1930-1939

Pantagraph Negatives on the Illinois Digital Archive

1940 Aerial Imagery

Illinois Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

1940-1945

Pantagraph Negatives on the Illinois Digital Archive

1946-1949

Pantagraph Negatives on the Illinois Digital Archive

1950-1954

Pantagraph Negatives on the Illinois Digital Archive

1955-1959

Pantagraph Negatives on the Illinois Digital Archive

360 degree video tour -- Lincoln in Downtown Bloomington

Join Greg Koos, Executive Director Emeritus of the McLean County Museum of History, on a 45-minute tour of Abraham Lincoln sites in downtown Bloomington!

Adlai Today

Adlai Today examines the references made to Adlai Stevenson II in current issues in news stories. Explore this website to find out more about this inspirational political figure who called Bloomington home.

Architecture of McLean County

Thousands of images of the built environment, from the earliest cabins to construction of homes in the 21st century.

Black History Resource List

A Google Doc containing links to various local Black history resources such as articles, podcasts, videos, finding aids, images, and more!

Bloomington-Normal Black History Project Photos

Photo collection on the Illinois Digital Archive

Carius Menu Collection

A collection of local restaurant menus donated by Larry Carius, author of the popular Bloomington-Normal Restaurant Scene page on Facebook.

Digital Exhibits

Read the rich histories featured in our Challenges, Choices, and Change as well as Abraham Lincoln in McLean County exhibits from anywhere!

Google Cultural Institute

See high resolution digital photographs of the paintings from our collection at the Google Cultural Institute

HistoryPin

Discover local historic images pinned to a map, some overlaid into Google Street View!

Internet Archive

Browse hundreds of resources we have uploaded over the years

Native American Collection

McLean County Museum of History and ISU collections on the Illinois Digital Archive

Online Object Database

The Museum is excited to launch our online database, which allows viewers to browse through over 800 object records that had previously been for internal use only. The object records list information such as the object’s name, description, period of creation, associated people, images, and more.

Pantagraph Negatives Collection Overview

Overview of the project that has digitized over 100,000 so far, and video tutorials

PFOP: Curriculum for Teachers

These lesson plans were created by teachers in McLean County for teachers everywhere. The lesson plans use Kemp’s columns as a foundation, as they create solid link between McLean County and national events or themes in U.S. History.

Pieces from our Past

Museum staff and community contributors write a weekly column in the Pantagraph Sunday edition. Check out past articles here! (This column was formerly known as Pages from our Past and was written by Bill Kemp, Museum librarian.)

Post Amerikan

Held by the MCMH and digitized by Eastern Illinois University. The Post Amerikan began publication in 1972 in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. An underground, alternative newspaper, it was run collectively by volunteers. It was the longest continuous publication run for any underground newspaper in America.

Public Life in McLean County

Images in this collection include clubs, schools, parades, sports, service organizations, government, and medicine in McLean County.

QR Code Smart Phone Tour of Downtown Bloomington

Learn about downtown Bloomington's rich history through its buildings. Look for the QR codes that have been placed in the windows of historically significant buildings around downtown.

Search our Library Catalog

See what books we have in our library. We are a non-circulating library so you must come to the library to see these books, and they cannot go home with you.

Social Justice Walking Tour

On this website, you will find stories of events and people in and around Downtown Bloomington, Illinois, that illustrate the evolution of our city over time.

Virtual Visit

360 degree walk through of Challenges, Choices, and Change exhibits as well as Abraham Lincoln in McLean County.

Work in McLean County

Thousands of images showing hundreds of occupations that helped build McLean County, and the people who labored within them. 

YouTube

Visit our YouTube channel to see upcoming live streams, or to watch many of our fascinating past programs.

Bloomington-Normal Black History Project

An affiliate organization of the McLean County Museum of History

Bloomington, Illinois 1838

by Rochelle Gridley

Facebook Group: Bloomington / Normal Remember When...

Group for people who grew up in Bloomington (or nearby). Everyone who has memories to share is welcome to join.

Facebook Group: Brick Back Bloomington (BBB)

Dedicated to vintage brick paver preservation in Bloomington Normal. Brick streets, sidewalks, restoring, preserving, re-laying, paver brick names, history, and photos.

Facebook Group: Historic Stevensonville Neighborhood

Stevensonville was situated West of Bloomington, IL and built in the late 1870s to house the migrant workers from the McLean Co Coal Mine. The eight original streets were Magoun, Packard, Reeves, Williams, Weldon, Worrell (now Olive), and Stevenson (now grove).

Facebook Group: You know you grew up in or around Bloomington-Normal when you remember....

Group dedicated to the history of Bloomington/Normal and nearby surrounding areas.

Map of McLean County, 1876

David Rumsey Map Collection

Map Of McLean County, Ill. 1886.

David Rumsey Map Collection

McLean County History by Bicycle

by Ryan Smith. This website contains a map of historic markers in McLean County.

Old House Society

Architectural salvage warehouse

Women Called to Action

by Rochelle Gridley