Visit Pleasant Hill McLean Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the idyllic town of Pleasant Hill in Illinois! Experience the old railway museum and the large lake. The Abraham Lincoln National Monument is also nearby. It is easy and quiet to live here!
What makes Pleasant Hill sights so special is the quiet way, with history flowing into every field and every old barn – almost as if the country itself flew. I remember driving over the dusty main road for the first time, which has hardly changed since the 1850s, since the railway has connected the small village in the Lexington Township to the world. The founders, mostly German immigrants, laid the foundation for a village, which today still carries the charm of a long-lasting era without staring too much in the museum.
A short trip to Bloomington's car (just the I-55 towards the north, then the exit to Pleasant Hill) is enough to get the feeling that you walk not only through a village but through a small chapter of the American pioneering period. I have to admit, the hype around the supposedly “hippen” Cafés in the surrounding area are more of a lukewarm place for me – the real pleasure lies in chatting with the locals, who tell more stories from the colonial period when there is a sip of coffee in the local diner than any guided tour.
So if you're looking for a place that isn't overrun by tourist crowds, Pleasant Hill is just right. Here rustic authenticity meets a slightly smiling smile of the inhabitants, and this makes every visit a small but fine adventure.
This guide invites you to explore with me a small but surprisingly charming spot in the heart of McLean County – Pleasant Hill, a place that has more to offer than you would suspect at first glance.
I always start with the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, because the building looks a bit like a forgotten film from the 50s already when entering: barring wooden benches, an altar that sees more candles than people, and a choir that presents every Sunday divine service program with a mixture of devotion and light discomfort. I don't quite understand the hype about the “historical atmosphere”, but the acoustics in the rear wing is really great – I heard a string quartet try there that sounded like the whole village was applauding.
Only a few destinations surprise their visitors with a own museum in the form of an old school, and that is the Pleasant Hill School. The former one-room house, which today serves as a local history museum, is an example of how much charm can be put in four walls. I spent an afternoon there, while an older gentleman from the 1930s told me how he was riding to school with a donkey every morning – no joke, that was his daily way. The original panels and the old wooden school bench set make you smell almost the chalk odor, and that's like you're going back to the past without risking a jump in time.
If you are wondering where you can find a little rest in Pleasant Hill, just look at it Pleasant Hill Cemetery by. Yes, a cemetery does not sound like a holiday paradise, but here there are more than just tombstones: artistically crafted marble sculptures, an old tree that in autumn throws an almost mystical light, and the history of families that have been building the land for generations. I once made a small picnic – not because I wanted to leave the food there, but because I enjoyed the silence, while a curious raven circled over my head.
A short walk leads you to Pleasant Hill Community Centerthat is more than just a meeting place. Here you will regularly find “Potluck Nights” where the neighbors present their best home cooking creations. I remember an evening I tried a self-made chili that was so sharp that I needed almost the lighter of my neighbor to calm my tongue. The center is also the place where the annual “Fall Harvest Festival” takes place – a mix of pumpkin stalls, local music and a competition where the oldest cow of the village is awarded (no worry, this is no joke).
A little further, but still in the same small universe, this is Lexington Township Hall. The building is a relic from the founding period and now houses the office of the Township administrator as well as a small archive with old maps. I found a document that showed the original division of the fields in 1852 – a real eye-catcher for anyone interested in agricultural history. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the entire village comes together to “Barn Dance”.
A short detour to Pleasant Hill Park is worthwhile when you are traveling with children. The small playground is not huge, but the swing is stable enough to calm even the wildest little adventurer. I watched my niece climbing there while I tried to shoot a photo that was not covered by a passing cow – a typical Pleasant Hill experience.
And because I don't want to forget what the locals call the “hidden treasures”, I still have to old grain silo at County Road 1500N mention. The massive, rusty building is a popular photo stop for Instagram users who want to capture the contrast between modern technology and rural nostalgia. I once made a picnic with my friend, while a tractor in the background was loud and loud – that was the sound that perfectly rounded off the day.
So next time you stumble over Pleasant Hill, remember that the Pleasant Hill Attractions not in a guide catalog, but in the stories of people, the crunching halls and the quiet fields surrounding the village. And if you ask yourself if there is more to discover here – yes, there is, but this is an adventure you should experience.
The first stop of my little Odyssey was Illinois State University-Campus, a place where you feel like sitting in a time machine that only works halfway between venerable brick buildings and modern glass facades. I have entered a lecture room where a professor just swarmed over the “economic implications of maize cultivation” – a subject that hardly interests me personally, but the surrounding fields overlooking the terrace are simply impressive. Parking is usually a children's game as long as you don't arrive on Monday morning after the semester start; then the parking lot turns into a battlefield of flapping suitcases and stressed students.
A short jump to the north leads to McLean County Museum of History. There are more old farm machines here than in some farmer’s garage, and that’s not a joke. I lost myself in an exhibition about the pioneering period, while an older gentleman, besides me, said loudly that the “right” corn field must always be a bit wider. The museum is free, but the café serves the best coffee in the area – strong enough to keep an entire field worker awake. A little hint: The toilets are a bit off, so better plan a short walk before.
Go on Miller Park, one of the few places where one actually feels in Pleasant Hill environment that nature was not “optimized” by an urban body. I made a picnic there with a friend who claimed that the grass is “too green”, which I naturally interpret as a subtle side move on the exaggerated Instagram posts of the city’s inhabitants. The lake in the park is not huge, but the rowing boat that you can rent for a few dollars per hour is a real fun as long as you don't try to shoot a romantic photo – the water then only reflects your own failures.
A bit further east is the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, the largest railway museum in the USA. I experienced an old steam locomotive day where a colleague tried to start the locomotive, just to see that the “starting” was rather a loud cliche that reminded of an old bathtub valve. The exhibition is huge, and parking is almost always free, except in the rare days where a local train club organizes a meeting – then you have to sneak between the old cars. A must for anyone who wonders why people used to spend so much time pushing coal.
A short detour to normal brings you to Normal Clock Tower, one of the few landmarks that actually works. I caught a small street festival where a local baker sold his famous cinnamon snails – a sweet consolation for the many hours I spent checking the time because the phone in the area always loses the signal. The tower is in the middle of the square, and parking is easy thanks to the surrounding car parks as long as you do not come to the main traffic time when the city suddenly decides to host a football match.
A little off but definitely worth a visit, this is Kickapoo State Recreation Area. Here you can walk, fishing or just enjoy the silence that you rarely find in the more lively parts of McLean County. I spent a weekend there interrupted by a sudden rain shower – a perfect example of the weather here being as moody as the locals who always claim to have the best BBQ in the region. The parking spaces are spacious, but on sunny Saturdays it can be full, so better to come early.
If you are looking for a mix of history, nature and a bit of unique charm, then the Pleasant Hill Attractions just the right thing in the area – a kaleidoscope of museums, parks and small town jewels that have more to offer than you would suspect at first sight.
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