Illinois Adventure

The Funk Prairie Home, located east of Shirley, is the restored Civil War-era residence of one of McLean County's illustrious citizens. LaFayette Funk, co-founder and director the Chicago Union Stockyards, built Prairie Home himself between 1862 and 1864. Prairie Home is preserved by the Paul Funk Heritage Trust and has been open since 1971. Guided tours travel back in time to the early days on the prairie and view 13 rooms of original furnishings, including a working Victrola. Located on the same 27-acre site is the Funk Gem and Mineral Museum, part of the biggest one-man mineral collection in the world. See gems, minerals, fossils, Indian artifacts, buggies and more.