pm

Steve Vogel, author of “Reasonable Doubt: A Shocking Story of Lust and Murder in the American Heartland”, will offer a presentatio...

History Reads Book Club
Lunch & Learn: A Fair to Remember - The History of McLean County Fairs
Thursday, August 14th
12:10pm – 1:00pm

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about the history of fairs in McLean County on Thursday, August 14, from 12:10 to 1:00 p.m. ...

Lunch & Learn
Online + In Person
Knit In at the Museum
Saturday, August 16th
10:00am – 1:00pm

Calling ALL Knitters and Crocheters, grab your needles and hooks, some yarn, a friend or two, and come and knit for a bit!The thir...

Downtown Bloomington Architecture Tour with Candace Summers
Thursday, August 21st
5:30pm – 7:00pm

Many of the buildings in downtown Bloomington are 100-plus years old, and each has a story to tell -- if you know where to look. J...

Closed for Labor Day
Monday, September 1st
9:00am – 5:00pm

The Museum and our Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop will be closed in observance of Labor Day. We ...

Yea Big’s Neuroplasticity featuring Nonlinear Field and Gerrit Hatcher and Erez Dessel
Saturday, September 6th
7:00pm – 8:30pm

The Museum is excited to host local musician Stefen Robinson, who performs as Yea Big, for a "Neuroplasticity" concert o...

Lunch & Learn: Embracing the Journey: Understanding the Role of an End-of-Life Doula and the Power of Death Cafes
Thursday, September 11th
12:10pm – 1:00pm

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about what a End-of-Life doula is and the power of death cafes on Thursday, September 11, fr...

Lunch & Learn
Online + In Person
Mourning in McLean: The Story of Death, Grieving, and Funerary Customs in McLean County
Monday, September 15th – Friday, November 21st
9:00am

Death is one of the only guarantees in life.In early U.S. history, death was a more frequent occurrence, arriving through disease,...

100 Years of COUNTRY Financial: Making a Home in the Twin Cities with Bill Kemp
Tuesday, September 16th
6:30pm – 7:30pm

Join Museum Librarian Bill Kemp for a program celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of COUNTRY Financial. This free pu...

Online + In Person
Order in the Court presented by Nomad Theatre
Friday, September 19th
7:30pm – 9:30pm

The Museum is thrilled to partner with Nomad Theater Company to host Order in the Court this September! This production will featu...

Order in the Court presented by Nomad Theatre
Saturday, September 20th
2:00pm – 4:00pm

The Museum is thrilled to partner with Nomad Theater Company to host Order in the Court this September! This production will featu...

Order in the Court presented by Nomad Theatre
Thursday, September 25th
7:30pm – 9:30pm

The Museum is thrilled to partner with Nomad Theater Company to host Order in the Court this September! This production will featu...

Order in the Court presented by Nomad Theatre
Friday, September 26th
7:30pm – 9:30pm

The Museum is thrilled to partner with Nomad Theater Company to host Order in the Court this September! This production will featu...

Order in the Court presented by Nomad Theatre
Saturday, September 27th
2:00pm – 4:00pm

The Museum is thrilled to partner with Nomad Theater Company to host Order in the Court this September! This production will featu...

Dine with the Dead: Cemetery Customs and Traditions of Days Gone By
Saturday, October 4th
11:00am – 1:00pm

Dine with the Dead: Cemetery Customs and Traditions of Days Gone ByEnjoying a picnic in a cemetery was not always a taboo activity...

Lunch & Learn: Preserving and Celebrating 100 Years with COUNTRY Financial
Thursday, October 9th
12:10pm – 1:00pm

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about COUNTRY Financial, who is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, on Thursday, ...

Online + In Person
Lunch & Learn
Free Admission in Honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day
Monday, October 13th
9:00am – 5:00pm

Enjoy free admission all day on Monday, October 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day...

Cole Pulice presented by pt.fwd
Tuesday, October 21st
6:30pm – 8:00pm

The Museum, in partnership with pt.fwd, is excited present saxophonist, composer and improviser Cole Pulice. This free concert wil...

Next To Normal Story Slam: Remember Me
Friday, October 24th
7:30pm – 8:30pm

Next To Normal Story Slam: Remember MeThe Next to Normal Story Slam began in 2018 as a way to bring people together through storie...

Día de Muertos
Saturday, November 1st
3:00pm – 7:00pm

Save the date for our annual Día de Muertos Celebration on Saturday, November 1, 2025, tentatively scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. We a...

History Reads Book Club | Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City's Soul
Tuesday, November 4th
7:00pm – 8:00pm

All are welcome to join the Museum and Bloomington Public Library on Tuesday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. for the final History Reads ...

History Reads Book Club
Online + In Person
Knit In at Normal Public Library
Saturday, November 8th
10:00am – 1:00pm

Calling ALL Knitters and Crocheters, grab your needles and hooks, some yarn, a friend or two, and come and knit for a bit!The fina...

Free Admission in Honor of Veterans' Day
Tuesday, November 11th
9:00am – 5:00pm

In honor of Veterans' Day, Museum admission will be free for all from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m....

Lunch & Learn: The Wizard of Oz in Illinois and Beyond
Thursday, November 13th
12:10pm – 1:00pm

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about the Wizard of Oz's connection to McLean County and Illinois on Thursday, November...

Lunch & Learn
Online + In Person
Closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 27th
9:00am – 5:00am

The Museum and its Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving. We will reopen o...

Lunch & Learn: Lincoln and Ann Rutledge with Guy Fraker
Thursday, December 11th
12:10pm – 1:00pm

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about the story of Abraham Lincoln and Ann Rutledge, the young lady believed by many to have...

Lunch & Learn
Online + In Person
Closed for Christmas
Wednesday, December 24th – Thursday, December 25th
9:00am – 5:00pm

The Museum and its Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas ...

Closed for New Years
Wednesday, December 31st – Thursday, January 1st
9:00pm – 5:00pm

The Museum and its Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop will be closed all day New Years Eve and New Y...

Accessibility Settings