Mclean County Museum Of History

What Mclean County Museum Of History does

The McLean County Museum of History, operated by the McLean County Historical Society (a nonprofit organization founded in 1892), preserves and interprets the history of McLean County, Illinois from its headquarters inside the historic McLean County Courthouse at 200 N. Main St., Bloomington. The museum serves a diverse audience including local residents, Route 66 tourists, K-12 and university students, genealogists and academic researchers, senior care communities, and corporate partners, and it also serves as the official Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

The core product set spans five permanent exhibit galleries and a hands-on Discovery Room spread across four floors of the courthouse, augmented by rotating temporary exhibits. Digital and remote products include the Tourient mobile tour platform (self-guided Social Justice, Lincoln, Downtown Architecture, and Spanish-language 'Construyendo un Hogar' tours), a Past Perfect Online collection database exposing 18,000+ objects, a YouTube library of 77 educational videos anchored by the Lunch & Learn series co-produced with Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State Universities, multilingual digital exhibits, and an audiobook on Audible/Kindle. Research assets include 100,000+ digitized Pantagraph newspaper negatives (out of more than 1 million total), digitized city directories (1855-1920), oral histories, and finding aids. Educational reach extends through free school programs (pre-K through college), the no-cost Senior Reminiscence program delivering object-based outreach to care facilities, a Speakers Bureau, and Museum Loan Kits.

Revenue combines earned and contributed streams. Earned revenue comes from per-visit admission ($10 adult, $8 senior/veteran), an annual membership program with reciprocal benefits at 400+ museums via the Time Travelers Program, gift shop sales at the Route 66 Visitors Center, venue and photography rentals ($100/hour per 12 people), and Speaker Bureau fees with nonprofit discounts. Contributed revenue is generated by individual donations, corporate sponsorships (COUNTRY Financial 2025 free-Tuesdays presenting sponsor, MCK CPAs for Lunch & Learn, LiUNA! for the asbestos exhibit, State Farm for archival support), Illinois Humanities grants, and the annual History Makers Gala. A significant share of programmatic output — including all school programs, Senior Reminiscence, Indigenous/SNAP/military/EBT admissions, and free Tuesdays — is intentionally non-revenue-generating and supports the museum's accredited-museum mission and community-access positioning rather than commercial monetization.

Name

Mclean County Museum Of History

Legal name

McLean County Historical Society

Website

https://mchistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The McLean County Museum of History is a nonprofit historical society and American Alliance of Museums-accredited institution in Bloomington, Illinois, that preserves and interprets local history through permanent and digital exhibits, K-12 and senior educational programs, and a digitized research archive serving students, researchers, families, and Route 66 tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local history museum
• Historical preservation services
• Educational museum programs
• Archival research services
• Community heritage programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Entry fees for visitors: Adults $10, Seniors/Veterans $8, with free admission for members, children, Indigenous tribal members, SNAP recipients, active duty military, and all visitors every Tuesday
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships providing free admission, member-only event invitations, and reciprocal benefits at over 400 museums through Time Travelers Program
3. Gift Shop Sales: Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center contains gift shop featuring locally produced products, Abraham Lincoln souvenirs, and Route 66 souvenirs
4. Venue Rentals: Private rentals of museum space for events, corporate functions, and photography sessions. Photography location fee: $100/hour per 12 people
5. Educational Programs: Fees for school programs, speakers bureau, Futures in History camp, and loan kits. Special rates available for not-for-profit organizations
6. Donations and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors, individual donations, and gala events such as History Makers Gala generate contributed revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The McLean County Museum of History is a nonprofit historical society museum operating in the historic McLean County Courthouse in Bloomington, Illinois. It preserves and interprets McLean County history through five permanent exhibit galleries, temporary exhibits, an 18,000+ object collection, and educational programming for schools, seniors, and the general public. The museum also offers research services, self-guided mobile tours via the Tourient platform, a Lunch & Learn lecture series, a digital exhibits portal, and operates the Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center and gift shop.

