Bloomington, Illinois

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Illinois' McLean County is home to Bloomington, a city and the county seat. Bloomington-Normal is the second-largest city in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan region and is located next door to Normal. 135 miles southwest of Chicago and 162 miles northeast of St. Louis, Bloomington is the second-largest city in Illinois. The city's population was estimated at 78,680 people in the 2020 Census, making it Illinois' 13th most populous city and the state's fifth most populous city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Around 130,000 people live in the twin cities of Bloomington and Normal together. Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University are located in the Bloomington region. State Farm Insurance and Country Financial both have their headquarters here, making it a convenient location for both.

Before the arrival of the first European settlers in the early 1820s, the Bloomington region was located on the edge of a huge grove populated by the Kickapoo people. Bloomington, the county seat of McLean County, was established on December 25, 1830, from the town of Keg Grove, afterwards known as Blooming Grove.

Police found a fire in a laundry next to the old city hall and police station. There was a fire and he called the fire department. Most of the downtown was destroyed, especially the areas north and east of the courthouse, which were hit hard by the fire. George Miller and Paul O. Moratz, two architects in the area, quickly rebuilt the area that had been burned.

A Bloomington, IL real estate company called Denbesten Real Estate was started in 1977 by Ray and Irene Denbesten. Today, Cathy Denbesten is running it. They can help you buy or sell your house: (309) 6662-4228. They can also help you find a home.

In 2010, there were 34,339 households. 28.8% of them had children under the age of 18, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder without a husband, and 41.1% were not families. Only 32.6% of all homes had people living alone; 9.2% had someone who was 65 or older living alone. The average size of a household was 2.41, and the average size of a family was 3.12.

The population of the city was diverse, with 27.3 percent under the age of 20, 9.0 percent between the ages of 18 and 24, 29.8 percent between the ages of 25 and 45, 23.8 percent between the ages of 45 and 64, and 10.2 percent beyond the age of 65. The average age was 33 years old. There were 95.4 men for every 100 females.

The city had a median income of $58,662, and the median income for a family was $81,166. Compared to women, males had a median income of $56,597, while women had a median income of $38,191. There was $32,672 in per capita income for the city. 1.1% of the population was living below the poverty line, including 12.6% of people under 18 and 6.3% over 65.

The Bloomington Ice Center (formerly Pepsi Ice Center) is a public ice skating facility run by the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department. A full hockey program, learn to curl and curling leagues, skate rental and a snack stand are available.

It has four parts: Parks, Recreation, Golf, and the Miller Park Zoo. 44 parks and three golf courses make up the Department's 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of land. They include: Airport Park, Atwood Wayside, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Bittner Park and Brookridge Park. They also include: Ewing Park 1, Ewing Park 2, EwingPark 3 and Fell AvenuePark. The Department also runs Lincoln Leisure Center and the Lincoln Recreation Center.

Parks are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., alcoholic drinks and smoking are not permitted, and leashed dogs are permitted in all parks. Water spray parks, extensive playgrounds, miniature golf, baseball/softball diamonds, soccer fields, cricket grounds, and illuminated tennis courts are all common features of these establishments. Indoor tennis is available at the Evergreen Racket Club. O'Neil Park (west) and Holiday Park (east) include outdoor public swimming pools (east). Indoor pools are available at the YMCA, YWCA, and private fitness facilities.

Miller Park Zoo has a lot of different animals and zookeepers to meet. There are a Sumatran tiger, an Amur leopard, sun bears, reindeer, sea lions, red pandas, lemus, bald eagles, pallas cats and red wolves in the zoo. Wallaby WalkAbout and ZooLab are two of the many things you can see at the zoo. There is also a Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia, and the Katthoefer Animal Building. New to the Zoo is the Tropical America Rainforest, which is a new area.

At Normal City Hall Annex, the east–west section crosses the north segment and continues east to Towanda–Barnes Road. From Commerce Drive to Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, the Liberty Branch runs. From Lincoln Street to Route 9 West, the Freedom Branch is located. Throughout the region, parking is accessible in nearby lots. Runners, walkers, in-line skaters, skateboarders, bicycles, wheelchair users, and other non-motorized modes of transportation are all welcome on the route. It is not cleaned of snow during the winter months, although skiers may use it if the weather permits.

