The best surprise of my visit to Pontiac. This museum has such an amazing and eclectic collection…read moreof items to delight everyone. From the outside it seems like any regular historical building -- but the quantity and quality of the displays within create a fun spot to enjoy an afternoon with plenty of learning opportunities. I'm not sure you'll find any larger collection of Route 66 themed items than on the lower floor here. Being immersed in these objects really gave me a feel of the history of Route 66. Attached to this are several other museums covering everything from murals to the Titanic to the Civil War to the 1940's and more. Truly a must visit set of museums that's worth a special trip.

Housed in a historic firehouse, this is a nice stop on the way to Springfield along Route 66…read more The museum is just one room packed with Route 66 memorabilia, but it is part of a maze of museums. Fun to be able to wander through the interconnected displays. Would not make a special stop here unless you want to explore Pontiac. While you are there, definitely check out the Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum and the murals. Get your kicks on Route 66!

Awesome museum with 9 permanent exhibits and a rotating special exhibit in the Campbell Gallery…read more Admission is free which is incredible given the quality of the museum. This museum is both larger and nicer than many museums that have paid admission around Illinois, and also feature some interactive components as well. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the Champaign area as a fun place to spend an afternoon learning. This is also a great spot to visit if you're looking for something to do while dining nearby, or to spend inside on a hot summer day.

My husband and I visited The William R. and Clarice V. Spurlock Museum while at the University of…read moreIllinois. There are six permanent galleries, each one features the history and art of a different continent. There is also a temporary exhibit space. When we were there the temporary exhibit was on the first Farm Aid, held at Memorial Stadium. The museum was very enjoyable. I loved how many different things I could see in a hour. The best partwas that admission free!

Another five star review. There are three museums to tour here: the house; the rock and gem museum;…read moreand apparently the farm tools. Figure an hour per museum; I only had time for two. The docent lives on-site and is passionate about the Funk family; there was almost too much information about the family (perhaps as I was touring the house with two Funk family members in town for a reunion). I've toured a lot of Victorian houses, but one of the things that's interesting about this one is the amount of innovation you'll see highlighted here. This starts in the garden, where there is a small power plant (the farm had electricity in the early 1900s, before parts of Chicago), and is continued as you learn to know the family, whether they be inventors of hybrid seeds, or rock afficianados. Unlike many houses, here you can get close to things; there are no velvet ropes or plastic barriers, except one to keep you out of the servants' stairs. So you can look close up at the hat pins or beaded bags on the dressers. Ask questions - you can't stump this docent. (We had a discussion about concrete and its use in the fence and the caretaker's building which was really quite interesting. If you have engineer friends, they will love this tour.) The rock museum features some truly impressive fossils, some of which you might be allowed to touch! There's a dragonfly fossilized in ash; coprolite (look it up), and dinosaur bone (apparently fairly common?). There's a whole wall of different types of calcite; giant gorgeous blue and purple fluorite specimens; lit-from-the-back beautiful agates and rubies in zoisite; and in the NEXT room (!) two or three cabinets of beautiful Chinese carved soapstone, and a collection of sleighs. The finale is a cabinet full of fluorescing rocks, including melted glass from a nuclear reactor. Made me wish this museum had a gift shop, though the docent will be happy to give you recommendations for good local rock shops. This is a really great museum hidden in the cornfields. Worth a trip - I drove two hours to get here, thinking I was coming for the rocks, but the house was almost/ just as good.

Totally recommended - A wonderfully preserved house and grounds and our guide was able to bring the…read morewhole place to life with his insight and knowledge of the Funk family and their incredible history - and then in the Gem Museum we saw further dimensions to him as he walked us through this small fragment ( 20% ) of the massive and impressive collection gathered from all corners of the World.

We've lived here for just over a year, but my husband and I had never visited the KAM…read more We stopped by here on a Saturday afternoon. It was a nice, quiet visit. Museum was well staffed with security. Superbly clean. It took us a little over an hour to walk through the various rooms. Several of the rooms were empty, awaiting new exhibits. I'd probably come back again when the academic year is in full swing. My favorite part of this visit was the Blue and White Ceramics exhibit they have on display. There are many great pieces of art to see, though. Ellnora Krannert was extremely generous and numerous pieces in the museum are thanks to her. I wouldn't recommend this museum to children under 13-14, unless the kids/tweens/teens are really into art, art history, etc. I just think the little ones would be bored. You can visit KAM's online calendar to see if they ever offer children's programming. (Head to the Spurlock Museum if you're on campus with little ones instead.) Highly recommend KAM to anyone else. We're very fortunate to have an art museum of this caliber in our community. Summertime is the perfect opportunity to explore these locations on campus. Checkout my other Champaign-Urbana museum reviews, too!

Great museum on a terrific college campus. I know it doesn't get the attention the sports…read morefacilities do but it should. Check it out next time you are in C-U. It is a great way to recharge your batteries and let the power of art soothe your soul.

What a lovely store in Fairbury! We stopped by to try out their sweet treats tonight. I tried…read more"berry the tractor" ( chocolate covered strawberry) which was so tasty.

DO NOT GO IF YOU HAVE CELIAC…read more I was at their ice cream service counter and asked what flavors I could have as I have celiac disease and can't have wheat. The girl went and looked and told me several flavors that were gluten free including one with oreo cookies on top. Those aren't gluten free and when I told her that, she made no notes or anything to mark that down. The ice cream was mediocre at best and had large ice crystals in it.

I love this little museum. Yesterday we went to the music in the garden only it was inside instead…read moreof in the garden because of the rain. I enjoyed the music very much. They also served free lemonade and popcorn. The new Lincoln exhibit is really good too. Of course it's not on the same scale as the one in Springfield but for a little museum it is interesting. It has a lot of local history about Lincoln in Champaign coiunty,. My dauighter loves the discovery room and the gift shop has some good items in it. Check the time before you go because it opens at 1:00.

Great spot to visit if you're a fan of the Pontiac and Oakland automobile lines. It's incredible…read morehow such an iconic set of cars is available for visitors to enjoy at only the cost of a small donation. The automobiles are arranged nicely here with good lighting and spread out so visitors don't feel too crowded. A must visit if you're in Pontiac and a fan of cars.

My husband and I visited the Pontiac Oakland Automobile Museum on a trip on Route 66. If you love…read morecars, and Pontiacs in particular, this should be a stop on your agenda. There are dozens on vintage cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles that span many decades. I had fun learning, I just wish that the descriptions were more detailed.

This is a great way to pass an hour. Nothing expansive or…read morefancy here ... just a couple of rooms of exhibits. But what's there is very well-presented, and gives a nice overview of the history of the county. One room is dedicated to how WWII affected Champaign County, especially at the (now-defunct) Chanute Air Base in Rantoul. That was very interesting. The people that work/volunteer there are friendly and clearly knowledgeable. You could see it for free, but it's more than worth the $3 suggested donation.

The Livingston County War Museum teaches about the wars that the people of Livingston County have…read moreparticipated in. There are many uniforms on display that have been donated to the museum. There is also a display of musical instruments used in the war effort. You can also see what a typical home in the 1940s looked like. If you're going to visit, check the hours to make sure that they'll be open when you go.

It's interesting to see all the uniforms from past wars. Soldiers stories and uniforms on display…read morewith various medals also. Very old building the wooden floors are a reminder of days past. Plan to walk and climb stairs. Free entry a donation is appreciated.