Ewing Cultural Center

Write a Review309-829-6333

CLOSED NOW - Opens at 8:00am

I recently had a free tour of the Ewing Mansion--a nice afternoon if you're stuck in Bloomington and like old houses. A bit dull if you've been to the Newport Rhode Island mansions (which were owned by some of the richest people in the US) or to Europe (I've been to both). I fell asleep in a comfortable chair and a tour guide woke me up--rather rudely, actually, as if he thought that falling asleep was immoral. Falling asleep is involuntary and can be due to sleep apnea, lack of sleep, etc., so his behavior was quite obnoxious. Besides, people who are asleep are not bothering anyone else. The house is not especially interesting (though that's not why I fell asleep). If you want to see something quite spectacular you should visit the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield IL, only an hour from Bloomington. It's worth the trip. It's one of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie period" dwellings. Anyway, those who've never seen the inside of a really old house might like the Ewing mansion. You can learn how they refrigerated food a long time ago, for instance. On the whole, the tour guides at the Ewing did a fine job.