Bloomington is home to Illinois Wesleyan University (1850) and a Heartland Community College campus (1990), whereas Normal is home to Illinois State University (1857). The American Passion Play is an annual spring event. Bloomington has museums dedicated to history and aviation, a zoo, and a summer Shakespeare festival, and the residence (1872) of Supreme Court associate judge David Davis is a state historic monument. Both Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson (1893–97) and his grandson, Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson II, are buried at Evergreen Cemetery. In Shirley, southwest of the city, there is a gem and mineral museum. 1839 was the year of incorporation. (2000) 64,808 people; Bloomington-Normal Metro Area 150,433 people; (2010) 76,601 people; Bloomington-Normal Metro Area 169,572 people

The McLean County Arts Center is one of the oldest arts groups in the Midwest. It has been serving Central Illinois for more than 130 years now. Holiday Treasurers is one of 12 art shows that happen each year. The annual Amateur Competition has been showcasing amateur artists in Central Illinois for more than 70 years, highlighting the best amateur artists in the area. There are also a lot of community events that the Arts Center helps with, like the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington.

The Community Players Theater, on Robinhood Lane off Towanda Avenue, is one of the oldest volunteer-run community theaters in the country. The theater, which first opened its doors in 1923, is now in its 88th season.

The McLean County Arts Center hosts the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in March each year. It's an indoor fine art festival with over a hundred artists showing everything from carpentry and glass art to sculpture and paintings. There are also prints and pictures and jewelry made by hand on display.

Architect Phil Hooten built Ewing Manor in Bloomington, and he used the Channel-Norman style that was popular with the rich in the post-Victorian era to make it. Jens Jensen, a well-known landscape architect who also designed Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Gardens, made the gardens around the statue. In the summer, the theater on the grounds hosts the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

There is a pavilion in Miller Park

Restored in 1977, the Miller Park Pavilion & War Memorial was dedicated in May of that year. Central Illinois people killed or missing in action in Korea and Vietnam are listed on red walkways around the black granite monument.

Many notable Bloomington-Normal residents, including members of the Stevenson family, are buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. Both Adlai E. Stevenson I, Grover Cleveland's vice president, and Adlai E. Stevenson II, Illinois governor, UN ambassador, and twice Democratic presidential candidate, are buried there. Among the others buried there are Stevenson's wife, Letitia Green Stevenson, and her sister, Julia Green Scott. Dorothy Gage, inspiration for the main character in The Wizard of Oz and niece of author L. Frank Baum, is also buried there.

The David Davis Mansion gives visitors a glimpse into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court and played a big role in Lincoln's bid for the 1860 presidential nomination. The Davis Mansion, which was finished in 1872, has a mix of Italianate and Second Empire architectural features. It is a good example of what was popular in the middle of the 19th century. His Bloomington home, which has been in the Davis family for three generations, has all the modern conveniences of the time: a coal-burning stove, gas lights, and indoor plumbing. The David Davis Mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places, which is a list of places that are important to history.

There are just a few examples of Moorish Revival architecture in Illinois, and the Montefiore synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States.

Bloomington, IL

Docents from the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts lead Behind the Curtain Tours. During the visits, you'll learn about the building's neo-classical interior architecture as well as its many additions and modifications.

The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau conducts monthly Twin City Tours. Tours start at the McLean County Museum.

Downtown Bloomington offers museums, banks, a legal and governmental center, residential living, a large artists' community, plus an assortment of specialty retail businesses and supportive services. There is an abundance of restaurants and a lively night scene. A number of special events such as Tour de Chocolat, Farmers' Market, Tour de Metro, Pub Crawl, and Once Upon a Holiday, offer a chance to experience the district. Downtown Bloomington is home to government offices of the City of Bloomington, McLean County, and major employers including State Farm Insurance and several specialty stores, bars, restaurants and art galleries.

Beer Nuts Brand Snacks are created only in Bloomington, Illinois. In Bloomington, there are two Beer Nuts Company Stores, each of which offers a video tour of the Bloomington facility as well as information on the history of Beer Nuts Brand Snacks.

Many private schools are located in Bloomington, including Central Catholic High School, Corpus Christi Catholic School Elm/Jr, Epiphany Elm/Jr, Trinity Lutheran School, and Cornerstone Christian Academy. Metcalf Elm./Jr. School and University High School, both situated on the campus of Illinois State University, are available to Bloomington students.

The McLean County Museum of History, which is topped by a beautiful dome, helps people find the city's old parts. The courthouse square is surrounded by old buildings from the 1800s. Many of them have interesting histories. A visitor can find museums, banks, a legal and government center, residential living, a lot of artists, and a lot of special businesses and support services. There are a lot of restaurants and a lively nightlife in this city.

Downtown Bloomington is home to City of Bloomington and McLean County government buildings, as well as a wide variety of unique shops, pubs, and restaurants.