Activities
Gyms
There are many fitness centers located throughout Bloomington-Normal since our town likes to stay active. 4 Seasons is by far the biggest and most widely used as they have two gyms that contain a variety of fitness equipment, basketball courts, studios, racquetball courts, and swimming pools. This gym is definitely the best for family use as it provides an activity for each family member no matter what their interests are. Gold's Gym is probably the next most known fitness center in town as it also has two buildings. They have a great atmosphere for working out as the gym's are renovated and new. In the process of being built is also an LA Fitness. This building will be coming soon as the third major workout facility in town. Along with these known gyms, there are many smaller facilities or personal training gyms depending on what type of activity is being sought out. ![[WWW]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png)
http://www.4seasons-club.com/Club/Scripts/Home/home.asphttp://www.goldsgym.com/gyms/illinois/bloomington/903http://www.lafitness.com/Pages/Default.aspx
Run/Bike
The Constitution Trail is the big running and biking part of town. It is a path that is paved throughout town and is easily accessible from many parts of Bloomington-Normal. Connecting with the trail is Tipton Park that has its own set of loops and paths to run or bike on that eventually reconnect with the trail. On a daily basis during nice weather, many of the town's citizens can be found exercising on the Constitution Trail as it is a great resource to get a workout in no matter the time of day. http://www.constitutiontrail.org/
Mini Activities
These consist of golf/putt putt, bowling, and rock climbing. This area contains many golf courses ranging in price and quality, but their is definitely a course to fit the need of any type of golfer living in town. Putt Putt course are also easy to come by and their are enough courses in town so their is no boredom about replaying the same course every weekend. There three bowling alleys in town with Peasant Lanes being the main attraction. Bowling is a great way to spend a night with friends as it doesn't take any planning ahead and isn't too expensive. The most interesting of all is Upper Limits, located on the outskirts of town. This is a rock climbing center which can be a really fun experience if being scared of heights is not an issue. http://www.upperlimits.com/bloomington/
Pools
In Bloomington-Normal, their are many pools, but three that are the main attractions during the scorching hot Illinois summers. State Farm Park pool is the largest, but the catch is your parents need to work at State Farm or your friends' parents need to in order to enter the park as a guest. They have a newly renovated pool area along with many other playgrounds, courts, and fun summer activities. Fairview Pool and Anderson Park are the other two large pools in town. Fairview has brand new water slides and a bigger area to relax than Anderson, but Anderson also offers some smaller slides. Anderson isn't talked about as much between teenagers, but it is still a nice spot to enjoy a summer day.http://www.statefarm.com/about/careers/internships/thingstodo/state_farm_park.htmlhttp://www.normal.org/facilities/Facility/Details/34
Movies
Theaters
Currently there are three movie theaters in town, which are The Palace, The Starplex, and The Galaxy. The Palace is the oldest and least comfortable, but can sometimes be the most convenient depending on where one is located in the Bloomington-Normal Area. The Galaxy was incredible when it first came to town. A big theater, with comfortable leather and reclining seats along with a selection of food options from the standard popcorn to pizza. This theater raised the standard and highly competed with The Palace, but the only issue is that The Galaxy is located on the outside of town and can be a decent drive depending on where you live. The Starplex is the newest and located directly off the interstate and Main St. so it is just a short drive from Illinois State University. The Starplex rivals The Galaxy the best because it usually has cheaper movie tickets and offers many of the same amenities that make The Galaxy very comfortable compared to the older Palace. http://www.carmike.com/default.aspxhttp://www.wehrenberg.com/theaterDetail.asp?theatre=90http://www.starplexcinemas.com/locations.php?theaterid=1022
Drive In
Located in Gibson City is the Harvest Moon Drive In, which is about a 45 minute drive and is the only Drive-In theater still around the Bloomington-Normal area. They have two screens and show limited movies depending on the days. A great activity if you have never been to a drive in movie before because it is a completely different experience. Having a party outside with friends and family while watching a new movie on an overly large screen is always a fun event. http://www.harvestmoondrivein.com/
Music
As this town grows and grows many more concerts are being held here and in the surrounding area. Bigger named musicians are beginning to play here compared to the musicians that used to come through town.
Indoor
The Castle is located in Uptown Normal and is a smaller venue that still holds concerts for small acts, but the Coliseum and Illinois State (Redbird Arena or Braden Auditorium) are the venues that attract the thousands of screaming fans. The Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois also holds popular concerts and that is a short 40 minute drive for a devoted music lover. Most recently, the Coliseum has been on a country tear, holding concerts from the likes of Luke Bryan to Carrie Underwood and it seems that they are only scheduling more and more concerts due to the demand of music in this town. Pay attention to the news often because it is never known when the next big act will be announced.http://www.thecastletheatre.com/http://uscellularcoliseum.com/
Outdoor
The Corn Crib, which is home to the Cornbelters, a minor league baseball team also holds a few concerts now and then. This is a great venue for music in the summer as the nights are perfect for friends to enjoy an upcoming or established musician. Darius Rucker was the most recent vistor to the Corn Crib and held a great concert.
