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Vrooman Mansion Bed & Breakfast

Historic building
In Bloomington, Illinois
0.5 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

Vrooman Mansion Bed & Breakfast, known historically as the Scott–Vrooman House, is an Italianate home in Bloomington, IL, about 0.7 miles from the old Route 66 corridor. Both Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln gave speeches here, which ties it to a famous Illinois political rivalry. It is listed on the National Register, and its name marks it today as a bed and breakfast.

What is Vrooman Mansion Bed & Breakfast?

The house is built in the Italianate style, and it goes by two names: the Scott–Vrooman House in the historic record and Vrooman Mansion Bed & Breakfast today. It stands on East Taylor Street among several other historic homes.

Its National Register listing came in 1983.

History of Vrooman Mansion Bed & Breakfast

Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, the two Illinois politicians remembered for their rivalry and their debates, each gave a speech at this house. That shared connection is the main reason it is remembered today, and it gives Route 66 travelers a link to a chapter of Illinois history that came long before the highway.

Visiting Vrooman Mansion Bed & Breakfast: tips

Unless you are staying as a guest, view the house from the sidewalk. It sits in a cluster of historic places: White Place Historic District, the John M. Hamilton House and the Robert Greenlee House are all right nearby, and coffee is close by.