funk's grove maple sirup

170julianw

Maple sirup (their spelling) from virgin old growth maple forests in the same family since the 1820's. Wroth going down to the grove and cemetery -- the trees really are a cathedral. The nature center is a great place to spend an afternoon. An Illinois treasure!

betiu

WE really enjoyed the Funks/ Grove hike. The forested area just North of the Nature preserve was very nice hiking in spring. nice trails well maintained. make an appt ahead of time for the awesome Gem/Mineral museum and Funk/s Home. The tour guide is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. You can me it a day trip with the hiking and the 2 tours.

jeandenis74

we got extremely lucky on this one. The sign on the road said sold out of sirup, but we still went in for a browse. At the door it said that as from the 30 septembre they will be open only by appointement or by chance....today was our chance. The door opened as we parked the car. We tasted the sirup and bought some straight away. It is the real deal 100% pure mapple sirup! Nothing to do with what you find in supermarket!

NachoWings

We stopped here on our Route 66 travels as this place is a must see in terms of Route 66 attractions. The lady behind the counter was one of the friendliest people we encountered in the US. We probably spent way more time in the little store than we should have due to the wonderful stories and tips the lady had to share! Also it was honestly the best Maple Syrup I have ever tasted! We were given a free sample, compliments of the lovely lady there that day! Lastly the have quite a few souvenirs which are probably the cheapest we came across, they got more and more expensive as the trip went on, so I recommend stoking up on a few on your stop at Funks!

MaryIN

Just visited today. Not being a maple syrup fan, I wasn't expecting to buy anything, but after tasting the delicious syrup, I walked out with two bottles. Nice to meet Mr. funk who was very welcoming and helpful.

agdwsu

This was located just a short drive from the Interstate. Watch carefully for the signs so that you don't pass the entrance. The person working there was very friendly and offered us samples of the sirup, which tasted different from the stuff you can buy at the grocery store. We were pleasantly surprised by the prices. There are a number of different sizes of sirup, including some for just 3.00. This was a great stop to try something new and to support local family-owned businesses.

952paull

I'll add this too...Illinois NOT New York. Nice little shop. The "sirup" was good. The entrance is easy to see right off Route 66

MarL559

This is an 1100 acre not for profit preserve just southwest of the Bloomington, Normal, ILLINOIS area. Beautiful woods and trails. Enjoyed the nature center but want to go back to experience the home and try some sirip. Yes, that is sirip, not syrup as it is right from the maple trees. And yes this is Illinois as in land of Lincoln, not NY as in the big apple!

BeBe2216

We drove down Route 66 to Springfield at the end of March for spring break. We stopped here because it was a must stop along 66. Walked into the little store and the woman behind the counter was unfriendly and acted as if we were bothering her. It was a surprise because of all the good reviews we had read about this place. We stopped once and once was enough. Be a little nicer, at least say hi when a customer walks into the store. Got home and tried the sirup. It was fine, nothing special. Will take Route 66 again but will bypass this place and spend my time and money elsewhere.

CornelisT

This place was the cutest, hidden down in the woods is this huge maple sirup 'farm' with a really small shop where they sell the good stuff, really loved this visit and the people working here are the friendliest! I made my order online months ago because normally they sell out before september but they still had some left anyway!

JstarkScotland

We went to the little graveyard where the Funks are buried, also saw the Irish Memorial and some unusual trees (like something out of disney). This is a pretty and peaceful area and if you have read of it in Route 66 books, well worth a visit.

DisneyToBeach

NOTE: This is actually in Shirley, Illinois - not New York as indicated...Funks Grove is a quaint place, but a nice place to visit.The store which sells the Maple Syrup is tiny - couldn't fit more than 6 or 8 in the store at one time. They sell a collection of Route 66 memorabilia, touristy books, and great Maple Syrup.If you stop here, you are very close to several other Funks Grove attactions. There is the Sugar Grove Nature Center where you an take a walk in the woods, take nature photos and just explore. They have a Chapel in the Woods - a common place for ourdoor or indoor weddings. Funk's Grove Nature Preserve holds festivals like the Hummingbird Festival or an Autunm Festival. You'll not want to miss the Maple Sirup Experience Tours in March where you an see them tap the Maples and make the pure maple syrup (and taste).

MarcoM260

Abbiamo la sfortuna di trovare chiusa questa antica fabbrica di sciroppo d'acero ma quello che mi colpisce è la pace che si respira in questo luogo, facciamo comunque un giro nel dintorni per dare un'occhiata al fienile contenente strumenti di lavoro per la produzione di questo ghiotto nettare. Una cosa da tenere a mente volendo visitare le varie attrazioni lungo la route è che tutti chiudono molto presto, tipo alle 16!