Product overview

The McLean County Museum of History is a historical museum offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on preserving and sharing local history. Core offerings include five permanent exhibit galleries (Challenges, Choices, and Change; Abraham Lincoln in McLean County; Merwin Gallery; Discovery Room; Courthouse Exhibit) plus rotating temporary exhibits. Educational programming includes School Programs, Senior Reminiscence, Speakers Bureau, and Museum Loan Kits available to various audiences. Digital access is provided through Self-Guided Tours via the Tourient mobile platform, Digital Exhibits, and a Lunch & Learn video series on YouTube. Research services include digitized archives and library resources. The museum also operates the Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center and offers a Membership Program with reciprocal benefits. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibits Five permanent exhibit galleries (Challenges, Choices, and Change across 5,000 sq ft; Abraham Lincoln in McLean County; Merwin Gallery featuring 300 objects; Discovery Room; Courthouse Exhibit) plus rotating temporary exhibits such as A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County. Designed for general public, students, and researchers.
• Self-Guided Mobile Walking Tours Self-guided walking tours delivered through the Tourient mobile platform covering the Social Justice Walking Tour, Looking for Lincoln in Bloomington-Normal, Downtown Bloomington Architectural Tour, and Construyendo un Hogar (Spanish-language). Accessible via smartphone for visitors and tourists.
• School Programs Free hands-on, curriculum-aligned educational programming for grades pre-K through college, including Self-Guided Tour, General Gallery Tour, Finding McLean County, A. Lincoln Was Here, History of Toys and Games, and Making a Museum. Accredited by American Alliance of Museums. Delivered to school audiences.
• Senior Reminiscence Program Museum educators bring authentic objects, photographs, and inquiry-based facilitation directly to senior facilities at no cost to encourage recall, sharing, and connection among older adults. Delivered on-site to senior living communities.
• Speakers Bureau Expert presenters in McLean County and Illinois history available to speak to community groups, organizations, and events. Special rates available for not-for-profit organizations.
• Museum Loan Kits Educational resource kits available for classroom use covering Architecture of Downtown Bloomington, Early Settler Life, The Great Depression, World War II, Kickapoo Indians, and the Vietnam War. Designed for teachers and schools.
• Lunch & Learn Video Series Educational video program series presented in partnership with Illinois Wesleyan University, held every second Thursday over lunch hour (12:10-1:00 p.m.) in person and live via YouTube, covering local history topics with various presenters. Accessible to the general public.
• Research Services and Archives Online and on-site research resources including digitized Pantagraph Negatives Collection (100,000+ negatives), Finding Aids for archival collections, digitized City Directories (1855-1920), and a non-circulating library catalog. Serves academic researchers, genealogists, and local historians.
• Membership Program Annual membership offering free daily admission, invitations to member-only events, and reciprocal benefits at over 400 museums and historic sites through the Time Travelers Program. Designed for individuals, families, and corporate members.
• Digital Exhibits Online exhibits including Making a Home, A Community in Conflict, Working for a Living, Farming in the Great Corn Belt, and Abraham Lincoln in McLean County, bringing McLean County history to remote audiences.
• Cruisin' with Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center Visitors center and gift shop featuring locally produced products, Abraham Lincoln souvenirs, and Route 66 souvenirs. Visitors enter and exit the museum through this center.
• Private Venue Rentals Rental of the historic courthouse space for private events, corporate functions, and photography/videography sessions at $100 per hour per 12 people, with reduced fees available for nonprofit organizations on a case-by-case basis.
• Mourning in McLean Exhibit Temporary exhibit on three floors of the historic courthouse exploring perceptions of death, ritualistic practices, and customary expressions of grief in Central Illinois from the mid-19th century to early 20th century. Open to general public visitors.
• Audiobook of McLean County History Audiobook version of McLean County History available on Audible and Kindle platforms, providing digital access to local history content for general consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free educational programming reaches thousands of students, seniors, and community members each year

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Illinois Wesleyan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for the Lunch & Learn series providing educational programming every second Thursday. University faculty present on various historical topics. Students participate in oral history projects and internships.
• Illinois State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Lunch & Learn programs, oral history projects (Sembrando Raíces), student internships, and research initiatives. University faculty and students contribute to museum programming and archives.
• Bloomington Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint programming including History Reads Book Club, digitization of city directories (1855-1920), and collaborative events. Library serves as venue and co-presenter for educational programs.
• COUNTRY FinancialmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for free Tuesdays at the Museum during 2025. Corporate sponsor providing financial support for community access initiatives.
• MCK CPAs & AdvisorsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the Lunch & Learn series, enabling free educational programming on various historical topics.
• The PantagraphcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum houses the Pantagraph Negative Collection of over 1 million negatives from 1930s-2000s. Ongoing digitization project with over 100,000 negatives already digitized.
• Illinois HumanitiessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant support and program sponsorship through National Endowment for the Humanities and Illinois General Assembly. Supports various educational programs and events.
• LiUNA! Midwest Region Laborers' International Union of North AmericamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial support for A Deadly Deception: The Asbestos Tragedy in McLean County exhibit and related programming about workplace safety and labor history.
• State FarmsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership with employees involved in Latino History Project research and various museum programs. Host for company archival presentations.
• Bloomington-Normal Black History Project (BNBHP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1982, BNBHP collections (19th-20th century photographs, portraits, articles) are housed at the museum since 1989 affiliation with McLean County Historical Society.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Newberry Library: Chicago-based independent research library with deep historical archives, public programs, and exhibits. Comparable as a nonprofit cultural institution focused on history research, public education, and curated exhibitions rather than mass tourism.
• Peoria County Historical Society: County-level historical society serving Peoria County, Illinois. Direct peer in operating a community-based historical society with museum operations, research collections, and local educational programming.
• Sangamon County Historical Society: County-level historical society in Springfield, IL serving a similar community-history mission with collections, exhibits, and programs. Direct peer in scale, structure, and Illinois county-history focus.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Historical Society: One of the largest state historical societies in the U.S., combining a museum, library, archives, and historic sites. Comparable in operating a hybrid museum/archives model with educational programming and digitization initiatives.
• Indiana Historical Society: Statewide historical society operating the Indiana History Center and Cole Porter House. Comparable as a membership-based historical society with research collections, exhibits, school programs, and reciprocal membership networks.
• Missouri History Museum: St. Louis-based history museum operated by the Missouri Historical Society, combining exhibits, research collections, and school programs. Comparable as a Midwest metropolitan-area historical society museum with similar programming mix.
• Illinois State Museum: The state-level museum system operated by Illinois with statewide collections in history, art, and natural history. Comparable as a public-facing Illinois history institution but operates at a broader geography and larger scale.

Others

• Past Perfect Online: Web-based museum collection management and public access database used by McLean County Museum for its 18,000+ object collection. Comparable as an enabling technology vendor in the small-to-mid museum sector.
• Tourient: Mobile self-guided tour platform that the McLean County Museum uses to deliver its walking tours. Comparable as the technology enabler/partner for the museum's outdoor digital experience rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Springfield, IL-based Lincoln-focused museum complex. Comparable in leveraging Abraham Lincoln as a heritage tourism anchor and operating Lincoln-themed exhibits and visitor programs in central Illinois.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mchistorymuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/bloomingtonIlremember
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mclean-county-museum-of-history

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mclean County Museum Of History