The Subway Conductor took his kids to the children’s museum in Bloomington/Normal and came away convinced Peoria needs a children’s museum:
Put it downtown. Get some old warehouse, gut the place and make it all gritty on the outside and really swank and cool on the inside. Divvy it up so there are areas for all ages. Have a skatepark on one end, a laser tag in the middle and the playland on one side. Get guards and security to keep the riff-raff out and I think you might have something that work in the winter and even in the summer when people have stuff to do. I realize traveling sports teams take up time (believe me, I realize) but we need something. It’s a quality of life issue. And then, if you have that stuff around the warehouse district, you might have the other development Peoria craves.
Good thing the Junior League of Peoria is working on something along those lines. Only it’s not going downtown, but Glen Oak Park, at the pavillion.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