Sporting Events
No matter the sport that you are a diehard fan for, it can be found in Bloomington-Normal. Basketball can found with Men's and Women's teams at Illinois State, Illinois Weslyan, and University of Illinois nearby, along with the Bloomington Flex, a semi pro team based in town. For football, we are home to the Bloomingon Edge, formerly known as the Extreme that play in the Coliseum. The Coliseum is also home to the Bloomington Blaze, which is a hockey team. Lastly, the Normal Cornbelters play baseball out at the Corn Crib. Many of these sports teams are enjoyable to watch and it is very easy and cheap to obtain tickets for these events. For a group of sports fans, this is never a bad option to spend a night out. http://uscellularcoliseum.com/
Day/Weekend Trips
Being located in Central Illinois, their are many options when wanting to travel. The main attraction is Chicago as I have gathered from talking with family and friends. For a weekend trip with your best friends or a day visit, I have some information on possible reasons to travel to Chicago.
Chicago
The Magnificent Mile: A great avenue that makes Chicago an international tourist stop. It is a stretch of 13 blocks on North Michigan Avenue that contains over 460 stores, 275 restaurants, and 60 hotels along with unique, exciting, and fun attractions for visitors any age. Taking Amtrak straight out of Bloomington-Normal is the easiest way to get downtown Chicago. Buying tickets ahead of time is best because many people make the trip North every day and it can be difficult to get last minute tickets. Once in downtown, there is a plethora of options to explore. The shopping on Michigan Ave and in Water Tower Place is very enjoyable as long as walking isn't an issue. Sometimes these stores can be a bit pricey, but it is definitely worth it to walk down this street. A short walk away is Millennium Park, which is home to an outdoor music venue and renowned Bean. The Bean is a huge circular mirror shaped like none other than a bean and it is a great spot to take photos with friends and sit down to enjoy the Windy City. http://www.themagnificentmile.com/
Wrigley Field: Making a trip to a Chicago Cubs game is very popular for the people of this town as it is very easy to make it to a game. Cubs tickets are not very expensive and it's a simple drive to the baseball park. From Bloomington-Normal it is a straight drive up I-55 until arriving at Lake Shore Dr. where a left will be taken. Lake Shore Drive takes you right to the stadium and the many pay for parking lots available on game day. Not only can you go to a baseball game, but this area of town is nice and directly on the lake. If the Cubs are not in town, a day trips to the Wrigley area is not wasted as many tourists enjoy a relaxing day at the shops and beach nearby. http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/index.jsp
United Center: The home to the beloved Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. Not as easily accessible as Wrigley Field, but still a great place to enjoy a sporting event if baseball is not necessarily the sport for you. Fans of Chicago sporting events can be found no where else in the world and it is an amazing experience to be one of them for a game. The Bulls are up and coming with the talented Derrick Rose and bound for greatness and excitement this season while the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this year. No matter which sport is your choice, a trip to the United Center will never entail a dull moment. http://www.unitedcenter.com/
Starved Rock
This is a state park that is about an hour and half drive depending on where in the Bloomington-Normal area the trip is starting from. Starved Rock is the closest place that Illinois has to a national park with many hiking trails and outstanding views. Not only can tourists take a hike, but the park is also great for many other activities. These include boating, picnicking, fishing, and even horseback riding. As said on the park's website, it "is best known for its fascinating rock formations, primarily St. Peter sandstone, laid down in a huge shallow inland sea more than 425 million years ago and later brought to the surface." The landscape like this is what makes a day of hiking on the trails enjoyable. Not only are their views to amaze, but it is a great way to exercise. http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/i&m/east/starve/park.htm
Wisconsin
In Central Illinois, Wisconsin isn't know for much fun other than the Wisconsin Dells. Now, this is a bit of a longer trip than the others talked about in this section, but it is definitely worth a weekend trip to "The Waterpark Capital of The World." Being a four to four and a half hour drive it is probably a good idea to have multiple drivers. Options for staying in the Wisconsin Dells come in a wide variety, but according to every person I know that has been their, there are really only three options. Those are, the Great Wolf Lodge, The Wilderness, and the Kalahari. I say these three are the main options because they are the most newly renovated, have the biggest water parks, and have many other activities to accommodate all guests. http://www.wisdells.com/
