Looking for something to do?

Here's a short list of some of the places to stop by while you're in town:

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is known nationally in the theatre community as one of the top Shakespeare Festivals. The Illinois Office of Tourism nominated the Illinois Shakespeare Festival as one of the top 120 attractions in the country.
One of the more than 200 restaurants.
One of the seven movie theatres or any of the several live theatres.
Our two shopping malls
Any of the several shopping centers featuring hundreds of specialty stores
Upper Limits Indoor Rock Climbing
The eight public golf courses (including an Arnold Palmer signature golf course)
The nine outdoor swimming pools
Our forty-nine area parks
Any of the fifty-two tennis courts
The boating and fishing at Clinton Lake, Dawson Lake, Evergreen Lake, Lake Bloomington, and Miller Park
Constitution Trail which has more than 14 miles of hard-surface trail for walking, jogging, biking, and roller-blading

The Bloomington-Normal Community

Illinois State University’s campus is in the twin-city community of Bloomington-Normal near the geographic center of the state, 137 miles southwest of Chicago and 164 miles northeast of St. Louis. Interstate highways 74, 55, and 39, U.S. Route 150, and Illinois Route 9 intersect in Bloomington-Normal, creating a transportation hub. An Amtrak passenger station is just two blocks from the University, and the local airport is served by five scheduled airlines, one charter air service, and three rental car agencies.

Entertainment, recreation, and shopping in the twin cities

Bloomington residents like to eat at restaurants. Bloomington ranks No. 15 nationally in terms of towns with the most frequent restaurant patrons.
Dining -- Check out the options compliments of the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Bloomington has been described as the "most enlightened" community in Illinois.
Downtown Bloomington Association Lists downtown businesses and amenities.
Upper Limits Rock Gym -- Largest rock-climbing gym in the country, and the tallest in the world!
Golf courses -- Bloomington-Normal is home to several golf courses including The Den at Fox Creek, an Arnold Palmer signature course.
Uptown Normal -- Loated just east of Watterson Towers, Uptown Normal features a variety of shopping, restaurants, and the Normal Theatre.
For more information about Bloomington-Normal:
Hotels/Motels Listing
Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Transportation

Illinois State University is easily accessible by several modes of transportation. The following list includes means of transportation frequently used by the Illinois State University community.

Bloomington-Normal Public Transit
Amtrak - located just two blocks from the University.
Illinois State University Redbird Ride
Peoria Charter
Burlington Trailways
Central Illinois Regional Airport

Maps and directions

Campus Map
Driving directions to campus
Printer-friendly driving directions (pdf)
Includes an area map and local hotel and motel information.