2017 House Tour to feature West Side

The OHS Annual Tour of Homes is just around the corner!! OHS is excited to announce the focus of the 2017 tour -- The West Side of Bloomington. The West Side was part of the earliest development of Bloomington and home to some of our most colorful citizens. The West Side was home to industry and leisure.

From raucous beer gardens to the grit and grime of the coal mines, the West Side was an exciting place to live. Old House Society is partnering with the West Bloomington Revitalization Project​ and the McLean County Museum of History to present this tour. Bill Kemp and Mike Matejka, two well known historians, will lead a walk on the West Side that explores the neighborhoods and industry.

Tickets for the walk are very limited and will be sold on a first come first serve basis. The Museum also plans to have a booth at our booklet distribution center where you can learn about the history of West Side institutions such as Miller Park and Miller Park Zoo. The Tool Library and other WBRP projects will be present as well, giving you plenty of ideas about your own building projects and options for tool rental!

Check out the latest in the Warehouse

An ongoing, updated posting of photos of the newest items that have recently been added to our warehouse inventory can be found on our Facebook page. Click here to see photos of the latest items that have been salvaged by our warehouse crew or donated by generous patrons like you.

Mansions tour

The Christmas at the Mansions committee is looking for a mansion/house for the 2017 tour. The tour consists of Ewing Manor, David Davis Mansion and the Mystery mansion/house on the second Saturday in December. The Mystery House is a mystery to our patrons until the day of the tour, then it is revealed in the tour booklet.

Many people tour annually just to see the mystery house decorated in all its splendid Christmas finery. The Christmas at the Mansions tour is a fundraiser for Ewing Manor and David Davis to support educational programs and restoration, and the Mystery house owner selects a charity of their choice for a donation.

For additional information contact tour organizer Connie Barling at Connieb240@yahoo.com.