In another sign of the return to normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Logan County Tourism Bureau announced this week it would reopen its Mill Museum in Lincoln, Illinois, to the public at 11 a.m. on May 22.
A news release from the bureau states the reopening follows more work on the historic structure, which formerly was a restaurant along Route 66:
After obtaining ownership the Bureau realized that some repairs were needed on the interior and exterior of the building. The Logan County Tourism Board gave the approval to re-side the entire building, install heating/air and gutters, and do interior updates. We are so grateful to help further preserve this iconic Route 66 structure. The museum features original artifacts from The Mill, The Tropics, and The Pig Hip (3 Route 66 restaurants that were iconic fixtures in Logan County), along with some other Route 66 artifacts.
Tours in the museum will begin at 11:30 a.m. May 22 after a Backyard Bash at 11, with live entertainment by the Thornhill Band from noon to 2 p.m. and food provided by Traveling Top Hat and Nuthatch Hill BBQ. Owners of classic cars and motorcycles are invited to the event.
Logan County Tourism took over ownership of The Mill Museum in February 2020 after the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County, which led the initial charge to save the dilapidated structure more than a decade ago, was dissolved that month.
The Mill, featuring a Dutch-inspired design and a turning windmill, opened as a restaurant on U.S. 66 in 1929. The Mill is a member of the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame.
It closed in 1994, deteriorated and was slated for demolition until Ladd stepped in and helped reopen it in 2017 after years of fundraising and volunteer labor.
The Mill Museum sits at 738 S. Washington (old Route 66) in Lincoln.
(Image of The Mill in Lincoln, Illinois, in 2017 by Ron Ferguson via Facebook)