Visit Downs McLean Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Downs, Illinois: Discover the Champaign County Fairgrounds and the Museum of the Grand Prairie! A wonderful weekend in the heart of Illinois.
What makes the Downs sights so special is the quiet way, with the history here shimmering through the fields and the few street corners. I remember the first time in the late 1800s, when the village was still a small railway junction, strolling over the dusty main road and listening to the echo of horse hooves, which is hardly to be heard today. Downs was founded in 1857, named after an early settler, and has since seen more agriculture than glamour – a fact that I almost love, because it authentically holds the whole “small town feeling”. If you come by car from Bloomington, follow I‐55 to the north and turn to County Road 1500; the journey is short, but the landscape changes from endless corn fields to a small but well maintained center, which is hardly disturbed by the hectic of the city. I have to admit, I don't quite understand the hype about hip metropolises, but here, between the old barns and the occasional tractor, I find a rest that you rarely find in the usual guides. And yes, if you ask yourself if there is anything to see here – the Down's sights are not in museums, but in the stories that locals tell about coffee, and that's the real highlight for me.
The history of Downs begins long before the first rail rail rails, which I discovered at that time in a dusty photo from 1880, and I must admit that I do not fully understand the whole “Pionier-Romantik-Hype” – until I tried the old wooden bench before the former railway station and suddenly felt I was part of a long forgotten assembly.
My personal favorite spot is that Downs Community Park. At first glance, it looks like any other small village park, but when you sit there in the summer of the evening, you can hear the quiet squeaking of the old swings and the distant reputation of the barbecue masters. Parking is usually easy – a few free places behind the sports field are enough, except on Saturday afternoons when the whole village flows to the baseball game and the accesses become a small battlefield.
A short walk leads you to Downs United Methodist Church, a stone building from 1902, which has more stories to tell than some bestsellers. I had a Sunday concert there; the organ sounded like someone tried to overtone an old tractor. No joke, that was an acoustic spectacle that even the most skeptical visitors took a nap.
If you are interested in the rural heritage, you may Downs Grain Elevator do not miss. This silver colossus projects over the fields like a silent guard. I once met an old farmer there who told me that the Silo lights were like a lighthouse for the lost tractors at night – a bit cheesy, but somehow charming.
A little away from the main street life lies Downs Historical Museum, which is located in the former school. The exhibition is small, but each exhibit has its own Macke: an old school desk that still squeaks when you move it, and a photo of 1923, on which a horse almost surpasses the whole class. I recognized my grandmother there – she stood on the picture, the hands full of corn, and I swear she wanted to win.
For those who prefer to read than amaze, Downs Public Library. The shelves are not huge, but the librarian knows every villager by name and always recommends the book you shouldn't read. I once borrowed a book about urban planning and, when checked out, I had a conversation about the “better” parking situation in the city centre – a real Ice-Breaker.
Another highlight I don't want to conceal is the Downs Attractions around the old fire department store. The red building with the crunching door frame still houses a restored 1950s fire truck, which can be admired from the outside. In a rainy afternoon, I was looking for shelter there, while a storm was sweeping over the fields, and the firefighters told me about their nightly missions – a bit of drama that is not expected in such a quiet place.
At the end of my little tour I recommend Downs Community Center. Here the weekly Bingo evenings take place, where the older ladies with a mixture of ambition and crisp snacks browse the maps. I won a prize there – a handmade wooden puzzle that cost more time than the actual game. And this is the special thing about Downs: It is a place where every little thing looks a bit bigger because it is inhabited by people with heart and a pinch of cynicism.
The David Davis Mansion in Bloomington, at first glance, looks like a relic from a time when politicians still built real villas to demonstrate their power – and that was also the Supreme Judge of the Union. I felt the crunching halls under my feet there on a lukewarm summer afternoon, while a guide told about the glorious story I hardly find in school books. Parking is almost always a Klacks, unless you arrive on Friday night after the college football game, then the field becomes a battlefield for cars.
A short detour to normal leads to Illinois State University Campus, where the old venerable Old Main with its neo-Gothic façade is almost a bit exaggerated romantic. I discovered a spontaneous Poetry-Slam event that took place between lectures and library sounds – a real contrast to the stiff lectures that would be expected there. The campus is freely accessible, and parking is a children's game thanks to the numerous free car parks as long as you don't get to the exam.
Just a couple of miles away Illinois Railway Museum in Union, the largest railway museum in the world. I have to admit, I was skeptical, whether old steam locomotives can really fascinate, but the catapult of locomotives and the smell of lubricating oil have immediately catapulted me back into my childhood. The museum offers a huge terrain, so wear comfortable shoes – this is not a place for high-heels. Parking is available in abundance, but on Saturday afternoons there can be a small traffic jam because the families with children use the special trips.
If you have enough of steel and cement, the path continues to Kickapoo State Recreation Area near Danvers. There is a lake that invites you to swim in the summer, and hiking trails that wind through dense forests. I once made a picnic with friends that was almost completely disturbed by a horde duck – a real nature camp. The entrance is free, parking is well signposted at the main entrance, but on long weekends you can quickly find a place on the edge of the parking lot, where the grass almost embraces the car.
Back in Bloomington lures this McLean County Museum of History with a collection ranging from the pioneering period to the present. I was there because I wanted to learn a little about the agricultural development of the region and instead discovered a fascinating model of an old barn that almost seemed like a mini-art work. The museum has a small café that serves surprisingly good coffee – a real lifesetter after a long bike tour on the Constitution Trail, which I must mention.
The Constitution is a 45-mile-long network of cycling and hiking trails that runs through the cities of Bloomington and Normal, revealing the rural idyll of McLean County. I once made a morning run there, while the sun rose above the corn fields – an image that cannot be replicated in Instagram filters. The trail is well marked, and at most intersections there are free bike stands. If you take a car, you will find free parking at most entrances, but at the popular starting points you can get short waiting times.
Another highlight is the Miller Park Zoothat is small but surprisingly well maintained. I was there with my niece, who was about the free-running earthmen, while I wondered why the zoo staff no longer speaks about the threatened species. The zoo has a free parking right at the entrance, but at school holidays it is a bit messy – you should come early if you want to see the animals without crowds.
Last but not least, Bloomington Center for the Arts not missing. There are changing exhibitions, from local art to international installations. I once saw an exhibition on the history of agriculture in Illinois, which reminded me of why I came here – to understand the roots of this region. The center has a small cafe that offers inexpensive cakes, and parking is usually easy as long as you don't get during a big vernissage.
Whether you are looking for historical elegance, technical nostalgia, natural experience or cultural diversity – the surroundings of Downs, Downs Township, McLean, Illinois provide a colourful mix that surprises every traveller. The places mentioned show that Downs Attractions more than just a small place on the map; they are a springboard to a region that attracts with charm, history and a little unexpected humor.
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