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McLean County, Illinois, is home to the city of Bloomington, which also serves as the county seat. Bloomington-Normal is the second-largest city in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan region and is located next door to Normal. Bloomington is located 162 miles (261 kilometers) northeast of St. Louis and 135 miles (217 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. The city had a population of 78,680 in 2020, making it the 13th-largest city in Illinois and the fifth-largest city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, according to the census. There are around 130,000 people living in the twin cities when they are combined with Normal. Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University are located in the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, metro region. area. State Farm Insurance and Country Financial are also headquartered there.

During the early 1800s, the Kickapoo people lived in a large grove near the Bloomington area. Before the first European settlers came to the area, the Kickapoo lived there. On December 25, 1830, when McLean County was formed, Bloomington was chosen as the county seat. It came from the settlement of Keg Grove, which later became Blooming Grove.

The old city hall and the police station were still there, but there was a fire in a laundry across the street in 1900. There was a fire and he called the fire department. Most of the downtown was destroyed by the fire, especially to the north and east of the courthouse, where the fire started. George Miller and Paul O. Moratz, two architects who live in the area, quickly rebuilt the area that was burned.

At least for the next two decades, Bloomington's population grew. Rise in Bloomington's downtown area was also affected by agriculture, the development of roads and rail lines, as well as the growth of the insurance industry (especially State Farm Insurance). The downtown area was transformed into a regional retail destination, bringing in customers from neighboring counties as a result. The power of labor unions increased.

Ray and Irene Denbesten founded Denbesten Real Estate in 1977 in Bloomington, IL. Their daughter, Cathy Denbesten, now runs it. You may reach them at (309) 6662-4228 for assistance.

One of Illinois' fastest-growing urban areas is Bloomington and McLean County. Between 1990 and 2006, the population of the region increased by 28%. Bloomington's population grew by 15.7 percent in less than six years, according to a special census performed by the U.S. Census Bureau in February 2006.

The Ladies' Library Association founded Bloomington Public Library in 1857. It was mostly funded through book contributions and membership fees. 1871: 105 West North Street (which is now West Monroe Street.) After closure owing to lack of funding in 1880, locals gathered $1,100 to revive it. In 1888, the library relocated to a new two-story structure on property provided by Mrs. Sarah B. Withers. The library was christened "Withers Library." in his honor.

A new public library is funded through bonds approved by voters in 1976 by Citizens for a New Public Library, a Friends of the Library organization. Success! The library reopened as the "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977 at 205 East Olive Street. This includes a Bookmobile, which began as Library on Wheels in 1926.

This department is divided into four sections: Parks, Recreation, Golf and the Miller Park Zoo. Airport Park, Alton Depot Park, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Atwood Wayside, Bittner Park, Brookridge Park, Buck-Mann Park, Clearwater Park, Eagle Crest Park, Emerson Park, Evergreen Park, Ewing Park 1, 2, 3, Fell Avenue Park, Forrest Park, Franklin Park, Friendship Park, Highland Park Golf Course, Holiday Park, Lincoln Leisure Center

The Bloomington-Normal Constitution Trail is a 24-mile (39 km) jogging, walking, cycling, and rollerblading trail that runs through a lot of the city. It runs on a dedicated right-of-way through most of the city. Bridges and tunnels are used to keep the trail away from traffic when it comes to crossing the busiest streets, like the highway. The trail runs from Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street in Bloomington. It follows the abandoned Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) railroad from Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street.

Normal City Hall Annex is where the east–west segment meets the north segment. It goes east to Towanda-Barnes Road. A branch called the Liberty Branch starts on Commerce Drive and ends at the Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, which is near there. The Freedom Branch starts at Lincoln Street and ends at Route 9 West. This is where the branch goes. Parking is available in nearby parking lots all over the area. Walkers and runners, as well as skateboarders and cyclists, are welcome on the trail. Wheelchair users, in-line skaters, skateboarders, and other people who don't use motorized vehicles are also welcome. Skiers can go there if the weather is good enough.

Illinois Wesleyan University and a campus of Heartland Community College, which opened in 1990, are both in Bloomington. Illinois State University, which opened in Normal in 1857, is in Normal, too. American Passion Play is staged every year in the springtime. The home of Supreme Court associate justice David Davis, built in 1872, is a state historic site. Bloomington has museums about history and aviation, a zoo, a summer Shakespeare festival, and a lot of other things. People who were vice presidents of the United States, Adlai E. Stevenson, and his grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson II, are both buried in Evergreen Cemetery. In Shirley, which is southwest of the city, there is a gem and mineral museum that you can visit. When did this happen? 64,808 people lived there in 2000. The Bloomington-Normal Metro Area had 150,433 people. In 2010, there were 76,601 people living there.

