Family-owned maple syrup farm and roadside store producing pure maple sirup using traditional methods while preserving a historic connection to Route 66 travel and Illinois agricultural heritage.
Saturday: 10am to 5pm
Sunday: 1pm to 5pm
How to Get There
From Bloomington (15 mi): Take I-55 south to the Shirley exit, then follow Historic Route 66 south through the woodland preserve to the maple sirup farm located along Old Route 66.
Overview
Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup is one of the most distinctive agricultural attractions along Historic Route 66 and has been producing maple sirup in central Illinois for more than a century. Nestled within a rare stand of sugar maple trees known as Funks Grove, the family-operated business traces its roots to the nineteenth century and continues to produce maple sirup using traditional methods. The intentionally preserved spelling "sirup" reflects the family's historic branding and has become part of the attraction's unique identity. Travelers along Route 66 have stopped here for generations to purchase fresh maple products and experience a piece of authentic rural Illinois history.
Beyond its celebrated maple products, the grove represents an important natural landmark within the prairie landscape of central Illinois. Visitors can browse the farm store for pure maple sirup, maple candy, and Route 66 memorabilia while learning about the process of collecting sap and boiling it into syrup. Surrounded by scenic woodland and historic sections of the Mother Road, the attraction offers a peaceful contrast to many of the more commercial stops along Route 66. Its combination of family tradition, agricultural heritage, and roadside nostalgia makes it a favorite destination for travelers exploring the historic highway.
This article uses material from the official Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup website and public historical resources for Funks Grove, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.
