This is a fun place to visit while in the area. He has a YouTube channel you can follow to see all…read morethe new stuff he gets in. https://youtube.com/@guywithatoystore?si=PdpgvI4CE_X6OUnq He always has a shop full of great product and only sells new in package toys. He has fair prices and is a super nice dude who owns the place.

Honestly, this museum is so well done! I was so excited and impressed! There are multiple floors of…read moreexhibits that cover the gamut of McLean County history from agriculture to civil rights to local celebrities and innovators! I really enjoyed the rotating exhibits, too, you can tell a lot of work and care was put in, and everything was well-maintained and recent. Volunteers are there to help, too, would highly recommend a visit!

This is a history museum on par with counties that have 5x the population of McLean County, IL…read more There was an entry level slightly below ground with information and a few exhibits with people to explain where best to go and where exhibits were. Then there are three floors that had multiple rooms with different themes such as farming, Abraham Lincoln, jobs in Central Illinois, and even a little kids area to play as if they were on a farm. in total, I counted eleven different rooms - and we spent 3.5 hours there. Some of the exhibits can get a bit wordy; if you read it all - you'd be there all day - but that's great for a deep dive for stuff you're interested in.

Great independent music or record stores are getting harder to find. It often will be in a college…read moretown when you come across it. North Street Records is in such a town. Hard to find records and other artifacts. The staff certainly knows a lot about what they have, and will help find something. As in places like this, the music is the main thing of course. It has a lot to look through. They, as the name implies, specialize in vinyl. Great place to find more popular artists. Or more obscure. Also despite the name they also have other forms of music such as CDs. These like the records also are obsolete so might as well have these. Has a big collection of new and old items. It seems most people come in and just look around, but some people actually buy something. The main thing is the vinyl.

I talked with Jeff. He's a really knowledgeable cool human. I felt he offered fair prices for the…read morerecords I brought in...my childhood memories. He's honest with you. Which I find commendable. He is responsible in recycling, reusing, up-cycling records that can't be used anymore. I had a really great experience. I do need to say the I know nothing about records...but I can imagine he has an amazing selection.

On the grounds of the Ewing Cultural Center is the Genevieve Green Gardens. The gardens are nice…read moreand have a variety of flowers and plant life to look at. Within the gardens lie the Moriyama Japanese Garden. While this garden is small, it does have the features that Japanese gardens are known for. There is a walking trail for you to walk and enjoy the beauty here. Parking is across the street in the church parking lot. While not very large the Genevieve Green Gardens make a nice nature stop and come highly recommended.

Very nice garden walk around this beautiful mansion. The house is infrequently opened for yours,…read morebut the gardens are well worth the trip.

This listing is for a specific exhibit within the McLean County history museum. The exhibit itself…read moreis free and has a lot of interesting information! We happened to visit on a Saturday during the farmers market, a time during which the full museum (essentially the whole building) is free as well! (Otherwise adults are $5 and seniors over 65 are $4). We were very impressed by this local museum and would compare it to the museum at the St. Louis Arch. Educational with lots of artifacts and some interactive portions - great for history buffs and families! The building itself is also beautiful architecturally inside and out which we enjoyed. Lots of cool things in the gift shop, including the bean pots that Steak n Shake used to sell baked beans in prior to removing them from their menus during the pandemic (RIP to my favorite fast food restaurant side). They also sell and stamp the Route 66 and National Park passports here. Definitely worth a stop!

UPDATE: This shop is getting more space which just makes it that more great of a shop with more…read moreopportunity for the community. Here in lies the beauty of this shop...it's for our community as well as other visiting here in BloNo...This shop cares that we have good music to listen to and options! I'll tell you right upfront I am biased. I love this store, the owner John and his staff are very knowledgeable and really good people. We are blessed in B/N to have several good music shops and this place is tops for me. John caters to his customers, he stocks what they are looking to buy. It is not a huge store but it is packed full of goodness. This is not an RSD store so if you are looking for that hype, this is not your place. This is a vinyl shop, so if you are a digger this is the place for you. They cover every genre in the book, and they are always adding more. Prices are more than fair and I have never felt like I was being taken advantage of from the first day I walked in to yesterday when I walked out. I have always felt more than welcome, it's an oasis for me. Anybody giving this place any less than 4 stars isn't a record person. Chances are if you are looking for it they've got it or John can get it. If you are in town go check them out you will not be disappointed, if you are a townie or a college kid go more and go often. KOTJMFS!

Reverberation is an unusual record store. I've never seen so many records in one place from…read moreartists/bands I don't recognize, but at the same time, I've spotted some very obscure stuff in the experimental and jazz sections, so I wonder if they cater to people with a taste for lesser known music. At least for the styles I shop for (jazz, experimental, electronic), this store is full of strange, unknown things. I like how they have a special section for deluxe horror movie soundtracks (think Waxwork Records, Mondo, and the like). I also appreciate how you never know what kind of weird thing you'll find there (like an old DJ Krush Mo Wax 10" for a reasonable price). My main complaint is the difficulty of browsing. First, the record bins in the main area are so high that you need a stool to see the furthest back albums unless you're decently over 6' tall. The store has stools sitting around for just this purpose. Second, the bins are completely packed, so there's no flipping through records. You have to grab a chunk, set them aside, and then you can brows. It makes digging a real pain and is one of the reasons Reverberations isn't in my regular rotation. Some have written about the owner being rude. I didn't find him rude, but yeah, he doesn't usually say hello or goodbye or look you in the eye when you check out. Definitely not the gregarious type you find at a place like Exile in Champaign, but I never got a rude vibe. Maybe he's more effusive and warm if you're a regular. If browsing wasn't such a pain, I'd give it four stars. Any record shop that continues to exist is a good thing. Certainly worth checking out if you're in the area.

We stopped in and there were signs of being closed until Sept 20. The lady let me in and she talked…read moreabout the road construction, etc. She told me about a thrift store named Abundant Life that helps the homeless. I didn't buy anything.

A very nice gift shop located at Sprague Super service. Some of the normal route 66 souvenirs but…read morealso some really nice and different hand made items as well. Some original artwork can be found here too. In need of a bathroom, they got you. Check the hours as it can be a little hit or miss.