The McLean County Cultural Center, which has been serving Central Illinois for more than 130 years, is one of the Midwest's oldest arts institutions. The annual Holiday Treasurers display and sale, as well as the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition, which has been showcasing the greatest amateur artists in Central Illinois for over 70 years, are held each year. The Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington are two of the many community activities that the Arts Center organizes.

The Castle Theatre was built by the famed theater builders Balaban & Katz, the original creators of the classic movie palace, and debuted in 1916 as a 1,000-seat theater. For decades, the property was one of the most popular tourist spots in the region. With a $1.5 million refurbishment, the Castle was recently restored to its former splendour. Live music, corporate, public, and private events are now held in the Castle.

USA Ballet is a 21-year-old worldwide ballet company. Throughout the year, USA Ballet performs at Illinois Wesleyan University's McPherson Theatre.

During March, the McLean County Arts Center hosts the Spring Bloom Arts Festival, which is an event for artists. Inside there are more than 100 artists who work in a wide range of mediums, from woodworking to glass art to sculpture to paintings and handcrafted jewelry.

Bloomington architect Phil Hooten created Ewing Manor in the post-Victorian Channel-Norman style, which was popular among the wealthy. Jens Jensen, the famed landscape architect who also developed Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Grounds, designed the surrounding gardens. Each summer, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival is held on the grounds' theatre.

The pavilion at Miller Park is called that.

A refurbished Miller Park Pavilion & War Memorial was dedicated in May 1988. Surrounding the black granite monument are red pathways with names of Central Illinoisans killed or missing in action in Korea and Vietnam.

The David Davis Mansion gives visitors a look into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who served on the United States Supreme Court and was a crucial figure in Lincoln's 1860 presidential campaign. The Davis Mansion, built in 1872, is a model of mid-Victorian design and elegance, combining Italianate and Second Empire architectural aspects. His Bloomington house, which was passed down through three generations, had all of the contemporary amenities of the time: a coal-burning furnace, gas lights, and indoor plumbing. On the National Register of Historic Places, the David Davis Mansion is a historic landmark.

The former building of the Montefiore synagogue in Illinois is one of the few Moorish Revival buildings in the state. It is also one of the oldest synagogues in the United States, making it one of the oldest in the country.

Bloomington IL

Behind the Curtain Tours are led by specially trained docents at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. All of the building's updates and renovations are explained during the tours.

The 36-room home of Judge David Davis may be toured by groups or individuals at the David Davis Mansion. It is through the tales of the Davis family that docents tell the rich social and cultural history of the American frontier from the 1850s through 1860. Family history (with a particular emphasis on children), servant life, domestic life and technology at the advent of the industrial revolution, and Victorian architecture are some of the specific subjects.

Twin City Tours are offered by the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau on a monthly basis. The McLean County Museum of History is the starting point for tours.

In addition to the many museums and banks that can be found in the heart of Bloomington's downtown, the area also has a high concentration of artists' studios and galleries, as well as a variety of specialized shops and support services. There are a wide variety of eateries and a vibrant nightlife in the city. Tour de Chocolat, Farmer's Market, Tour de Metro, Pub Crawl and Once Upon a Holiday are just few of the unique events that provide visitors an opportunity to get to know the region. State Farm Insurance and other large companies may be found in downtown Bloomington, along with a variety of unique shops, pubs, and restaurants. The city and county governments of Bloomington and McLean County also have offices in the area.

Two public school districts serve Bloomington. School District 87 serves the city's interior, with one high school (Bloomington High), one junior high (Bloomington Junior High), six elementary schools (Oakland Washington Bent Irving Sheridan Stevenson) and one pre-school (Sarah Raymond Preschool)... (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).

Growth has taken the city well into the boundaries of a second district, McLean County Unit District No. 5. Although Unit Five originally served only suburban areas, including Normal, the majority of its students now are from Bloomington itself. Unit Five operates two high schools (Normal Community High School and Normal Community West High School), four junior high schools, and numerous elementary schools. As of 2010, Unit Five was constructing its fourth junior high school which is called George Evans Junior High School more commonly known as EJHS. The construction was finished in 2011 Unit 5 was also making two new elementary schools in Bloomington, and is projecting the need for another high school.

There are 2,100 students at Illinois Wesleyan University, which was founded in 1850. It is a private residential university with a student/faculty ratio of 12 to 1. It has been linked to the United Methodist Church for a long time. 17 academic departments are in the College of Liberal Arts. There are also schools of art, music, theater, and nursing at the University; these schools are called the College of Fine Arts. Ames Library: Illinois Wesleyan has added the five-story library, the Center for Natural Science, and the Shirk Center for Athletics and Recreation in the last ten years, among other things. If you want to learn how to do pivot point hair sculpture and hair design, Hairmasters Institute of Cosmetology, Inc. is the place to go. It also teaches you how to work in a salon and how to deal with customers and staff members.

Downtown Bloomington, IL is home to City of Bloomington and McLean County government buildings, as well as a variety of specialized shops, pubs, restaurants, and art galleries.