Bloomington, Ill. (April 18, 2025) – The McLean County Museum of History’s Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop will celebrate 10 years of service with a Milestone Ribbon Cutting and open house reception on Tuesday, April 22 at 4 p.m. The Museum will be open and free until 8 p.m., offering light refreshments and give-away items.
Since opening in 2015, nearly 200,000 visitors from over 70 countries and all 50 states have cruised through the Visitors Center.
Located on the ground floor of the Museum, the Visitors Center & Gift Shop boasts local products, a wealth of information, and nine backlit exhibit panels exploring stories of dining, lodging, and travel in McLean County, experienced by both Abraham Lincoln and Route 66 travelers.
Route 66 and Abraham Lincoln are the top two tourism themes in Illinois. Jeff Woodard, the Museum’s Director of Marketing & Community Relations, shares, “We are fortunate to enjoy connections with both and are truly grateful for the support we have received from everyone, making this project a resounding success. The Visitors Center is a gateway — the only one of its kind in the area, for all things to see and do in McLean County. “
Establishing the Visitors Center & Gift Shop resulted from a partnership between the McLean County Museum of History, the Bloomington-Normal Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Bloomington, the Town of Normal, the Public Building Commission of McLean County, and Illinois Office of Tourism in 2015.
Visitors from all over the world, traveling via motorcycles, motor coaches, vintage automobiles, RVs, and even on bicycles, stop at the Visitors Center every day, creating a significant economic impact in the area. In October 2016, the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area designated Bloomington-Normal one of six official gateway communities to the 43-county Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, along with Alton, Quincy, Danville, Springfield, and Charleston.
For more info, visit Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop.
